MEC&F Expert Engineers : 05/25/15

Monday, May 25, 2015

1 person killed, 9 injured in Sumner County crash in Kansas


  

Courtesy: NewsCow
May 25, 2015  

SUMNER COUNTY, KANSAS
 
A woman is dead after a two-vehicle crash on Highway 160 in Sumner County. 
The crash was reported just after 9:30 a.m. east of the Kansas Turnpike exit. 

The Kansas Highway Patrol says a vehicle was trying to enter the turnpike when it turned in front of another vehicle. 

One woman was killed in the crash and nine others were hurt, including some teenagers and smaller children. 

The highway is back open after being closed most of Monday morning.

Source: http://www.kwch.com

PILOT KILLED IN HAMILTON COUNTY YAK-52 PLANE CRASH IN KANSAS





MAY 25, 2015

HAMILTON COUNTY, KANSAS

A 54-year-old pilot from Syracuse was killed in a plane crash Monday morning in Hamilton County. 

A small Russian-made 1981 Yak 52 aircraft crashed just after 8 a.m. Monday in Syracuse. The Kansas Highway Patrol said the crash location was in the 2800 block of East River Road, just off K-27 or 1.3 miles south of US 50/K-27. 

The KHP says the plane went down, nose-first, then traveled a short distance before coming to a rest upright. 

Fifty-four-year-old Anthony Englert, of Syracuse, Kansas was killed in the crash. There were no other occupants on the plane. 

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.

PROPANE TRUCK FLIPS, PROPANE GAS LEAKS, CAUSING EVACUATIONS IN LINDEN, CALIFORNIA. CHP OFFICER CRITICAL, AFTER HIS MOTORCYCLE IS STRUCK BY PICKUP TRUCK WHILE RESPONDING






MAY 25, 2015

LINDEN, CALIFORNIA

A California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer sustained major injuries Monday morning when he was struck by a pickup while responding to a crash involving a propane truck near Linden, CHP said.

The officer, whose name has not been released, was taken to University of California, Davis Medical Center. He was struck by a Ford F-150 at State Route 26 and Murray Road while responding to a crash involving a propane truck that occurred at about 8:20 a.m.

The driver of the Ford was identified as Joshua Vangroningen, 21, from Ripon. He received no injuries in the accident according to CHP. The driver of the propane truck was identified as Donald Rial, 33, from Stockton California. He sustained no injuries when his propane truck crashed, CHP said.

A few nearby residences and farm workers working in the area were evacuated due to the propane spill, CHP said.

At 10:53 a.m. Caltrans tweeted that all lanes on State Route 26 at Murray Road were open to traffic.

We will update this post with more information when it is available. Reload for the latest.

Source: http://www.news10.net

New details emerge in novelty train accident that injured 8 in Hermitage senior living facility in Tennessee




Train accident

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)

New details have been released about the novelty train accident that injured several residents of a Hermitage senior living facility on May 14 that injured several elderly riders, including a 97-year-old woman.

The 21-year-old train operator was giving rides with a Husqvarna lawn mower that had been modified with a fiberglass shell to look like a train.

Attached to the train were three trailers, also made of fiberglass, that were attached to each other by a 1 7/8-inch ball.

While driving downhill, the driver attempted to brake to slow the ride, but but it instead gained speed until the last two cars became unstable and overturned, ejecting the passengers.

“The driver of the train is very upset and very concerned about the passengers. He said they test drove the train earlier and everything appeared to be working properly,” Metro police officer Greg Curtis said on the day of the accident. 

“The driver said that he applied the brakes. Either the brakes were not working, or [they] were ineffective, and he lost control of the train.”

Eight passengers were on the fair-like train when the accident occurred. Seven were transported to area hospitals for injuries and the eighth refused treatment. The victims ranged in age between 74 and 97.

The accident remains under investigation and investigators are working to determine how much weight the ride could carry at a time.

“The number of people over there [on the train,] we’re looking at easily over 1,000 pounds of people combined,” Curtis said. “So [it] very well could be the brakes are not designed to try and stop that much weight.”

That lawn tractor is too small and not designed to tow a load like that. The three trailers with the human load on them was probably pushing the small lawn tractor, the brakes could not work under such loading conditions and jack-knifed on them and flipped to its side injuring the elderly people. They needed a larger tractor or a large ATV for this with suitable brakes to handle the downhill portion.



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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)

Several residents of a Hermitage senior living facility were injured Thursday morning after an accident involving a novelty train occurred.

It happened at McKendree Village located at 4343 Lebanon Pike during an event at the facility.

The 21-year-old train operator told police he was taking residents around the grounds on the small train when he lost control coming down a small hill, causing the last train car to overturn before throwing riders to the ground.

“The driver of the train is very upset and very concerned about the passengers. He said they test drove the train earlier and everything appeared to be working properly,” Metro police officer Greg Curtis said. “The driver said that he applied the brakes. Either the brakes were not working, or [they] were ineffective, and he lost control of the train.”

Officials said as many as 12 people were on the fair-like train when the accident occurred. Seven were transported to area hospitals for injuries. An eighth person refused treatment.

“Our first priority is going to be just the safety of our residents and we’re just making sure everybody is okay,” Executive Director of McKendree Village Barbara Morrison told News 2.

“We appreciate that people are not speculating about what may have happened and that they are being supportive of all involved,” continued Morrison.

The accident remains under investigation and investigators are working to determine how much weight the ride could carry at a time.

“The number of people over there [on the train,] we’re looking at easily over 1,000 pounds of people combined,” Curtis said. “So [it] very well could be the brakes are not designed to try and stop that much weight.”

Police added the driver of the train did not show any signs of impairment.

BNSF WORKER KILLED IN NE MINNEAPOLIS RAIL YARD ACCIDENT WHEN HE WAS CRASHED BY HEAVY EQUIPMENT











MAY 25, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (KMSP)

A BNSF railroad employee was killed in a heavy equipment accident late Monday morning on the tracks in northeast Minneapolis. According to the railroad company, workers were unloading some old, heavy track material that was clipped by a second train.
The accident was reported at 11:45 a.m. on the tracks near Harrison Street NE and Spring Street NE, down the block from Lush Food Bar. The victim was pinned under the equipment, leading to a recovery effort that lasted several hours.

“The challenge when dealing with heavy equipment like this is the instability of everything else, because when something like this happens, there is lots of instability. The best thing we can do is to make sure no one else gets hurt in the recovery,” Minneapolis Fire Department Capt. Andre Sewell said.

The Hennepin County medical examiner responded to the scene, and will handle the investigation into the cause of death.

BNSF statement

"At about 11:45 am today as BNSF employees were unloading track material in northeast Minneapolis a locomotive on another track struck the material, which then impacted an employee who sustained fatal injuries. BNSF officials and others are responding to the scene."
Source: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com

1 dead, 3 injured after car hits light pole exiting Belt Parkway


Police are looking into the cause of a deadly crash in Brooklyn early Monday.

One person was killed when a car crashed into a light pole off the Belt Parkway in East New York.

The driver may have lost control while exiting the westbound highway at Erskine Street at around 1:15 a.m.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three others went to Brookdale University Hospital, with at least one in critical condition.

WIFE KILLED, HUSBAND INJURED IN LAKE JAMES BOATING ACCIDENT IN MORGANTON, N.C. THE OPERATOR OF THE PONTOON BOAT WAS CHARGED WITH MISDEMEANOR RECKLESS AND NEGLIGENT OPERATION OF A MOTOR BOAT






MAY 25, 2015

MORGANTON, N.C. (AP) 

A woman died Sunday afternoon after the pontoon boat in which she was riding ran into a dock.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Officer Clint Bell said the accident involved two married couples who were on a pontoon boat across from East Shores on Lake James in Burke County around 1 p.m. He said the four people had left a cabin on East Shores on the boat when the operator of the boat became distracted for a short time.

When the operator looked up, he saw that the boat was about to hit a dock, Bell said. The front of the boat hit the dock at about 10 miles per hour and a husband and wife from Charlotte were thrown forward and sustained head injuries.

The husband was airlifted to the Morganton campus of Carolinas HealthCare Blue Ridge and his wife was transported by ambulance. Sherry Renegar, 64, was pronounced dead at the Morganton hospital, according to WSOC-TV. Her cause of death has not been determined.

John Renegar, 67, was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, Bell said.
The operator of the boat, Kenneth Allan Rademacher, 69, of Charlotte, was charged with misdemeanor reckless and negligent operation of a motor boat, Bell said.

“It was just an unfortunate accident,” Bell said.