MEC&F Expert Engineers : 07/09/16

Saturday, July 9, 2016

A woman is dead, 5 injured following a rollover accident on Pyramid Highway in Spanish Springs, NV


Both lanes of Pyramid Highway open in Spanish Springs after fatal accident



By Staff |
Posted: Sat 11:54 AM, Jul 09, 2016 |
Updated: Sat 3:46 PM, Jul 09, 2016


SPARKS, Nev. (KOLO)-- 3:245 p.m. update: 


The Nevada Highway Patrol says a woman is dead following a rollover accident on Pyramid Highway. According to Sgt. Hernandez, the SUV carrying a husband, wife and four kids was heading northbound near Axe Handle Canyon Road when the driver tried to pass another car heading in the same direction. Sgt. Hernandez says the driver of the SUV moved out of the travel lane, overcorrected, and flipped- hitting the other car. That driver was not injured, but the husband and four kids were taken to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries. 


Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this crash, but the driver was obviously speeding and careless in passing. The accident shut down the highway in both directions for a time, but all lanes are now back open.

3:28 p.m. update:
The Nevada Highway Patrol says both lanes are now reopened.

1:53 p.m. update:
One lane of Pyramid Highway is open and traffic is moving through in alternating directions, the Nevada Highway Patrol reported.


It is now a fatal accident.
Original story:

Both directions of the Pyramid Highway at shut down at the north end of Spanish Springs Valley for a vehicle that rolled over.

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers were still en route to the accident near Axe Handle Canyon Road at 11:45 a.m., dispatch reported. Care Flight was also on the way.

It was a single vehicle involved. There’s no details when the highway will be reopened.

MORE BLOOD IS GUSHING ON THE DEADLY U.S. ROADS: A driver and two young children died after a crash involving multiple vehicles on the 91 Freeway in Artesia, California


Baby, Toddler ID’d as Victims of Triple Fatal Crash on 91 Freeway in Artesia
Posted 7:50 AM, July 9, 2016, by Tracy Bloom, Updated at 10:51am, July 9, 2016



A driver and two young children who died after a crash involving multiple vehicles on the 91 Freeway in Artesia early Saturday morning have been identified by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.


A man and two young children died after their Jeep overturned on the westbound 91 Freeway in Artesia on July 9, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)

Lavell Mann, 33, Logan Mann, 3, and 9-month-old Legend Mann were all killed in the collision, which California Highway Patrol Jeremy Tolen said occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on the westbound 91 west of Pioneer Boulevard.

A red Jeep was traveling in the No. 3 lane when it rear-ended a gas tanker trunk.

“That collision sent the red Jeep out of control and into the center median, which caused another collision,” Tolen said.

The second crash caused the Jeep to overturn; it was hit immediately after that by a BMW sedan, according to the officer.

All three occupants of the Jeep died in the crash, he said.

Tolen initially identified the victims as a man, a 6-year-old girl and an infant before the coroner’s office identified the victims and released their ages.

A woman and a child in the BMW sustained minor injuries in the collision, he added. It was not known whether the driver of the big rig was injured.

Speed was believed to have played a role in the collision, according to Tolen. He said the Jeep was traveling in excess of 55 mph, which was the speed of the tanker truck when it was struck from behind.

Alcohol was not believed to have been a factor, according to the officer.

fire that gutted Oceana Self-Storage units in Virginia Beach, accidental







Fire officials rule fire that gutted
Oceana Self-Storage units in Virginia Beach, accidental
VBFD: Three firefighters treated, released from hospital for heat exhaustion

WAVY News Staff Published: July 7, 2016, 11:12 am Updated: July 8, 2016, 2:26 pm


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Fire officials have ruled a fire that started inside a storage unit before spreading and destroying several other units nearby accidental.

Fire investigators say they responded to Oceana Self-Storage just before 11 a.m. Thursday. Upon arrival, firefighters say they saw heavy smoke and fire coming from Building 8 at the complex.

Anthony Coley says he has rented three units at Ocean Self-Storage for the last decade. On Thursday morning, he says he was making repairs to his 1978 Cavalier when the carburetor backfired.

“When the carburetor caught on fire, the fuel air filter and all of that caught on fire,” said Coley. “The carburetor was flooded out and the fire just spread.”

A few seconds later, Coley says his gas tank exploded. He says he emptied two fire extinguishers on the vehicle, but it provided little relief.

“It was a big boom and big ball of fire,” said Coley. “After that, I knew I couldn’t do anything.”

The Virginia Beach Fire Department says crews battled the blaze for more than one hour as the flames ripped through cars, furniture and industrial supplies inside the units.

“Everything you could imagine in there to fuel a fire is in there,” said Art Kohn, a fire department spokesman. “However that fire started, it did not have any trouble keeping going.”

Coley says he lost three cars, tools and 20 years worth of collectibles between the three units that he shares with friends. He estimates his losses at more than $100,000.

“I don’t know what else to do. I’ve cried all I could,” said Coley. “I’ve cried all day, so ain’t no more crying to do.”  


Fire officials say three firefighters were treated and released from the hospital after showing signs of heat exhaustion.

Temperatures reached 95 degrees in Virginia Beach around Noon on Thursday with a heat index of 108-degrees.



Fire officials tweeted shortly after 12 p.m. Thursday that crews deemed the fire under control.

The VBFD says there is no longer lingering threat to the environment or the public from the fire. This after initial concerns about the propane tanks on the scene and the runoff from water used to fight the fire.

The property manager at Oceana Self-Storage tells 10 On Your Side all tenants are required to have insurance.



Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

717 General Booth Blvd
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Driver killed when car runs up embankment, crashes into bridge over I-385 in Greenville County, SC


Driver killed when car runs up embankment, crashes into bridge

over I-385 in Greenville County, SC
 Car left hanging from bridge
UPDATED 7:20 PM EDT Jul 09, 2016

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —The name of the driver killed Friday when he drove up an embankment and into a bridge has been released.

Cory Duntavius Brewster, 24, of Greenville, died of blunt force trauma to the head and torso, Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans said.

Brewster was not wearing a seat belt.

The crash happened at 11 p.m.

Multiple state troopers and fire departments responded.

The crash left the car hanging from a bridge over I-385, shutting down multiple lanes on the interstate.The wreck is still under investigation by the Simpsonville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner's Office

Suspicious fire damages 12 homes, displaces residents in Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia




Fire officials are calling an early Saturday morning blaze in Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek neighborhood suspicious. (WPVI)





By Trish Hartman
Saturday, July 09, 2016 06:44PM
COBBS CREEK (WPVI) -- Fire officials are calling an early Saturday morning blaze in Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek neighborhood suspicious.

The fire started after 1 a.m. on the front porch of a home on the 5800 block of Larchwood Avenue.

Firefighters say the blaze started on a porch, and quickly spread.

"Fire was coming down the porches behind me," said Troy Reid of Cobbs Creek.

Reid says he was tending to his 1-week-old son when a glow across the street caught his eye.

"I ran outside and just started banging on doors, yelling for people to get out the house," said Reid.

About a dozen homes were damaged, either by flames or smoke and water.

"They said they're going to have to take the whole roof down, they're going to have to tear up the porch, they're going to have to tear up my living room and dining room ceilings," said Michaele Brown of Cobbs Creek.

Around the corner, a white pickup truck sits totaled.

Janis Carter says her husband's truck was burned overnight around the same time as the houses.

The fire marshal is now investigating to see if the truck fire, the homes and a few rubbish fires at 59th and Larchwood are all connected.

"They were out here investigating last night. They were asking questions, does he know who did it or whatever," said Carter. "He didn't know anything because he wasn't home."

People who grew up on the block say it's heartbreaking to see so many homes affected.

"To actually see the house where I was born burnt like this, it hurts me to my heart," said Angelina Rembert of Northeast Philadelphia.

While no residents were hurt, a firefighter was treated on the scene for heat exhaustion.

Nine residents are being assisted by the Red Cross.

2 drown in Lake Michigan near the Miller Beach community of Gary, Ind. during the Gary air show





Five people were rescued Saturday from Lake Michigan near Wells Street Beach in Gary, Ind. (WLS)





Will Jones
Updated 1 hr ago
GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- Two northwest Indiana men drowned Saturday afternoon in choppy Lake Michigan waters in the Miller Beach community of Gary, Ind., during the Gary Air Show, officials confirmed.

At about 2:30 p.m., the Gary Fire Department received a call about a drowning at the Wells Street Beach, near the eastern edge of Gary and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Five people were pulled from the water, two of whom died, said Mark Jones, chief of operations for the fire department. One was in stable condition at a local hospital. Two people walked away.

The two victims were identified as Kyle Reibly, 26, of Griffith, Ind., and David Alden II, 37, of Hobart, Ind., according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

The chaotic scene started when several people rushed into the water to rescue two children. Some of those people went under.

A National Weather Service beach hazard statement had been issued hours before the drowning in Lake Michigan, warning of strong rip currents and dangerous swimming conditions. Along the shoreline, officials warned swimmers against going into the water, where waves were between 4- and 7-feet high.

Wells Street Beach is a private beach, where swimmers are warned to swim at their own risk.

2 injured after a speeding pickup truck's tire blowout caused a collision on I-85 southbound in Orange County, NC







070916-i85-accident-vid (WTVD)





Saturday, July 09, 2016 06:50PM
ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A pickup truck's tire blowout caused a collision on I-85 southbound in Orange County late Saturday morning.

Highway Patrol said it happened just before 11 a.m. near exit 161. The tire blew out on the back driver's side of a 1996 white GMC pickup. The driver lost control, struck the median barrier, and crossed traffic, striking a 2004 Nissan passenger car.

The pickup overturned and came to rest on the shoulder. The pickup's two occupants were taken to Duke Hospital. Troopers did not release their conditions, but did say the driver and passenger were conscious and alert at the scene.

The driver of the Nissan was not injured, authorities said.

Troopers believe speed was a factor in the wreck. No charges have been filed, but the investigation is ongoing.

4 people injured in a drunk driving boat crash into a breakwater wall on Keystone Lake in Oklahoma




The drunk boat driver

Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


SAND SPRINGS, Okla. – Four people were transported to a hospital after being injured in a boat wreck on Keystone Lake, says OHP.

Troopers took the driver of the boat Aaron Hux, 39, into custody after he crashed into a breakwater wall at Pier 51 claiming he wasn't paying attention.

Three of the four female passengers were reportedly injured during the crash. All passengers on the boat, all 15 years of age, that were transported have since been treated and released from medical care, according to OHP.

OHP says Hux had a “strong odor of alcohol on his breath” and he was not able to stand on one leg. After administering a breathalyzer test, OHP claims Hux received a .28 on the first test and a .29 on the second test.

A man claiming to know Hux told 2 Works for You that he was shocked by crash. The man declined to give his name but said the breakwater is “poorly lit” and “difficult to see at night.” The man also said he’s been visiting Keystone Lake for around 16 years.

The general manager of Pier 51, Sean Adair, says that in the 22 years he's worked at the pier, this is first wreck he's encountered. He went on to say that the breakwater is "very well lit."

Adair added that they recently added three to four new lights on the breakwater, as well as reflective tape on a new sign.

Hux is currently being held at the Tulsa County Jail on complaint of driving under the influence.

A man has died following a fatal collision with a barrier while operating an ATV in northwest Edmonton, CAnada


Man dead following fatal north-end quad collision



  Ameya Charnalia
  Published on: July 8, 2016 | Last Updated: July 8, 2016 7:12 PM MDT



A man has died following a fatal collision with a barrier while operating a quad in northwest Edmonton.

Edmonton police received a call Friday morning from a resident who found the dead man near 184 Street and 137 Avenue.

“This is a scenario where somebody came across a deceased male this morning so we don’t have any witnesses at this time to tell us, you know, exactly what happened,” said Noreen Remtulla, a spokeswoman with the Edmonton Police Service.

Police believe the man was operating a quad in a closed section of 184 Street northbound when he collided with a concrete barrier.

The time and circumstances of the collision are being investigated by the major collision investigation unit. 





=======================================



A man is dead after his four-wheeled ATV collided with a concrete barrier in Edmonton on Friday morning.

Police say the man was northbound in a closed section of 184th Street and 137th Avenue when he hit a low concrete barrier known as a Jersey barrier. A passerby called police around 6:45 a.m.after finding the man's body.

The age and identity of the victim have not been released. It is not yet known if he was wearing a helmet.

Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the collision. Police continue to investigate and are asking for any witnesses to come forward

"The time and the circumstances surrounding the collision are still being investigated," Edmonton Police Service spokeswoman Noreen Remtulla said.

"We don't have any information or witnesses at this time, and that's why we're asking people to come forward if they did see this quad in the area at night or in the morning."

Rebekha Ruth Eisner, 59, of Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one count of insurance fraud






Woman pleads guilty to insurance fraud


4:43 PM, Jul 8, 2016



Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Rebekha Ruth Eisner, 59, of Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one count of insurance fraud.

The fraud was committed between August 2014 and April 2015.

Eisner filed a claim under a Farmers Insurance Exchange policy in which she fraudulently represented that several Louis Vuitton items were stolen from her Las Vegas residence during an alleged burglary.

However, it was discovered that Eisner had returned the merchandise to a Louis Vuitton store in Newport Beach, California several years prior to the alleged burglary.

Insurance fraud is punishable by up to four years of imprisonment and a fine of no more than $5,000. The sentencing hearing for Eisner is scheduled for October 31, 2016 in the Eighth Judicial District Court. 





Do not lie to the insurance companies.  You will eventually get caught and go to prison.







Contractor was possibly electrocuted to death while working at a home in Mt. Morris, MI



Police identify contractor possibly electrocuted working at Mt. Morris home

  By Amanda Emery | aemery@mlive.com
  on July 07, 2016 at 6:00 PM, updated July 07, 2016 at 6:03 PM




MT. MORRIS, MI -- Police have identified a contractor who was possibly electrocuted and died from his injuries last month in Mt. Morris.

Mt. Morris Police Chief Keith Becker said the body of Kevin Rabideau was found underneath a home in the 600 block of Beach Street on June 24 around 12:21 a.m.

Becker said officers were called to the home in reference to a suspicious vehicle and person. When police arrived they found the contractor's van with the passenger door open and his cellphone ringing inside, Becker said.

"They walked around the side of the house and they saw a board in place of a window pulled off," Becker said. "Upon further investigation they looked under there and observed a male subject lying face down."

Becker said the officers first yelled to Rabideau to see if he was okay, but got no response. An officer then crawled under the house and found Rabideau was deceased and had been for a while, according to Becker.

The medical examiner was called to the scene and found a burn mark on Rabideau's neck. Becker said there was no signs of foul play and investigator's believe the contractor was electrocuted and his death was accidental.

Investigators are still waiting on the results of an autopsy.

Rabideau, 45 of Millington, was a 1988 graduate of Millington High School, according to his obituary. He enjoyed being with his family, playing video games and going to the movies.

1 killed, 3 injured after drunk driver lost control, struck a wired guardrail, broke through several concrete guardrail supports and struck a tree in Sandyston, NJ


Driver will be charged in Sandyston crash that left 1 dead 


HERALD STAFF REPORT
newsroom@njherald.com
Posted: Jul. 8, 2016 6:15 pm

SANDYSTON, NJ -- State police released the identity Friday of the passenger killed in a one-vehicle crash Friday on Old Mine Road


Charges are pending against the driver, Sgt. Gregory Williams said.

Adonis Mojica-Sanchez, 27, of New York, N.Y., was pronounced dead at the scene following the 1:09 p.m. Thursday crash, Williams said.

Mojica-Sanchez was one of three passengers in a 2013 Honda Accord driven by Carlos Belliard-Diaz, Williams said.

Belliard-Diaz, 23, of Bronx, N.Y., who remains hospitalized with the two other passengers, will be charged with death by auto, assault by auto and driving while intoxicated, Williams said.

Injuries to all three were described as non-life threatening.Williams said the vehicle was heading south on Old Mine Road when, for unknown reasons, the driver lost control. 

It struck a wired guardrail, broke through several concrete guardrail supports and struck a tree. The accident occurred about two miles south of Kuhn Road.

Drunk truck driver kills a person, injures several others and damages many parked cars in Elizabeth, New Jersey; he was shot by police









Man who Intentionally Crashed Tractor Trailer into Cars in Elizabeth Shot by Cops; Fatal Injuries Reported
July 9, 2016 - 4:51am

An alleged intoxicated and out of control driver of a tractor trailer who intentionally drove through several neighborhoods in the city, crashing into vehicles, was shot by police but not before he fatally injured at least one person (Possibly others) and caused critical injuries to about three others according to preliminary reports.

The horrific incident began shortly before midnight in the area of East Jersey Street and 3rd Avenue when officers from the Elizabeth and the Union County Police Departments attempted to get an out of control driver of a tractor trailer to stop after they allegedly observed him intentionally crash into several vehicles, then flee the scene.

The out of control truck eventually made its way down Elizabeth Avenue where it crashed into several other vehicles in an attempt to elude authorities reports said.

With cops closely following the vehicle, the tractor trailer came to a crashing halt into a building after striking several vehicles near the 800 block of Newark Avenue at North Avenue.

At some point during the incident, police opened fire on the driver after he reportedly attempted to continue driving the truck after it crashed reports said.

At least one person involved in the crash was pronounced dead at the scene with three others rushed to University Hospital in Newark suffering life threatening injuries.


A vehicle carrying several family members inside (who were just leaving the Stop and Shop Super Market), was struck by the truck sources told RLS Metro. Several of the vehicle’s occupants suffered serious injuries the source said.

The driver was also taken to University Hospital for a gunshot injury but his injuries were not immediately reported as life threatening.

A source told RLS Metro Breaking News that the driver was drunk and angered by recent incidents in Dallas Texas and wanted to vent his frustration. These accounts could not immediately be confirmed by authorities as of 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

Police established a crime scene that stretched about 20 blocks and had about 50 vehicles damaged reports said.

The investigation is ongoing. 


Source:https://www.rlsmedia.com/article/man-who-intentionally-crashed-tractor-trailer-cars-elizabeth-shot-cops-fatal-injuries

Almost 4,000 gallons of pomegranate juice spilled on SR-14 in Stevenson, WA after semi-truck crashed



JULY 8, 2016

STEVENSON, Wash. -- Troopers made the best of a sticky situation along SR-14 in Stevenson Friday afternoon when a semi truck hauling pomegranate juice crashed.


The impact ripped open the semi's trailer, and about 10 crates of pomegranate juice spilled out, according to Trooper Will Finn. The spill was estimated at about 3,000-4,000 gallons.

The crash closed the westbound lanes of the highway at mile post 46 for a brief time, but the highway has since reopened. There are no reports of anyone hurt.

Finn didn't have any details what led up to the crash.

A COSTCO semi-truck driver was killed in Bothell, WA when his truck went over the side of an elevated off-ramp










By KOMO Staff Saturday, July 9th 2016


BOTHELL, Wash. -- A semi driver was killed Friday night when his truck and trailer went over the side of an elevated off-ramp and landed upside down on the highway below.

The crash happened at about 9:30 p.m. in the Bothell area. The driver was heading westbound on State Route 522 when he attempted to exit onto Interstate 405, according to Trooper Chris Webb with the Washington State Patrol.

"This is an elevated off-ramp that goes over the top of 405. The truck went over the edge and landed on northbound 405," said Tom Pierce with the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The truck landed upside down, killing the driver, according to Webb.

Images captured by Department of Transportation cameras showed the wreckage scattered throughout the roadway.

Both directions of I-405 were immediately closed to traffic, but Webb said some southbound lanes could reopen to traffic late Friday night. He said northbound lanes would take longer to clear and reopen.

Department of Transportation crews were assisting WSP in cleaning oil that spilled on the highway. DOT engineers are also on scene checking to see if the highway was damaged.

It's unclear what caused the crash. No other vehicles were involved.


He was most likely going too fast for that off ramp and failed to negotiate that turn.  The truck then rolled over to the side of the ramp and crashed to the highway below. It is a classic crash situation when a driver exits a fast highway and enters the off-ramp.  If the the driver goes too fast for that off-ramp, then the truck rolls over.  RIP.

One 55-gallon drum containing sodium borohydride and another nitric acid cause hazmat response in Monroe, New York



Photo provided by Monroe Fire Chief Daniel Bennet.  The Monroe Fire Department called in the Orange County Hazardous Materials Team and Hazmat technicians from the West Point Fire Department to assist in containing two 55-gallon drums on Seven Springs Road that were leaking and emitting a vapors. One drum contained sodium borohydride and the other nitric acid, according to Monroe Fire Chief Daniel Bennet.




Hazmat incident in Monroe contained
Firefighters discover two 55-gallon drums leaking and emitting vapors on Seven Springs Road
Published Jul 7, 2016 at 1:51 pm (Updated Jul 7, 2016) 


 KIRYAS JOEL FIRE DEPARTMENT — Monroe Fire Chief Daniel Bennet released the following report last Thursday morning as The Photo News was going to the printer:

• On Wednesday, July 6, at 8:53 p.m. the Kiryas Joel Fire Department took a direct call for a reported smoke investigation in the area of 94 Seven Springs Road.

• Monroe Fire Department was immediately dispatched. Upon arrival of first units on the property two 55 gallon drums were located.

• Upon a quick investigation it was determined that both drums were leaking and emitting a vapor.

• Monroe Fire Department immediately requested contact with Orange County Hazardous Materials Team duty officer and quickly upgraded their response to the scene.

• Also requested to the scene to assist in mitigation was West Point Fire Department with Hazmat technicians.

• It was soon determined that one drum was sodium borohydride and the other nitric acid.

• Technicians from Orange County Hazmat and West Point worked quickly to contain the leak and prevent any further damage to people or the environment.

• From initial time of call to placing this situation under control was approximately three and one half hours.

• Also assisting at the scene was Kiryas Joel Fire Department for fire police, Florida Fire Department for decontamination, Office of the Fire Coordinator, New York State Police, Orange County Sheriffs Office, Mobile Life, Monroe EMS, Kiryas Joel Public Safety and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

According to Pubchem, the open chemistry database:

Sodium borohydride is a white to grayish crystalline powder. It is decomposed by water to form sodium hydroxide, a corrosive material, and hydrogen, a flammable gas. The heat of this reaction may be sufficient to ignite the hydrogen. The material itself is easily ignited and burns vigorously once ignited. It is used to make other chemicals, treat waste water, and for many other uses.

Nitric acid (HNO3) is a colorless liquid that is used in the manufacture of inorganic and organic nitrates and nitro compounds for fertilizers, dye intermediates, explosives, and many different organic chemicals. Continued exposure to vapor may cause chronic bronchitis; chemical pneumonitis may occur.

Why the drums were there in the first place could not be learned at press time.

1 person died, 3 injured after speeding SUV rear-ends a car on Laguna Boulevard in Elk Grove, CA




By Hudson Sangree

hsangree@sacbee.com


JULY 8, 2016

ELK GROVE, CA


One person died in a seven-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on Laguna Boulevard in Elk Grove.

At about 5:15 p.m., a sport-utility vehicle that witnesses said was “traveling at a high rate of speed” rear-ended a Toyota Prius that had slowed in stop-and-go traffic during rush hour on the busy thoroughfare, said Elk Grove Police spokesman officer Christopher Trim.

The collision killed the Prius driver, whom police identified only as a man, and caused a chain reaction involving five other vehicles, three of which were significantly damaged, Trim said.

The driver of the SUV and two other people involved in the pileup were injured and taken to hospitals, he said.

The crash happened near the intersection of Laguna Boulevard and Laguna Oaks Drive.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office will identify the victim once family members are notified of his death, Trim said.

A deadly three-car wreck that killed two people near Westmoreland, TN was caused when a black Hyundai crossed into the opposite lane of traffic







Sumner County sheriff: 2 dead in early morning Westmoreland crash Dessislava Yankova, dyankova@mtcngroup.com 12:01 p.m. CDT July 8, 2016

A fatal three-car wreck that killed two people near Westmoreland on Friday morning was caused when a black Hyundai crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, police said.

The woman behind the wheel of Hyundai was driving northbound on Highway 31E just north of Phillips Hollow Road at about 4 a,m. when the wreck occurred. A white Ford pickup truck driven southbound by unidentified male slowed down and swerved to avoid striking the Hyundai when it crossed into his path.The truck was rear-ended by a woman driving a red Nissan Altima southbound. That hit knocked the truck into the ditch, Sumner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford said.

The Hyundai then hit the Nissan almost head-on toward the driver’s side. That collision also sent the Hyundai into the ditch.

The driver of the Altima died at the scene, according to Weatherford. The driver of the Hyundai was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by Life Flight helicopter, where she died of her injuries.

The driver of the pickup truck was taken by ambulance to Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin. He is in stable, noncritical condition as of 10 a.m. Friday, Weatherford said.

Authorities have not released the names of the drivers because they are working to notify next of kin, according to Weatherford.

The crash investigation is ongoing.



================================




2 women killed, 1 injured in Westmoreland crash

WKRN web staff Published: July 8, 2016, 6:19 am Updated: July 8, 2016, 4:56 pm

  (Photo: WKRN)

WESTMORELAND, Tenn. (WKRN) –Two women were killed and one injured in a crash involving two cars and a truck in Westmoreland early Friday morning.

It happened on Highway 31 East near Phillips Hollow Road around 4:30 a.m.

Police at the scene said a white pickup truck and a red Nissan Altima were traveling southbound on Highway 31 when the Nissan rear-ended the truck.

The impact reportedly caused the Nissan to veer into the northbound lanes and crash head-on into a black Hyundai.

The driver of the Nissan, 39-year-old Holly Briley of Lafayette, was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman driving the black Hyundai, 80-year-old Lola Maxey was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center via LifeFlight where she died.

The male driver of the white pickup truck was transported to Sumner Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries.

Traffic was diverted near the intersection of Old Highway 31.

Lola Maxey had been reported missing from Louisville Thursday. (Photo: WKRN)



3 children were among the 5 people killed in a T-bone collision between an SUV and a gravel truck at an intersection west of Mount Ayr in Iowa





3 children among the 5 dead in crash near Mount Ayr 

Lucas Grundmeier, lgrundme@dmreg.com 11:23 p.m. CDT July 8, 2016




Three children, including two toddlers, were among the five people killed in a collision at an intersection west of Mount Ayr in southern Iowa on Friday morning, the Iowa State Patrol said.

The crash happened just before 10:45 a.m., said State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Nate Ludwig. An SUV going north on Ringgold County Road P27 did not stop at a stop sign at Iowa Highway 2 and was broadsided by a rock utility truck, Ludwig said.

Both vehicles ended up in a ditch. There were seven people inside the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander, and five died. The truck driver was not injured.

The adults killed were the driver, Renea Baker, 49, of Redding and Sydney King, 30, also of Redding. The children who died were Briane Baker, 12, and Hayden King, 2, both of Redding, and Elizabeth Lakey, 4, of Grant City, Mo.

Willy Baker, 9, of Redding was flown to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines in critical condition. The seventh SUV occupant, a 1-year-old child, wasn't identified late Friday but has been released from a hospital. The relationships among the Bakers and Kings in the vehicle also were not immediately specified.

An Iowa State Patrol crash report said the six people who were harmed were using safety restraints.

The crash happened about 4 miles west of Mount Ayr and is being investigated. Redding is a town of fewer than 100 people southwest of Mount Ayr and just north of the Missouri border.

The Iowa State Patrol, Ringgold County Sheriff's Office and Mount Ayr rescue workers assisted at the scene.

At least 193 people have been fatally injured on Iowa roads this year, a pace over 35 percent ahead of 2015 deaths.





==========================================
Victims identified in fatal crash that killed 5 people
UPDATED 8:09 PM CDT Jul 08, 2016


RINGGOLD COUNTY, Iowa —Five people were killed in a crash on Highway 2 near Mount Ayr on Friday, the Iowa State Patrol said.


The accident happened around 10:45 a.m., when an SUV carrying seven passengers ran a stop sign.


A truck hit the SUV, sending both vehicles into the ditch.


Iowa State Patrol officials released the names of the victims:


Renae Baker, 49, of Redding, who was driving the SUV, Briane Baker, 12, of Redding, Sydney King, 30, of Redding, Hayden King, 2, of Redding, and Elizabeth Taylor Lakey, 4, of Grant City, Missouri, were killed in the crash.


Willy Baker, 9, of Redding, was transported to Blank Hospital.


The driver of the truck, Ted Zacharias, 28, of Atlantic, was uninjured in the crash.


A 1-year-old has been treated and released from the hospital, and another victim remains in critical condition, according to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig.
The crash remains under investigation





===================================




Shock, sadness after 3 children, 2 women die in south Iowa crash
Kelly McGowan and Lucas Grundmeier, lgrundme@dmreg.com 12:05 a.m. CDT July 9, 2016


A crash that killed three children and two women in south Iowa on Friday is sending shock waves through small communities in the area.

The crash occurred at an intersection west of Mount Ayr, a small southern Iowa town. Victims were from Redding, Iowa, and Grant City, Mo., which are both within 30 miles of the crash site.

"Everybody is just shocked and saddened," Mount Ayr resident Kim Scharfenkamp said. "It's just heartbreaking."

Driver Renea Baker, 49, and Sydney King, 30, both of Redding, were killed along with Briane Baker, 12, and Hayden King, 2, both of Redding, and Elizabeth Lakey, 4, of Grant City.

The SUV they were in was broadsided by a rock utility truck after the SUV did not stop at a stop sign at Iowa Highway 2 while going north on Ringgold County Road P27, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

Willy Baker, 9, of Redding, was flown to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines in critical condition, and a 1-year-old passenger was released from the Ringgold County Hospital late Friday.

The truck driver was not injured.

Scharfenkamp is a second cousin to Baker's husband, Richard Snethen, and said the tightknit community is reeling.

"It's very tragic," she said. "It touched everyone in the community."

Renea Baker was Sydney King's aunt through marriage, Scharfenkamp said. King was reportedly babysitting Elizabeth and the 1-year-old.

Scharfenkamp works at a nursing home where, she said, Renea Baker also worked before becoming a special education teacher in the Creston Community School District.

"I got the news that there had been a horrible accident," Scharfenkamp said. "Your heart just sinks when you see the Life Flight go out, because you know it'll be someone you know. ... They were really good people. It's terribly sad."