MovieChat Forums > Nightcrawler (2014) Discussion > POSSIBLE SPOILERS: About the second car ...

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: About the second car crash... plot hole?


Hopefully it was the second, I just saw this film for the first time last night.

After Lou hears of that car crash on his scanner, he tries his interview skills on a bystander who is on the phone with 911. How could he have heard dispatch talking about the accident if the crash was still being called in when he arrived on the scene?

My only guess is, since the crashed vehicle was a Mercedes SUV, it might have been equipped with OnStar or a similar device that would alert authorities if airbags were deployed, but this seems kind of like a far way to go to make this scene make sense. It could have easily been done without the 911 comment. I suppose it's possible he could still be on the line, as I know they like to keep you on until authorities arrive, if they can - but if I remember correctly it sounds like he's still trying to explain the situation to the dispatcher.

Is anyone else wondering about this? Is it a plot hole? Did I miss something?

Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?

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Good point, I didnt even consider that.

Couple other possibilities:
1) Someone in a neighboring house heard the crash happen and called it in. I think this might be the most likely. Someone hears a crash up the street from them, calls it in, the police assume its a minor fender bender and take their time getting there. While thats happening Lou shows up after the first other car encounters it.
2) Someone saw the crash happen and kept going, but called it in? Not likely but still feasible.
3) I don't remember exactly how the scene went, but was Lou close enough to the scene, that the guy who was on the phone had called in the original call was still on the line when he got there? I don't think so, but maybe.
4) Someone involved in the accident called it in and was either stuck in their vehicle or not conscious when Lou arrived.

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I reported an accident to 911 a while back and the 911 operator kept me on the phone until after police, fire and ambulances arrived. Like for 15 minutes, asking me all sorts of questions over and over.

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In many call centers the person who answers your call is not the person who dispatches the call. When I worked 911 sometimes I was a call taker and sometimes I worked dispatch . When I was on a call taking shift I would immediately start typing info and dispatch would read the info and dispatch accordingly.

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