BRUCE JENNER INVOLVED IN MALIBU, CA CAR ACCIDENT, 1 DEAD, 5 INJURED

 

BRUCE JENNER INVOLVED IN MALIBU, CA CAR ACCIDENT, 1 DEAD, 5 INJURED

 February 7, 2015

LOS ANGELES — Former Olympic decathlon champion and reality TV star Bruce Jenner was involved in a fatal four-car accident in Southern California on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Jenner was the driver of one vehicle, Deputy Ray Hicks said.

Hicks said Jenner was answering questions about the midday wreck in Malibu.

The sheriff’s department later opened a vehicular manslaughter investigation, a source close to the case said. The investigation will focus on everyone in the case, not just one person, the source said.

One of the drivers involved in the wreck was killed at the scene, on Pacific Coast Highway near Corral Canyon Road, the news release stated.

No information about the deceased was immediately available.

Jenner, 65, was not injured in the crash, publicist Alan Nierob said.

Five people were hospitalized with injuries.

The sheriff’s department is still investigating the cause of the accident, the statement said. Authorities did not detail the sequence of events.

Jenner won the 1976 Olympic decathlon with a world record score for the 10-discipline event. He quickly capitalized on his success with Wheaties commercials, appearances and other ventures.

He became an actor, appearing in the drama “CHiPs” in 1981 and occasionally playing himself on shows such as “Silver Spoons.” He is best known to many television viewers as a member of the cast of the current reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

Update:

A drunken driver drove into the Bruce Jenner car crash site a few hours after a multiple car crash with the reality star that left one woman dead.

A spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department tweeted about a DUI arrest at 6:30 pm. “Driver drove through safety road closure on PCH MALIBU & crashed into 2 of 4 earlier cars from fatal collision,” Commander Mike Parker tweeted.

It remained unclear what role paparazzi might have played in the original crash.

Previously:

Reality television star and former Olympian Bruce Jenner was involved in a multiple-vehicle car accident in Malibu Saturday that left one person dead, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department confirmed to TheWrap.

At least five others suffered minor injuries in the accident, which occurred on Pacific Coast Highway near Corral Canyon Road at 12:12 p.m.  Family members said Jenner rear-ended a vehicle on Pacific Coast Highway, the main road along the ocean in Malibu, after being hounded by paparazzi, TMZ reported.  Jenner is the subject of intense media interest as he appears to undergo a gender change from man to woman. He has thus far not commented publicly about the matter.

The vehicle Jenner rear-ended reportedly spiraled into oncoming traffic and was hit by a Hummer, resulting in one female’s death. Jenner, a former Olympian, was seen standing between smashed cars speaking to police. 

A rescue helicopter landed at nearby Pepperdine University to pick up at least one of the victims. PCH was closed in both directions as emergency personnel responded to the accident. Several motorists tweeted pictures from the accident scene. The Sheriff’s Department also used Twitter to share updates. https://twitter.com/mpLASD/status/564194662194216960


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UPDATE

Los Angeles (AFP) - Olympic decathlon star and former stepfather to the Kardashian clan Bruce Jenner was involved in a car crash Saturday that killed one and injured several others, though he was unharmed, TMZ reported.

The deadly accident took place on the Pacific Coast Highway in the Los Angeles metro area while Jenner was being chased by paparazzi, according to the gossip news website. 

Jenner was driving a large SUV and was being trailed by at least five paparazzi when he collided with a white car that then swerved into oncoming traffic, TMZ reported. The driver of the white car died when it collided head-on with a Hummer. 

Citing unnamed law enforcement sources, TMZ said four vehicles were involved in the crash and that eight people were injured.

Jenner was pictured at the scene standing upright with no obvious injuries and was driven away in a police cruiser following the accident.

 

TEXAS MAN FOUND GUILTY IN TRAFFIC DEATH OF STATE TROOPER, WHEN HE ADMITTED RUNNING A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AND KILLING THE TROOPER

TEXAS MAN FOUND GUILTY IN TRAFFIC DEATH OF STATE TROOPER, WHEN HE ADMITTED RUNNING A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AND KILLING THE TROOPER

February 7, 2015

EL PASO, Texas — A West Texas man has been found guilty of manslaughter for his role in a 2012 traffic collision that killed a state trooper.

Twenty-one-year-old Edgardo Flores of El Paso is scheduled to be sentenced Monday in the death of trooper Javier Arana Jr.

The jury Friday acquitted Flores of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Prosecutors say Flores drove through a red light in March 2012 and his pickup collided with Arana's patrol car. The trooper died at the scene.

Prosecutors acknowledged during closing arguments that Arana contributed to the accident by also running a red light while on his way to a call.

But they argued Flores admitted to investigators that he drove through the light and was a reason the collision occurred.

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Opening arguments and evidence presented in Texas state trooper-death case

Edgardo Flores is facing two charges in connection to 2012 death

Edgardo Flores, (center) listens to a witness give testimony at his trial in 41st District Court where he is accused of causing an accident in which state Trooper Javier Arana Jr. was killed. (RUBEN R RAMIREZ—EL PASO TIMES)

Opening arguments in the trial for a 21-year-old man accused of killing a Texas state trooper in a 2012 car wreck were held Tuesday, and a recording taken shortly after the crash was introduced as evidence. 

Edgardo Flores is on trial on manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges in the death of Trooper Javier Arana Jr. in a collision on March 24, 2012.

Prosecutors argued that Flores acted "recklessly" by knowingly driving through a red light causing the accident.

Flores defense lawyers said traffic lights at the intersection may have confused Flores and that Arana may have run a red light.

"Two bad decisions completely unrelated, ended up changing worlds forever," prosecutor Denise Butterworth told a jury in the 41st District Court of Judge Annabell Perez. 

On the day of the crash, Arana, 32, was responding to a call at about 1:30 a.m. on Darrington Road when his patrol car collided with a Ford Ranger at Joe Battle Boulevard and Bob Hope Drive. 

The patrol car struck Flores' truck, causing it to spin into the side of the patrol car, a DPS report said.

The patrol car spun and hit a light pole, continued spinning before it came to rest and then caught fire.

Butterworth told the jury that Flores had previously admitted that he was "positive it (the traffic light) was red" when he crossed the intersection. 

Butterworth presented a recorded interview between Flores and Texas Ranger Kevin Wright, who was called to testify. 

The interview, which took about 24 minutes, was conducted at Del Sol Medical Center, a few hours after the accident. Flores is heard telling Wright that he tried to beat the red light. 

"You knew in your mind that the light was red?" Wright asked Flores during the interview.

"Yes," Flores replied. 

"I passed the red light...I was trying to beat it," he is heard telling Wright in another part of the interview.

Defense attorney Ray Velarde argued that when Wright interviewed Flores, his client was "disoriented as to circumstance."

Velarde argued that some of Flores responses and non-verbal cues such as moaning and "I'm not sure" or, "I think" during the interview should have made it clear to Wright that Flores was not in a coherent state. 

Flores' defense also argued that the intersection at Joe Battle and Bob Hope had two lights and different sequences. Under a dark night, such as the one of the accident, Flores could have easily been confused, Velarde said. 

Flores' defense team also argued that Arana did not die as a result of the collision, but due to smoke inhalation from the fire that engulfed the patrol car shortly after the accident. 

"There's a lot of reasonable doubt to cloud the charges that have been brought against Mr. Flores," Velarde said.

Testimony in the trial continues today at 8:30 a.m.

Flores was 18 years old at the time of the crash. Jail records show Flores was arrested on January 2013 after a grand jury indicted him in connection with Arana's death. Flores is free on bond.

If convicted of manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Flores faces two to 20 years in prison.

According to the Texas Penal Code, if prosecutors prove Arana was a public servant acting in his official duty when he was killed, Flores faces five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted on the assault charge.

ONE WORKER INJURED IN A HUGE EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT THE INCINERATOR AT UTAH AUTOLIV PLANT

 

ONE WORKER INJURED IN A HUGE EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT THE INCINERATOR AT UTAH AUTOLIV PLANT

February 5, 2015

PROMONTORY, UTAH: 

An explosion at the Autoliv facility in Promontory on Thursday injured one worker and started a fire in a building at the Box Elder County plant.

The company’s Promontory facility incinerator is used to burn highly flammable rejected airbag materials according to an Autoliv spokesman.

The facility is a group of more than 20 buildings that primarily handles the pyrotechnic material used it the Autoliv’s airbags.

The worker, a 50-year-old man, was flown by helicopter to McKay-Dee Hospital with injuries to his head, including burns, according to Chief Deputy Dale Ward of the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office.

The incident occurred about 4:15 p.m. while two workers at the facility, which makes airbags for cars, were disposing of excess materials, Ward said in a news release. He said the two were removing a completed batch of the airbag materials from an incinerator and preparing to put in a second batch when there was an explosion.

The second worker was not injured.

Agencies responding to the fire included the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office, the Tremonton Fire Department, Tremonton Ambulance, the Box Elder Fire Marshal, the Utah Highway Patrol, ATK Fire and Lifeflight.

Fire personnel kept the blaze contained to the building and were allowing it to burn out because the structure was too unsafe to enter, the news release said.

Autoliv, which is based in Sweden, also operates plants in Brigham City, Ogden and Tremonton.

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS KILLED OR INJURED BY A PREVENTABLE WORKPLACE HAZARD, THIS IS NO ACCIDENT.  IT MEANS THE EMPLOYER FAILED TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM DANGERS THAT CAN CAUSE INJURY, ILLNESS OR, NEEDLESS DEATH