Just wondering if anyone else thought this entire segment was in poor taste? Bad enough it's some crappy lost love were they are searching for their "gaurdian angels" who rescued them from their car...after they caused the death of 4 other people and then it almost made me sick in the update where there is tears and smiles all round (after they found their "angels"). I wonder what the family and friends of the 4 dead people think of Unsolved Mysteries :nonono:

I can only hope these people have been prosecuted to the fulliest extent of the law but it didnt look like it.

I've seen a couple of similar segments, but I don't think I've seen this particular one. Just wondering, how did they cause the crash?

I've seen a couple of similar segments, but I don't think I've seen this particular one. Just wondering, how did they cause the crash?

He lost control of his car in bad weather he said. I also noticed that Robert Stack only briefly mentions that 4 people died.

The accident happened in Mexico did it not?

I remember watching that segment when it first aired and then again a few years ago - both times I was also taken aback at how it was just glossed over by Stack on how the occupants in the other car all died.

The accident happened in Mexico did it not?

I remember watching that segment when it first aired and then again a few years ago - both times I was also taken aback at how it was just glossed over by Stack on how the occupants in the other car all died.

It did indeed happen in Mexico. I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed how poorly this case was presented. It was as if the death of 4 people was totally meaningless while trying to locate some "gaurdian angels". This should be sent to the scrap heap, it was quite tacky i thought :mad:

I second that. That was a bad segment.

Agreed. So of course, it was one of the ones that was re-aired during 2001/2 (that's when I saw it a few years ago). Meanwhile cases like Matthew Chase and the Baskin children are overlooked.

I hate to be a whiner but some of the choices for the 'old cases' re-airing rocked, and others.... not so much.

This is an old thread, but I bumped it anyway because others expressed the same views I had of this segment.

Maybe it was the way the segment was presented and edited, but I found it appalling how the deaths of the four people were mentioned once and then forgotten for the remainder of it.

The mother in the Dover family said it was a "miracle" that they were saved by the doctors. I found the use of that term callous considering the mayhem and loss of life at the accident scene.

This is an old thread, but I bumped it anyway because others expressed the same views I had of this segment.

Maybe it was the way the segment was presented and edited, but I found it appalling how the deaths of the four people were mentioned once and then forgotten for the remainder of it.

The mother in the Dover family said it was a "miracle" that they were saved by the doctors. I found the use of that term callous considering the mayhem and loss of life at the accident scene.
I always felt this way, and it's the main reason I don't like to watch this segment. I'm glad the Dover family was okay, but it's devastating that no one in the other car survived. It's hardly a feel-good segment considering that, no matter how heartening it is that the Good Samaritans arrived to help.

Without getting political, it almost seemed like the only lives that matters were the American lives (since it is mostly a USA based show). Since the other car was almost certainly Mexican (in other words, not a part of the show's demographic) it was glossed over like no big deal. I love UM but they frequently made Mexico out to be a lawless warzone where foreigners take their lives into their own hands.

Without getting political, it almost seemed like the only lives that matters were the American lives (since it is mostly a USA based show). Since the other car was almost certainly Mexican (in other words, not a part of the show's demographic) it was glossed over like no big deal. I love UM but they frequently made Mexico out to be a lawless warzone where foreigners take their lives into their own hands.

Well, with the current state of Mexico, with the cartels, murders, and corrupt police/military...that's not entirely off base.

Just wondering if anyone else thought this entire segment was in poor taste? Bad enough it's some crappy lost love were they are searching for their "gaurdian angels" who rescued them from their car...after they caused the death of 4 other people and then it almost made me sick in the update where there is tears and smiles all round (after they found their "angels"). I wonder what the family and friends of the 4 dead people think of Unsolved Mysteries :nonono:

I can only hope these people have been prosecuted to the fulliest extent of the law but it didnt look like it.

Yes, absolutely. I came to look for a thread mentioning this, so thank you.

Accidents do happen and perhaps that's what the police concluded, but this episode was definitely in poor taste. Yes, I get they were grateful for these people helping them, but they should've found another way to find these people.

Well, with the current state of Mexico, with the cartels, murders, and corrupt police/military...that's not entirely off base.

You aren't wrong. But that doesn't make the loss of life any less tragic.

I am actually glad that I'm not the only one who felt this way about this segment, it was definitely very callous towards the lives of the people in the other car like they didn't even matter. They could have at least mentioned them again at the end of the segment, or the Dovers could have expressed some remorse for that loss of life. But there was basically nothing and it kind of put a damper on the whole story. I hope the Dovers at least reached out to the families of these people and apologized for what happened and asked if there was anything they could do. But if they did, nothing was mentioned in the segment. We don't even know anything about those people, I mean someone's entire family could have been wiped out for all we know. Unsolved Mysteries really dropped the ball on that one for sure.

The way unsolved Mysteries is niow is utter trash..... I assume this segment was on after 2001..... During the 80s they wouldnt show something so uncaring... BOB did an excellent job!!

I havent watched the show since he left...... Its just garbage and a disgrace!

The way unsolved Mysteries is niow is utter trash..... I assume this segment was on after 2001..... During the 80s they wouldnt show something so uncaring... BOB did an excellent job!!

I havent watched the show since he left...... Its just garbage and a disgrace!

Nope, an episode from 1995.

I rewatched this segment today and oof. The Dover family caused the accident and the way the deaths of the 4 people were glossed over was gross. The family should have pulled off the road or slowed down tremendously if the road conditions were that bad. "I killed 4 people, but god was protecting us! He sent angels! Our lives were more important to save!" is the vibes I got.

I rewatched this segment today and oof. The Dover family caused the accident and the way the deaths of the 4 people were glossed over was gross. The family should have pulled off the road or slowed down tremendously if the road conditions were that bad. "I killed 4 people, but god was protecting us! He sent angels! Our lives were more important to save!" is the vibes I got.

I had to go back and watch segment with all the comments in the thread. Yes
I absolutely agree with everyone. Bad on the show for making the four victims killed just an after thought and footnote.

Yes very sad they were so careless!!

I had to go back and watch segment with all the comments in the thread. Yes
I absolutely agree with everyone. Bad on the show for making the four victims killed just an after thought and footnote.

I would have so much guilt if I caused a fatal accident, even if it wasn't my fault. I'm a California native, but lived in Iowa for 3 years. One time, I was driving and it started raining so hard that I couldn't see 3 feet in front of my car. Instead of continuing to drive, I pulled off the freeway and parked, until I had proper visibility. It sounds like the driver here (Vance Dover) wasn't experienced in driving in the snow, let alone a bad snowstorm. I'm not sure why he continued to drive, risking the lives of his family and others on the road.

I'm sure seatbelts weren't used by any of the drivers/passengers too, which contributed to the fatalities and severe injuries, but that was all the reason more to slow down to a crawl. Especially in 1983, when many cars on the road didn't have ABS brakes, airbags, or crumble to absorb crashes, like today's cars.

I would have so much guilt if I caused a fatal accident, even if it wasn't my fault. I'm a California native, but lived in Iowa for 3 years. One time, I was driving and it started raining so hard that I couldn't see 3 feet in front of my car. Instead of continuing to drive, I pulled off the freeway and parked, until I had proper visibility. It sounds like the driver here (Vance Dover) wasn't experienced in driving in the snow, let alone a bad snowstorm. I'm not sure why he continued to drive, risking the lives of his family and others on the road.

I'm sure seatbelts weren't used by any of the drivers/passengers too, which contributed to the fatalities and severe injuries, but that was all the reason more to slow down to a crawl. Especially in 1983, when many cars on the road didn't have ABS brakes, airbags, or crumble to absorb crashes, like today's cars.

You know, talking about pulling off the road.. I'm glad you said you pulled off the freeway and parked.. I lived in Virginia for 9 years or so, suburbs of DC.. the number of people there who.. When it snows.. Abandon their cars.. Blew my mind. They'd like get to a stop light and.. Just get out of their car and leave it. Right there in the middle of the road.

And.. Even here in SC.. When a gulley washer comes up.. People will pull over to the shoulder on the interstate.. Which is.. Astoundingly dangerous.


Anyway.. I think this story gets a bit of a bad rap. The story was about finding the 'saviors' of the family.. Focusing on what happened to the other vehicle occupants.. There just.. What would be the point?

Sure.. It's tragic.. but.. What was the girl who survived for like a week in the amazon after a plane crash? That'd be like telling her story but focusing on the 100+ other people who didn't survive. Well.. That's not the story being told. It's a part of it, but that's not the story.

I guess I look at it as finding the good in a bad situation. Nothing was going to bring the other people back. At least a little good came from it by finding and highlighting the good that the 'bystanders' did.

You know, talking about pulling off the road.. I'm glad you said you pulled off the freeway and parked.. I lived in Virginia for 9 years or so, suburbs of DC.. the number of people there who.. When it snows.. Abandon their cars.. Blew my mind. They'd like get to a stop light and.. Just get out of their car and leave it. Right there in the middle of the road.

And.. Even here in SC.. When a gulley washer comes up.. People will pull over to the shoulder on the interstate.. Which is.. Astoundingly dangerous.


Anyway.. I think this story gets a bit of a bad rap. The story was about finding the 'saviors' of the family.. Focusing on what happened to the other vehicle occupants.. There just.. What would be the point?

Sure.. It's tragic.. but.. What was the girl who survived for like a week in the amazon after a plane crash? That'd be like telling her story but focusing on the 100+ other people who didn't survive. Well.. That's not the story being told. It's a part of it, but that's not the story.

I guess I look at it as finding the good in a bad situation. Nothing was going to bring the other people back. At least a little good came from it by finding and highlighting the good that the 'bystanders' did.

I see where you are coming from. And I don't think anyone is saying that it was not good there was someone there to help the Dovers. Obviously I'm glad they survived.

But people's argument against it is that the broadcast came off as just callous over the four lives lost. I feel like they could have at least mentioned them one more time at the end of the broadcast. The Dovers could have at least apologized and expressed some remorse for them, after all the accident was at least somewhat their fault which does make this situation differ from the example you brought up since the girl was not at fault for anyone's death. I know in the same situation as them I'd feel terrible about a loss of life like that and I would not have gone on the show without at least mentioning them and expressing some kind of remorse. I hope the Dovers at the very least reached out to the families and friends of those in the other vehicle apologized and found out if there was anything they could do. Yes nothing would bring those people back but it would have been a nice gesture to say or do something. Its possible they did, but the segment mentioned nothing about it.

We know nothing about those people either, but they were somebody's sons, daughters, fathers, brothers, friends, husbands or wives at the very least were they not?

Yeah, Unsolved has a history of glossing of deaths. Those aliens at Roswell? Never even mentioned again. Disgusting.

You know, talking about pulling off the road.. I'm glad you said you pulled off the freeway and parked.. I lived in Virginia for 9 years or so, suburbs of DC.. the number of people there who.. When it snows.. Abandon their cars.. Blew my mind. They'd like get to a stop light and.. Just get out of their car and leave it. Right there in the middle of the road.

And.. Even here in SC.. When a gulley washer comes up.. People will pull over to the shoulder on the interstate.. Which is.. Astoundingly dangerous.


Anyway.. I think this story gets a bit of a bad rap. The story was about finding the 'saviors' of the family.. Focusing on what happened to the other vehicle occupants.. There just.. What would be the point?

Sure.. It's tragic.. but.. What was the girl who survived for like a week in the amazon after a plane crash? That'd be like telling her story but focusing on the 100+ other people who didn't survive. Well.. That's not the story being told. It's a part of it, but that's not the story.

I guess I look at it as finding the good in a bad situation. Nothing was going to bring the other people back. At least a little good came from it by finding and highlighting the good that the 'bystanders' did.

But where did they go? Seems more dangerous to wander in the snow than just stay in your car.

The point would be showing sympathy for the lives that were killed because of the Dover family. The family made them seem not important. Maybe it was the editing by producers and the family talked about feeling remorse and sadness.

Juliane Koepcke did not cause that plane crash. That's the difference. I do get where you're coming from, but with the context of the whole segment, it felt gross.

I see where you are coming from. And I don't think anyone is saying that it was not good there was someone there to help the Dovers. Obviously I'm glad they survived.

But people's argument against it is that the broadcast came off as just callous over the four lives lost. I feel like they could have at least mentioned them one more time at the end of the broadcast. The Dovers could have at least apologized and expressed some remorse for them, after all the accident was at least somewhat their fault which does make this situation differ from the example you brought up since the girl was not at fault for anyone's death. I know in the same situation as them I'd feel terrible about a loss of life like that and I would not have gone on the show without at least mentioning them and expressing some kind of remorse. I hope the Dovers at the very least reached out to the families and friends of those in the other vehicle apologized and found out if there was anything they could do. Yes nothing would bring those people back but it would have been a nice gesture to say or do something. Its possible they did, but the segment mentioned nothing about it.

We know nothing about those people either, but they were somebody's sons, daughters, fathers, brothers, friends, husbands or wives at the very least were they not?

I read your reply after making mine and I agree 100%.

But where did they go? Seems more dangerous to wander in the snow than just stay in your car.

The point would be showing sympathy for the lives that were killed because of the Dover family. The family made them seem not important. Maybe it was the editing by producers and the family talked about feeling remorse and sadness.

Juliane Koepcke did not cause that plane crash. That's the difference. I do get where you're coming from, but with the context of the whole segment, it felt gross.

They'd just walk home or get on public transport home. again.. Don't ask me to explain it, because.. It don't make sense.

We actually had something similar happen a few months ago here in SC.. We had a snow storm (A whole inch of snow!) and people abandoned their vehicles.. PD said everyone had until 11am to get their cars or they'd be impounded.

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2025/01/22/cars-abandoned-amid-snow-icy-conditions/


Anyway... Best I can say.. I didn't get the vibe you all did.. I would suspect that anyone who found themselves in that situation would feel horrible about the loss of life and their part in it, whether it was their fault or not.. But.. At the end of the day, it was an accident. So far as we know.. They weren't drinking.. They weren't driving recklessly or negligently.. They just.. Spun out, I presume, at the wrong time on what likely was a very dangerous Mexican road.