2 DEAD, 1 INJURED AFTER TRAIN AND TRUCK COLLIDE SOUTH OF LONGSTREET, LOUISIANA

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

LONGSTREET, DESOTO PARISH, LOUISIANA (KSLA)

Louisiana State Police have released the names of the victims who died in a crash involving a truck and a train in DeSoto Parish.

According to LSP Tpr. Matt Harris, the 2001 Dodge Ram truck was struck by the train on LA 5 just south of Longstreet just before 1 p.m. Preliminary reports suggest that the driver, 23-year-old John Watson of Centerville, LA, drove into the path of a southbound Union Pacific freight train operated by 59-year-old Kenneth Charles of Humble, TX.  The train struck the truck's driver's side door and pushed the vehicle completely off the tracks.

Authorities say Watson as well as his passengers 24-year-old Michael Ryder II of Golddonna, LA and 35-year-old Hebert Barras III of Charenton, LA were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash.  Watson and Ryder were pronounced dead at the scene by the DeSoto Parish Coroner and Barras remains in critical condition.

LifeAir was requested, but has been unable to fly due to weather.
Police say a toxicology sample was taken from Watson to be submitted for analysis but impairment is not suspected in the crash.

The wreck remains under investigation.

FEMALE CAR DRIVER WAS KILLED WHEN HER CAR SPUN OUT ON THE SNOWY ROADWAY AND WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE BY A PICKUP TRUCK

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

GRATIS, OHIO:

UPDATE @ 9:55 p.m.: The woman killed in the two-vehicle accident on Ohio 725 is Tracey Pearson, 51, of West Alexandria, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, a coroner’s investigator said.

UPDATE @ 1:22 p.m.: The driver who was killed was a female from West Alexandria, according to Sheriff Simpson.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her full identification has not yet been released, pending notification of family.

The female was driving a Chevrolet Malibu east on Ohio 725 when she lost control on the snow-covered roadway, according to the sheriff.

The car then collided with a Ford F350 pickup truck that was westbound.

Gratis emergency medics transported the truck’s three occupants to Sycamore Hospital in Miamisburg.

Their injuries were not considered serious, Simpson said.

The road was shut down for three hours during the investigation, which is ongoing.

UPDATE @ noon: Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said one person was killed in what appears to be a weather-related crash.

The driver was killed when their car spun out on the roadway and was struck on the driver’s side by a pickup truck, Simpson said.

The truck has on the side the emblem, Steve R. Rauch.

The truck’s three occupants were taken by squad to hospitals with injuries not considered life-threatening.

FIRST REPORT

Crews are responding to a serious crash at Ohio 725 and Pleasant Valley Road in Camden.

The two-vehicle crash happened shortly before 10 a.m.

Snow was starting to fall around the same time, but it’s unclear if weather was a factor.

Emergency crews used equipment to extricate a person from one of the vehicles.

We’re working to learn more and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Source: http://www.whio.com/news/news/crews-respond-to-crash-in-camden/nkCHJ/

GAS EXPLOSION IN MEXICO CAUSED BY WORN BOLTS (METAL FATIGUE) ON GAS TRUCK DUE TO LACK OF PROPER MAINTENANCE

February 16, 2015

MEXICO CITY (AP

Mexican officials said Monday that two worn-out bolts on a gas tanker truck broke, causing a leak that resulted in a hospital explosion that killed five people last month.

The results of the investigation again highlighted the unsafe conditions that many propane tankers operate under.

The failure "was caused by (metal) fatigue on the bolts due to a lack of proper maintenance," said Mexico City chief prosecutor Rodolfo Rios.

When the two bolts on a pipe flange connected to the truck's pump cracked, a gasket partially blew out, allowing gas to accumulate on the hospital grounds for about 25 minutes.

The leak later ignited. The subsequent explosion and fire collapsed most of the maternity hospital on Jan. 29.

Rios also noted that one of the bolts was the wrong size, and the truck's gas meter had been altered to shortchange customers.

Experts said wire and Teflon tape had been improperly used on parts of the truck's valves.

Authorities are seeking the cancellation of the operating permit for the tank farm where the truck was based. The company that operated the truck could also face fines of up to $2.8 million. More than 70 people were injured in the blast. The dead included a hospital orderly, two nurses and two infants.

Most Mexicans still rely on roof-top propane tanks for cooking and heating water. Nationwide, a fleet of about 10,000 privately-operated tank trucks rumble across Mexico filling stationary tanks through hoses and pipes. Many of those trucks are accused of short-changing customers by illegally altering pipes, valves and flow meters to record more gas than is actually delivered.

Unfortunately, lack of proper maintenance is the leading cause of many industrial and non-industrial disasters.  All equipment, engines, piping, valves, etc. require regular maintenance otherwise they fail.  The failure to properly maintain or inspect equipment sometimes causes catastrophic damages, such as the one here in the Mexico City.

FERGUSON ROAD IN MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS REOPENS AFTER CHEMICAL SPILL OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID FROM AN 18-WHEELER TANKER TRUCK

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS (KLTV)

Traffic is flowing freely through Mount Pleasant after police and fire crews responded to a chemical spill in the 2300 block of Ferguson Road on Monday. 

Police say an 18-wheeler spilled hydrogen chloride, a corrosive chemical, around 5:50 p.m.  Police closed Ferguson Rd. and blocked other roads near the spill as they worked to contain the small leak. 

Several businesses were evacuated and closed as a precaution according to police. 

Environmental precautions:

Cleanup personnel need personal protection from inhalation and skin/eye contact. Evacuate and ventilate the area. Prevent spillage from entering drains. Cautiously add water to spill, taking care to avoid splashing and spattering. Neutralize diluted spill with soda ash or lime. 

Absorb neutralized spill with vermiculite or other inert absorbent material, then place in a suitable container for disposal. Clean surfaces thoroughly with water to remove residual contamination. Any release to the environment may be subject to federal/national or local reporting requirements. 

Dispose of all waste or cleanup materials in accordance with local regulations. Containers, even when empty, will retain residue and vapors.