MEC&F Expert Engineers : 02/13/15

Friday, February 13, 2015

DO NOT USE A HEAT-GUN OR TORCH TO DEFROST PIPES: MAN DEFROSTING PIPES SPARKS FIRE THAT DESTROYS HIS MOBILE HOME IN BENSALEM, PA







FEBRUARY 13, 2015




BENSALEM, PA:




Unfortunately many mobile homes are not well insulated to be able to protect the pipes from freezing and bursting.  If the pipes freeze, you should never use any heat source such as a heat-gun or a torch to thaw them, as it may ignite the combustible material of the home.  Torches and heat guns have sparked many fires, so take this advice very seriously.




A Bensalem homeowner attempting to thaw frozen pipes accidentally set his mobile home on fire Friday morning.




One firefighter was injured in the fire in the 400 block of Wicker Avenue, which was reported shortly before 8 a.m., Battalion Chief Robert Sponheimer said. It was placed under control within 20 minutes, but not before destroying the house.




The homeowner was outside using a heat gun to defrost exposed frozen pipes under the mobile home, Sponheimer said. It appears the super-heated tool ignited the wood and insulation under the mobile home skirt, he added.




The homeowner used a fire extinguisher to put out a small fire, but didn’t realize the blaze was not fully extinguished and spread, Sponheimer said. The homeowner and his dog escaped, he added.




A firefighter with Bensalem Fire Rescue was taken to a hospital with hand injuries. His condition was not immediately known.

OPEN SEASON FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS AND MOTORCYCLISTS. SO, BE CAREFUL OUT THERE, AS THE TRUCKS OR OTHER VEHICLES WILL NOT LOOK AFTER YOU.








FEBRUARY 13, 2015
 
WASHINGTON, DC

It’s the middle of February, and already 2015 is off to a deadly start for area pedestrians. At least seven people have died after being struck by vehicles on some of D.C.’s busiest highways since the beginning of the year.

Five people were struck and killed late last week alone.
On Wednesday, a 26-year-old man was hit by a refrigerator box truck while walking along Interstate 95, north of Route 198 in Laurel. The man was pronounced dead on the highway; the truck driver stayed at the scene. The Maryland State Police are still investigating the accident.

Also last week, two collisions occurred within six hours and less and a mile apart from one another. On Thursday night, a teenager was struck by a swerving SUV on the southbound shoulder of Branch Avenue near the Suitland Parkway in Marlow Heights. He later died. By dawn on Friday, a man was found dead after being struck by an outbound vehicle on the Suitland Parkway near Alabama Avenue. Police say the man appeared to have entered a travel lane of the parkway when he was hit.

Later Friday evening, another teenager was killed on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Route 100. The Maryland State Police report that the 18-year-old woman was hit by a truck in the northbound travel lanes. 

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Later Friday evening, a woman was killed on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway north of Route 100. The Maryland State Police report that the 42-year-old was hit by a truck in the northbound travel lanes.

Earlier in the month, a 53-year-old woman was killed on Route 202 in Landover. Fairfax County Police say a 40-year-old man was struck by two vehicles on Route 1 in Hybla Valley on Jan. 13. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dozens of pedestrians were injured through the region last month. A hit-and-run in Arlington left two people hurt — one of them with life-threatening injuries — last week. Two days later, in Fairfax County, a man suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck on Gallows Road.

According to numbers obtained by WTOP, 52 pedestrians were struck and killed last year in D.C. and the surrounding counties.

Prince George’s County has seen a significant increase in the number of fatalities in recent years. In 2014, 21 deaths were investigated in the county — double the number in 2013. Also, Fairfax County saw more pedestrian deaths over the previous year.

In Montgomery County, a pedestrian was struck and killed on Veirs Mill Road on Jan. 6. Jeff Dunkle, pedestrian safety coordinator for Montgomery County, says that they have developed a comprehensive strategy to address pedestrian safety issues.

“Our flagship program is what we call our high-incident areas. By targeting those areas where more people have been struck by cars, we’re able to identify countermeasures — actions we can take that will actually make things safer and will help pedestrians be able to walk there with less risk.”

Dunkle says keeping pedestrians safe in the most accident-prone areas comes down to improving infrastructure, education and enforcement. He knows that when it comes to accidents there is a well-established relationship between velocity and survival.

“Speed is hugely important in terms of the severity of collisions that occur or whether collisions occur at all. If you’re hit at 40 mph, you have an 85 percent chance of dying. If you’re hit at 20 mph, you have a 90 percent chance of surviving.”
So far, all of the fatalities this year happened on roads with speed limits at or above 40 miles per hour.

In addition the Washington, DC, pedestrians, bicyclysts and motorcyclists are mowed down at record pace throughout the US.  It is open season, throughout the year.  So be careful where you walk.  Using the crosswalks is not sufficient to protect you, as pedestrians have been killed while walking on the crosswalk.  

According the US DOT statistics, the percentage of pedestrian deaths has been on the rise for the last 4-5 years.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA DUMP TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN COLLISION WITH TRAIN







FEBRUARY 13, 2015

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. (WIAT

One person was killed in an accident involving a dump trunk and a train Friday morning in Kimberly, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian says the accident happened on Brasher Road around 10:20 a.m. Christian says a Jefferson County Road and Transportation Department dump truck was hit by a train.  Apparently, the truck was racing along Brasher Road to try to beat the train. The collision was so fierce that send the engine of the truck many feet away from the cab.

The driver of the truck, Darin Voudrie, was killed. Jefferson County Manager Tony Petelos says Voudrie had worked for the county for 19 years and leaves behind a wife and four children.

“Please remember the family, friends, and co-workers of this employee in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult time,” Petelos said.

No other injuries occurred, according to Christian.

“It’s a sad day anytime such a tragedy occurs taking a life. It’s particularly sad for us to learn the person lost was a member of the Jefferson County work force family,” Christian said. “Our hearts and prayers of comfort are with the family, friends and co-workers. This will be heart wrenching for them.”

Do not try to beat that train, it does not worth it.

PROPANE TANKER TRUCK FLIPS TO ITS SIDE ON I-64 IN ONA, WEST VIRGINIA. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED; NO EXPLOSION OR FIRE, THOUGH.





FEBRUARY 13, 2015




ONA, WEST VERGINIA







An early morning accident has closed one of West Virginia’s busiest highways.



The crash happened around 3:15 am on I-64. The truck was hauling propane and prompted a closure of traffic in both directions until further notice.




The driver was pulled from the cab and sent to a Huntington hospital with unknown injuries.




Traffic is being detoured off I-64 onto U.S. Route 60. East bound traffic is exiting at the Barboursville exit. Westbound travelers are getting off at the Milton exit.




Authorities expect the interstate to be closed for several more hours.