Conn. man helping crash victim falls to his death

HARTFORD, Conn. An 83-year-old Good Samaritan who attempted to help a car crash victim accidentally jumped off an elevated road and has died from his injuries.

Connecticut State Police say Richard Herron, of Elkton, Md., fell 35 feet off an elevated highway on Interstate 84 while trying to help a driver whose SUV had rolled over.

Herron jumped over the center median of Interstate 84 in Hartford early Monday morning to avoid a tractor-trailer that was nearing the accident scene. Police say Herron probably didn't realize there was a large drop. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Authorities say the SUV's driver, 45-year-old Sheila Jenkins of Hartford, was traveling too fast around a curve on the wet highway and lost control of her vehicle at about 3 a.m. when she tried to change lanes. State police say she was taken to a hospital for lacerations and pain to her left arm, CBS affiliate WFSB-TV in Harford, Conn. reported.

The accident and Herron's fall are under investigation. Three lanes of the highway were initially closed due to the accident, but were reopened later that morning.