A Metro Police Department officer was injured during a funeral procession this morning on Houston's south side

SB lanes of Highway 288 reopen hours after wreck involving officer



(KTRK)




Updated 5 mins ago
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Metro Police Department officer was injured during a funeral procession this morning on Houston's south side.

The accident happened on the southbound lanes of Highway 288 before Reed.

According to police, the officer was on his personal motorcycle when he was involved in a wreck with another vehicle. That vehicle turned around after the accident and was speaking with officers.

The injured officer was sent to Memorial Hermann Hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.

The highway was shut down for several hours but opened just in time for rush-hour traffic.

The high cost of hail. Total payouts for vehicle damage top $7 billion for 2008-2014

June 10, 2016

 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The spring and summertime forecast is a familiar one — severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail are on the way. Already in 2016, Texas in particular has been walloped by bigger-than-baseball-size hail that shattered windows, busted roofs and dinged vehicles in March and April. An updated analysis by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) of insurance losses to vehicles shows that 2011 and 2014 were the costliest years for hail-related claims in the U.S. during the 2008-14 study period, and losses were concentrated in the country's midsection.

When hail damages vehicles, any insurance claim owners file would fall under the comprehensive coverage provision of their auto insurance policies. This type of coverage insures against theft or physical damage to insured people's own vehicles that occurs for reasons other than crashes.

HLDI has been studying the frequency, severity and cost of these claims for several years. Using information from insurers about weather-related losses under comprehensive coverage, HLDI analysts matched the dates of those claims to hail events recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to determine which vehicle claims were for hail damage. The analysis excluded any hail storms that accompanied tornadoes, since it isn't possible using HLDI's data to determine which weather event caused the damage that led to the claim. Motorcycle claims also were excluded.

Hail claims data are from the 31 companies that specify weather as a cause of loss when supplying information to HLDI. These companies' exposure represents 87 percent of the comprehensive coverage exposure in HLDI's database. Results for the latest analysis were based on more than 491 million insured vehicle years and more than 1.5 million claims.

Insurers in HLDI's database paid $5.37 billion in total hail claims for 2008-14. The biggest payouts were in 2014 ($968.9 million) and 2011 ($948.3 million). The actual payout by all insurers is likely higher and estimated to be $7.26 billion ($1.33 billion in 2014 and $1.28 billion in 2011). This takes into account that not all companies are represented in HLDI's database and not all data suppliers submit weather information.

The results showed a frequency of 3.2 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years during 2008-14, a claim severity of $3,428 and overall losses of $11 per insured vehicle year. Across the study period, 2011 had the highest claim frequency of 4.3, while 2014 had the highest claim severity at $4,169 and overall loss at $15 per insured vehicle year.

The states with the highest claim frequencies during 2008-14 are South Dakota (26.5), Nebraska (19.1), Oklahoma (18.4) and Kansas (16.5). Other states in the top 10, by order, are Wyoming (15.2), Montana (11.8), Colorado (10), Missouri (9.3), Iowa (7.6) and Texas (6.7).

"HLDI periodically does studies to document the effects of weather on insurance losses," says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president. "Hail storms can be devastating events for vehicle owners. Given the recent news from Texas, as soon as the final numbers are available, we will be updating this study." Moore adds that "2011 and 2014 were bad years for hail storms, but it looks like 2016 may be worse."

So far in 2016, severe thunderstorms have pummeled Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma with large hailstones. Vehicle damage estimates for three springtime Texas storms alone top $1 billion, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. Some of these losses may be due to other weather factors, such as high winds.

Although Great Plains and Midwestern states predominate HLDI's hail claims' list, the most extreme hail events often occur in other regions, and this was the case in 5 of the 7 years examined. While it is true that spring is prime time for destructive hail events, HLDI analysts uncovered another outlier.

The worst hailstorm in terms of insurance losses to vehicles occurred in the fall in the Southwest during the study period. Vehicle damage from the Oct. 5, 2010, Arizona storm was concentrated in three counties: Gila, Maricopa and Yavapai. Of the three counties, Maricopa had the highest hail-loss tally for the day, with nearly 39,000 claims and more than $157 million in payments.


Top 10 states with the highest hail-claim frequencies, 2008-14
South Dakota (26.5)
Nebraska (19.1)
Oklahoma (18.4)
Kansas (16.5)
Wyoming (15.2)
Montana (11.8)
Colorado (10)
Missouri (9.3)
Iowa (7.6)
Texas (6.7)

Total frequencies for hail-related vehicle claims during 2008-14 for 10 most current model years

Man killed after being hit while on back of garbage truck in Alabama

 Thursday, June 9th 2016, 9:52 pm EDT
By Amber Eady, Digital Content Producer



(Source: Steven Speegle)

A pick-up truck ran into the back of garbage truck killing the man who was riding on the back of it Thursday morning on Highway 231. (Source: WAFF) ARAB, AL (WAFF) -

One man was killed when the garbage truck he was riding on the back of was hit by another vehicle Thursday morning.

Alabama State Troopers say, Harold James Dickey, 34, was killed when the garbage truck was hit be a 2013 Ford F350 driven by Kernie M. Risner, 33 of Blountsville.

The wreck happened close to the Arab Stockyard on U.S. 231, one mile south of Arab.

Dickey was transported to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Risner was not injured in the crash.

"Our employees are dedicated to public service, and Jamie was no exception," said Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker. "Jamie was a valuable part of our County workforce, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jamie's family, his wife and children."

Troopers are not releasing any more information as they continue to investigate.

2 arrested on arson, fraud charges in Buchanan Co., Iowa

Updated Jun 12, 2016


INDEPENDENCE, IOWA — An Independence couple have been arrested on arson and fraud charges after a lengthy investigation into a house fire in 2014.


Brandon W. Dorsey, 31, and Jessi K. Dorsey, 27, were charged Friday and arrested Saturday for second-degree arson (Class C felony) and insurance fraud-presenting false information (Class D felony).


They charges stem from a fire Sept. 22, 2014, at 302 Eighth Ave. N.E., in Independence. The fire was reported about 8:20 p.m. and fought by the Independence Fire Department.



The state Fire Marshal’s Office, Independence Police, Independence Fire Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assisted with the investigation, and after months of probing it was determined the fire to be incendiary in nature, intentionally set by the two.


The two are accused of filing an insurance claim after that fire.


The two were in the Buchanan County Jail Saturday evening on $25,000 cash-only bonds.

Hot air balloon worker falls 100 feet to his death in New York state

Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:30pm EDT


A worker for a hot air balloon company was carried aloft holding onto the aircraft's basket and fell to his death in New York state, police said on Saturday.

Ryan Almeter, 34, of Bliss, New York, was helping passengers in the town of Nunda to climb out of the hot air balloon's basket by holding it down on Friday when a gust of wind caught the craft, sending it and Almeter into the air, state trooper Mark O'Donnell said in a phone interview.

It was not immediately clear why Almeter did not let go soon after the balloon started ascending, but he may have been trying to climb into the basket, O'Donnell said.

He let go when the balloon was about 100 feet high and fell to the ground, New York State Police said in a statement.

Almeter, a worker for a local hot air balloon company, was pronounced dead at the scene in Nunda, which is about 50 miles southeast of Buffalo, O'Donnell said.

An investigation into the death continues and police said they have contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board about the incident.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)