MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/03/16

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

INSURANCE FRAUD: Charles Wayne Lash, 45, a former asst. fire chief in MS, is accused of filing false papers and a false insurance claim


Former asst. fire chief charged with insurance fraud

Patrick Ary pary@waaytv.com


A former assistant fire chief in Lawrence County will go to court in November on an insurance fraud charge.

Charles Wayne Lash, 45, is accused of filing false papers and a false insurance claim. Lash is a former assistant chief of the Red Bank Fire Department in Lawrence County, according to the Alabama Department of Insurance. He currently lives in Byhalla, Miss., according to court records.

Lash is accused of filing a false $26,000 claim for a 2003 Ford F-350 truck that burned under suspicious circumstances, the Department of Insurance said.

Lash was arrested May 28 and posted a $5,000 bond. He has pleaded not guilty.

Lash has a Nov. 1 court date.

David Manion and Henry Manion of Allen County, Kentucky farmers have pleaded guilty to crop insurance fraud.


  The Associated Press
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.



Two south-central Kentucky farmers have pleaded guilty to crop insurance fraud.

The U.S. attorney's office says 53-year-old David Manion and 48-year-old Henry Manion of Allen County admitted making false statements and reports on applications for insurance.

The prosecutor's office said in a news release the defendants made false statements to influence insurance payments of the Federal Crop Insurance Crop. and Producers Agriculture Insurance Co. The release said David Manion also had insurance provided by Rural Community Insurance Services.

The violations occurred between August 2009 and February 2012. The men each admitted intentionally overstating crop damage resulting in losses of more than $1.1 million.

Terms of the plea agreement say prosecutors will recommend sentences at the lowest end of the guideline range and the men will be required to make full restitution.

Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services. Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert Engineers


Construction Defects, Construction Claims, Engineering, Property & Casualty Investigations, Assessment, Site Investigation, Remediation, Litigation and Indoor-Air Expert Engineers

Bill Stephan, PhD, PE, CIH, CHMM, JD, MBA
Principal Engineer

P.O. Box 520
Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520
Phone: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440



__________________________________________________



Firm Overview


The engineering and forensic firm of Metropolitan Forensics and Consulting Engineering and Environmental Services was established for the purpose of providing a high value service to the insurance industry and to the insured companies or individuals. Our founding principal (Bill Stephan) is a licensed professional engineer in several states, including, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.



We specialize in the in-situ remediation of petroleum and chlorinated spills, the defense of liability claims, the investigation and defense of first or third party insurance claims and the handling of subrogation claims.  We are also experts on oil and gas energy sector issues (design, investigations, construction oversight), renewable energy sector (wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels, etc), vapor intrusion evaluation, vapor phase and transport and in design on vapor mitigation systems.  Additionally, we offer forensic engineering services, including age-dating of contaminant releases, construction defects, oversight, evaluation of remedial alternatives, sub-slab ventilation system design and installation.  The list of our core services is:



  • Cause and Origin Investigations
  • Construction Failure Analysis (Residential, Industrial and Commercial)
  • Structural Integrity Evaluation
  • Site Investigation
  • Tank removals and tank installations; licensed and insured to perform entire UST work
  • In-Situ Remediation of Soil and Groundwater
  • Vapor intrusion, indoor air evaluation and mitigation
  • Causation
  • Forensic Investigations (age-dating)
  • Oversight
  • Review of Remedial Action Work Plans
  • Reserve Estimation
  • Cost Allocation
  • RAWP Preparation
  • Site Remediation
  • Cleanup Level Development and Negotiation
  • Subrogation
  • Expert Witness/Litigation Support
  • Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Services
  • Construction Claims (Delay, Differing Site Conditions, Loss of Productivity, Acceleration, and others)

 





















Additional Specialty Service Areas

Age Dating
Boilers & Burners
Bridges
Building Codes
Building Inspections


Construction Accident
   Reconstruction
Construction Defects
Construction Delay Claims

Construction Surety Claims
Construction Disputes
Construction Differing Condition Claims
Construction Oversight
Construction Management
Construction Acceleration Claims

Construction Failures
Construction Injuries
Contractor Performance Issues
Corrosion


Defective Designs
Defective Roadway Design
   Evaluations


Earthquake
Electrical Accidents/Injuries
Electrical Equipment Failures
Electrical Fires
Elevators, Escalators
   & Conveyors
Embedded Software Hazards
   & Analysis
Equipment Failures
Errors and Omissions
Explosions

Failure Analysis
Fire
Fire Codes
Fire Protection Systems
Fire Suppression Systems

Flood Damage Assessment

Foundation Systems

Gas Systems

Hailstorm damage

Heating & Ventilation Systems
Heavy Construction
Highway/Roadway Design
Human Factors


Indoor Air Quality
Laboratory Services
Ladders, Scaffolding Falls
   & Failures
Lightning

Mechanical Defect Evaluations
Metallurgical Age Dating
Mold Causation
Natural Disasters/Weather
   Related Issues
Nuclear Energy
Occupational Hazards
   & Illness

Piping
Playground Equipment Injuries
Plumbing
Product Failures
Roofing Problems & Failures
Safety Codes
Safety & Human Factors
   Engineering
Scalding
Scene Mapping and Photographs
Sick Building Syndrome
Sports Equipment Injuries
Standardized Codes
Steam Systems
Subrogation Issues


Transportation Issues
Trips, Slips & Falls
Underground Storage Tanks
Utilities Expertise
Vibration
Water Damage
Windstorm



Mission Statement


Our mission is to work as an extension of our clients to expeditiously achieve the most economically favorable resolution of claims on their behalf and on behalf of their insured. We have developed and will continue to create new solutions to the technical problems and issues which are facing the insurance industry and the insureds today.  

Metropolitan provides forensic engineering work (age-dating or fingerprinting), site remediation, auditing, cost control and litigation support services to insurance carriers, their insureds and to private or public companies.  In its risk management role, examines, manages and audits environmental claims to ensure that assessment and remediation services provided to both carriers and policy holders are reasonable and necessary, properly rendered and appropriately charged. 



In its litigation support role, Metropolitan assists carriers and their counsel to ensure that litigious disputes are resolved fairly and reimbursement benefits are provided when appropriate.  The corporations service area includes the entire United States, with our corporate office located in Northern New Jersey.  The Firm's professional staff also travels regularly throughout the United States on assignment.


Forensics at Metropolitan


There are many issues associated with disputes over responsibility for cleanup. Who, what, when, where, and how chemicals were released can be investigated. The tools of forensic investigation include mathematical models, statistical models, fate and transport calculations, chromatography, lead isotope analyses, time of travel assessments, library search site characterization, tracer additives, and recently developed software applications.



Effective forensic project management should include an evaluation of multiple forensic tools based on site specific circumstances. The process of evaluation and the ultimate selection of the forensic tool are critical to a successful outcome. When project budgets allow, combining forensic methods for corroborative evidence can substantially strengthen your client’s position in an effort to prevent or support litigation. The effective forensic consultant must be well acquainted with an ever expanding list of analytical methods, environmental regulations, assessment procedures and remedial technologies.



The forensic field is one that utilizes a wide range of scientific tools to identify and characterize complex adverse environmental events. Some of the scientific disciplines involved in forensics include engineering principles (biological, physical and chemical), hydrology, lithology, geology, site history, site practices, mathematics, and statistics. These areas may be combined with technologies such as respiratory analyses, chromatography/mass spectrometry and chemical fingerprinting methods to answer complex questions with the ultimate goal of establishing responsibility for a particular event. Accurate, defensible forensic analyses are an essential component of any strategy that attempts to resolve the extent of the insurer or insured client responsibilities in the cleanup of contaminants.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic services.



Property Damage Services at Metropolitan

Metropolitan assists property owners, claims professionals, businesses, and attorneys in   the assessment of the cause & origin (C&O), extent of damage and required restoration after pipe bursts, settlements, manufacturing and construction failures, fire, flood, earthquake, or storm damage.  Our teams of engineers have extensive experience in the many systems that make up a building including structural, mechanical and electrical systems.   We also have the necessary background to evaluate property damage to items such as communications towers or solar panels. We can help determine alternative, appropriate, and cost effective solutions for repair or restoration of any damaged property, both commercial and residential. 

Providing Competent, Expert and Objective Investigative Engineering and Consulting Services.

Our experts are multi-skilled, competent, and objective professionals who apply their analytical and common sense skills to reconstruct, determine the root cause, and document the events that give rise to property, casualty, and liability claims.  Thorough investigations and detailed measurements/research help us distinguish between pre-existing conditions and sudden and accidental losses.



 






























Our investigations are:

·         Comprehensive & Accurate

·         Legible & Easy to Understand

·         Timely Performed

·         Delivered Quickly

·         Cost Effective

·         Clear & Concise

·         Developed by Professionals

·         Dependable

·         Our own uniform reporting system saves time and money.


Our Fast Track Investigation and Uniform Format Reporting systems allow us to conduct and deliver a comprehensive response to the assigned claim.  In most cases, we will obtain findings based on a site visit, visual observations, photographs, interviews, and field measurements.  Further investigations and testing will be provided upon request and approval by the client.



Forensic Investigation of Property Damage Claims

Metropolitan Consulting, Engineering & Forensics understands your need to complete a claim investigation accurately and efficiently as possible.  Whether it is accident reconstruction, damage due to environmental forces such as wind, water, hail, snow, tornado, etc.; fire origin & cause investigation or any other claim, the engineers at Metropolitan understand both you and your client want to resolve the claim.  The analysis you receive from Metropolitan will be accurate and complete, giving you the information needed in the claim adjustment and analysis.

Our services have extended beyond the forensic analysis phase into the remediation and repair phase of many large loss claims.  Upon the completion of the cause and origin (C&O) investigation, Metropolitan can provide our clients with complete working drawings and specifications needed to repair or rebuilt damaged buildings or other structures.  Metropolitan Consulting & Engineering’ staff possesses many-many years of experience in rehabilitation design, construction management, and project oversight to ensure the loss is restored in a timely and cost-effective manner without sacrificing quality.  Building code knowledge allows us to identify possible code upgrades as needed.  Metropolitan understands constructability and realizes making an insured whole goes beyond forensic investigation and design. We pride ourselves in providing practical solutions contractors can understand and follow.

At the forefront of available technology, we provide professionals and staff capable of handling a variety of engineering evaluations.  Our reports are clear, concise, complete and efficiently produced.  Our engineering objectives are achieved in an ethical manner consistent with the traditions and character of engineering professionals.

Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our property damage services.


Extensive Experience helping Sureties

Metropolitan also has extensive experience helping sureties fulfill their bond obligations resolve disputes after a contractor has defaulted.  This work includes the evaluation of contractor bid pricing, evaluation of the contractor’s ability to perform work, risk assessment, evaluation of termination, construction completion services, claim and litigation support services, loss recovery services, evaluation of payment bond claims, negotiation and settlement of payment bond claims, and construction defects investigation services.  Metropolitan has provided these services for commercial, development, educational, and assisted living projects.


Construction is a business fraught with risk.  Disputes over even the smallest of issues can quickly escalate, with crippling consequences to the project and the parties.  Over the years, the construction industry has developed various methods of contractually allocating the risk of project delay and disruption.  Some of these methods include liquidated damages provisions, "no damages for delay" clauses, mutual waivers of consequential damages, provisions that limit liability, claims notice provisions, and provisions addressing responsibility for the adequacy of the construction plans and specifications.  Parties frequently litigate the sufficiency of these risk-shifting efforts in conjunction with the underlying merits of delay and disruption disputes.
Construction Claims & Disputes
The most frequently encountered claims include:
1.            Construction Delay Claims
2.            Disruption and Loss of Labor Productivity Claims
3.            Design and Construction Defect Claims
4.            Force Majeure Claims
5.            Acceleration or Compression of the Schedule Claims
6.            Suspension, Termination and Default Claims
7.            Differing Site Conditions Claims
8.            Change Order and Extra Work Claims
9.            Cost Overrun Claims
10.         Unacceptable Workmanship or Substituted Material Claims
11.         Non-payment Claims (stop notice (or Notice to Withhold) claims, mechanics’ lien (only for private construction projects) and payment bond claims)



Forensic Engineering Experience Case Studies


Metropolitan staff has developed and utilized scientific methods to assist clients in a variety of ways related to their claim issues. The following is a partial list of such projects:

  • Provided expert witness services for plaintiff seeking remediation of contaminated groundwater that caused indoor air inhalation problems;
  • Testified that engineering and scientific evidence was improperly collected and analyzed and was inadequate to show the age of the release;
  • Origin and cause of retaining wall failures.  
  • Lightning damage to structures or electrical systems and equipment
  • Roof failure or collapse as a result of accumulated load, additional weight and snow drift at hundreds of commercial and residential properties.
  • Demonstrated that solvents in groundwater at client's property originated from off-site dry-cleaner and that client's site actually provided remediation for the off-site release of dry cleaning solvent;
  • Expert witness for property owner impacted by industrial waste disposal from industrial manufacturer;
  • Demonstrated that environmental analysis by a previous consultant for a manufacturing site was inadequate; as a result, the lender's concerns were alleviated and financing proceeded;
  • Chemical "age-dating" and contaminant transport analyses of petroleum in groundwater at a gas station showed that contaminants originated from other parties;
  • Age-dated petroleum release at a former gas station to show that the previous owner of the gas station caused groundwater contamination;
  • Age-dated petroleum releases at an industrial facility to show that the on-site plume was the result of an off-site source;
  • Prepared age-dating reports for over one-hundred residential fuel oil spills;
  • Assisted insurance companies attorneys in defending subrogation claims; was able to demonstrate that the forensic data collected by the first party consultant were collected and analyzed using invalid methods;
  • Demonstrated that structural damage to a residence was from a source other than the alleged high lake level
  • Collected evidence (for the primary responsible party) that identified other responsible parties to share in the cost of a Superfund cleanup;
  • Review of the site data at a bulk petroleum facility indicated that the site releases were not the result of regular oil transfer operations and that they were caused by the negligent actions of the insured’s agents; the case was settled in favor of the insurance company;
  • Was able to demonstrate that the majority of the removal actions at petroleum release sites were neither reasonable nor necessary; as a result of our opinion, the insurance client settled the claim in favorable terms;
  • At several drycleaner sites we were able to demonstrate that the age of the release was much earlier than the parties originally believed; as a result, the insurance client settled the claim at a fraction of the alleged liability;
  • We performed numerous flood and wind damage assessments at commercial and residential properties.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic engineering services.




Site Remediation Services


 Characterizing and remediating contaminated sites involve some of the most complex and difficult issues for environmental lawyers and their clients. Problem areas include responding to regulators; negotiating enforcement settlements; negotiating or litigating cost allocation and recovery claims; working with the insured or insurer client, lawyers and regulators to develop efficient, cost-effective remediation approaches; and selling, buying, or developing contaminated properties.



Metropolitan staff has developed and applied an innovative approach to the use of sodium persulfate for the sequential in-situ treatment of subsurface contaminants through chemical oxidation followed by enhanced biological degradation through sulfate reduction. This approach has broad applicability to a wide range of contaminants, and shows strong cost-saving benefits through reducing the initial volume of chemical oxidant necessary and enhancing the in-situ biological degradation of contaminants.



Through proper subsurface geochemical characterization and chemical dosing design, the approach focuses on utilizing the oxidant for immediate mass reduction at the source area, followed by degradation or polishing of the residual contamination using sulfate reducing bacteria.  Depending upon the oxidant activation method, this approach is applicable to petroleum hydrocarbons including both volatiles and PAHs, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) including chlorinated ethene, ethane and methane groups, as well as PCBs.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Site Remediation Services.





Vapor Intrusion and Indoor-Air Studies


Vapor intrusion has received increased attention over the last few years near contaminated sites because some contaminants have the potential to migrate into nearby buildings and negatively affect indoor air quality. The accumulation of these volatile vapors in buildings can result in significant safety and health concerns.
To properly evaluate vapor intrusion a thorough evaluation of the building's ventilation system and subsurface conditions needs to be conducted by a knowledgeable professional in accordance with state and federal established procedures. 
The evaluation process typically includes a thorough building chemical inventory, the advancement of soil gas probes and the collection of soil gas samples. When indoor air quality problems are identified they can normally be resolved through the modification/installation of a properly designed ventilation system.
Metropolitan is well experienced with U.S. EPA and State vapor intrusion investigation techniques. We have completed numerous vapor intrusion and indoor air quality studies at commercial and residential properties. We have the experience to identify and resolve indoor vapor intrusion problems and the practical know-how to resolve indoor quality issues in an efficient and cost effective manner.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Air Studies.




Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services.


Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert  Engineers

P.O. Box 520

Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520

Ph.: (973) 897-8162

Fax: (973) 810-0440



Contact: Dr. Bill N. Stephan, PhD, PE, JD, CIH, MBA, CHMM






Insurance claim examiners, insureds, insurers, insurance adjusters and risk managers use Metropolitan for determining cause, evaluating the extent of damage, determining the age of the release, separating unrelated damage, analyzing loss scopes and managing restoration data, determining costs to repair, restore or replace, and preparing for insurance appraisals.



Attorneys call on Metropolitan for help when preparing for Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution such as arbitration and mediation


A driver is dead after a vehicle hydroplaned on the wet highway before travelling through the right shoulder and into a tree in Raleigh, NC






Emergency workers at the scene of the crash.

Updated 1 hr 40 mins ago
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A person is dead after a vehicle went off Interstate 40 westbound near Jones Sausage Road and hit an area of trees early Wednesday morning.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the Kia Sorrento was spotted by passing drivers at daylight, but the crash likely happened hours before.

Based on a preliminary investigation, troopers said the driver may have hydroplaned on the wet highway before travelling through the right shoulder and into a tree.

There were lengthy delays in the area while emergency crews recovered the body and pulled the SUV onto a wrecker.

All lanes of the highway reopened around 9 a.m.

The name of the driver was not released pending notification of next of kin

As much as 4,200 gallons of crude oil discharged from a well owned by Texas Petroleum Investment Company into the mouth of the Mississippi River, in the Main Pass.





Mississippi River is pictured as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday, July 10, 2010. The Coast Guard reports an estimated maximum potential of 4,200 gallons of crude oil discharged from a well owned by Texas Petroleum Investment Company into the river's Main Pass on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. (DINAH ROGERS)

  Emily Lane, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
  updated August 02, 2016 at 1:55 PM




As much as 4,200 gallons of crude oil discharged from a well into the mouth of the Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard reports. The Coast Guard and other agencies were responding Tuesday (Aug. 2) to the spill in the Main Pass.

The well is owned by Texas Petroleum Investment Co., according to a news release from the Coast Guard. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The agency said crews from Coat Guard Air Station New Orleans and Southern Seaplane are flying over the site and surrounding areas to make assessments.

The owner of the well has contracted with OMI Environmental Solutions and Clean Gulf Associates, private oil spill response companies, for clean-up operations.

The Coast Guard, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are also overseeing the response.

The Coast Guard said in its release 4,200 gallons was the "estimated maximum potential" amount discharged in the spill.

The agency last week said 840 gallons of oil leaked from a pipeline into the river's South Pass on Thursday (July 28). That pipeline was also owned by Texas Petroleum Investment Co.

The Coast Guard reported that day the pipe was secured and a containment boom was put in place. 




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


Coast Guard, other agencies responding to oil spill near Main Pass
Aug 2nd, 2016

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and other agencies are responding to a crude oil spill near Main Pass, Tuesday.

An estimated maximum potential of 4,200 gallons of crude oil discharged from a well owned by Texas Petroleum Investment Company.

OMI Environmental Solutions and Clean Gulf Associates, oil spill response organizations, have been contracted by TPIC to conduct clean up operations. The Coast Guard, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinators Office and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are also overseeing the response.

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans and Southern Seaplane aircrews are conducting aerial assessments of the site and surrounding areas.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Bolt and Connector Failures: a recurring problem that raises serious safety and environmental hazard concerns

Bolt and Connector Failures


Breaking News: BSEE announces Forum on Safety Equipment Failures 

August 1, 2016

Leadership and staff of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement have been working to address a recurring problem that raises serious safety and environmental hazard concerns - faulty connector bolts in safety critical equipment currently deployed offshore. 

There have been a number of failures - beginning over a decade ago around 2003 - of bolts that are used to connect blowout preventers, risers, and other subsea equipment. We have created this page so that government, industry, and other stakeholders can share the latest information related to these failures, including: root cause analyses of bolt/connector failures, safety alerts, industry standards and guidance, and other connector and bolt related information and guidance.

A construction worker had his legs crushed after a gust of wind caused a 20-ton concrete panel to fall on him in Sioux Falls, South Dakota












(Photo: Jay Pickthorn / Argus Leader)


Worker injured by toppled 20-ton concrete slab


 Katie Nelson, kenelson@argusleader.com 

3:19 p.m. CDT August 1, 2016


Emergency crews respond to a structure collapse near W. Madison Street and N. Ebenezer Avenue on Monday. Jay Pickthorn / Argus Leader


A construction worker was injured after a gust of wind caused a 20-ton concrete panel to fall on him Monday morning.

Thirty-two pre-cast concrete panels collapsed onto the construction site shortly after 11 a.m., one of them landing on the worker, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Travis Thom said.

It took firefighters about 45 minutes to free the man, who had been working on an elevated platform at the time of the accident. He was conscious the entire time and was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue spokesman Brad Goodroad said.

"His legs were crushed pretty bad," Goodroad said, adding that the panel weighed approximately 40,000 pounds.

Goodroad said the wind was especially strong at the time and may have caused the panels to fall. He did not know the name of the company that owns the property where the accident occurred.

A fast-moving fire damaged a house in Southwest Philadelphia early Wednesday morning.






A fast-moving fire damaged a house in Southwest Philadelphia early Wednesday morning.


Updated 2 hrs 3 mins ago

SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA -- A fast-moving fire damaged a house in Southwest Philadelphia early Wednesday morning.

The fire started around 2:30 a.m. on the 5200 block of Florence Avenue.

Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from the second floor windows of the 2-story row home.








PICTURES: Flames damage row home in Southwest Philadelphia
They say debris on the second floor hampered efforts to control the fire.

There were no reports of injuries.

Fire investigators were working to determine what sparked the blaze.

1 dead, 1 critically injured in Roseland crash in Chicago, IL









Tuesday, August 02, 2016 09:35PM Chicago police said one person was killed and one person was critically injured in a pin-in crash in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood.

Fire officials say heavy extraction was needed to free the victims from the crash at East 103rd and South State streets. Both victims were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where a 48-year-old woman was pronounced dead.

The cause of the crash, as well as the age and gender of the second victim, was not immediately clear.

SLOW DOWN AT CONSTRUCTION ZONES: a large truck carrying gravel didn't slow down in a construction zone, slammed into a passenger car, which set off a chain reaction crash killing 3


Cause of deadly Ottawa 6-vehicle crash determined






Tuesday, August 02, 2016 07:59PM
OTTAWA, Ill. (WLS) -- The cause of a deadly six-vehicle pileup crash on I-80 near Ottawa has been determined, Illinois State Police said.

Police say a large truck carrying gravel didn't slow down in a construction zone. That truck slammed into a passenger car, which set off a chain reaction crash.

Two people in the passenger car were killed, as was the driver of a truck carrying tires. Several of the vehicles caught fire and I-80 was closed at mile marker 93 for about nine hours.