4 WORKERS INJURED WHEN THEY FELL 15 FEET AFTER A MARBLE BANISTER COLLAPSED AT NEW YORK CITY BUILDING

APRIL 7, 2015

NEW YORK, NY

In this photo provided by Kaitlyn Ford, emergency personnel work the scene where authorities said four construction workers suffered serious injuries in a partial wall collapse inside a commercial building near Grand Central Terminal, in New York.

Four construction workers were hurt Tuesday at a building being demolished near Grand Central Terminal when an interior marble banister collapsed and they tumbled to the ground floor, authorities and the building owner said.

The men were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center after the accident at about 10 a.m. Tuesday, a fire department spokesman said. They were in stable condition.

Richard Wilde, a citywide coordinator for the city's Office of Emergency Management, said the Art Deco building on Madison Avenue is being gutted in preparation for total demolition. The building is a block west of the terminal. 

City officials reported earlier that a wall at the mezzanine level had collapsed and fallen on the men.

The owner of the 14-story building, SL Green Realty Corp., said the workers were removing a massive chandelier when the banister gave way and they fell about 15 feet.

SL Green Realty said there was a licensed safety manager at the building.

The city Department of Buildings issued a stop work order while the accident is under investigation.

Waldorf Demolition is the contractor, with Tishman Construction as the construction manager, SL Green Realty said in a statement.

ROLLOVER ON I-40 NEAR WILDORADO, TEXAS

APRIL 6, 2015 

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and emergency workers were called to a one-vehicle rollover accident about 8:30 a.m. Monday on Interstate 40 near Widorado, about 20 miles west of Amarillo.

A grey Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling west on I-40 veered off of the road and into the median, were it rolled before coming to rest facing east, emergency workers said. 

No one was injured in the accident and traffic was not affected.

Lucky speeding driver.  Hopefully he will not do this again- ever.

FEMALE VICTIM IDENTIFIED IN FIERY I-65 CRASH IN ALABAMA

APRIL 7, 2015

Alabama State Troopers have released the name of the woman killled April 2 in a fiery crash on I-65 near the Flomaton exit.

The victim was identified Tuesday by troopers at 51-year old Mary Daphine Bridges of Spanish Fort, AL. She was identified with the assistance of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.  Bridges was the driver of the silver car in the foreground of the photos on this page.

Five other people were injured in the nine-vehicle crash which involved six passenger vehicles and three semi trucks in the northbound lanes.

One person was killed and several others were injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on I-65 near Flomaton that first responders described as nothing less than horrific.

The accident involved three northbound 18-wheelers and six passenger vehicles at the 69 mile marker, with two of the 18-wheelers catching fire and burning into an almost unrecognizable pile of mangled metal. The female driver of a passenger car died in a vehicle that was nearly totally destroyed before catching fire in the crash.

One 18-wheeler was hauling lumber, one was hauling salt, and the cargo of the third, while not hazardous, was not known.

“It was the worst accident I’ve seen in 38 years of being a firefighter,” Flomaton Fire Department Chief Steve Stanton said from the scene.

Stanton said no less than 15 fire departments from Alabama and Florida responded to the crash, including departments from Century and McDavid. 

Multiple ambulances from both states and three helicopters were used to transport the victims to hospitals. Officials were not immediately sure how many people were injured, but state troopers said they believed it to be around five.

I-65 was closed between Flomaton and Atmore for hours, with traffic diverted through Atmore and Flomaton along Highway 31. Traffic backed up for miles and miles in both directions, often at a complete standstill.

Alabama State Troopers are continuing their investigation. Names and details on how the crash happened have not yet been released.

My husband is a truck driver and for all the comments about truckers being unsafe is absolutely ridiculous! They are some of the safest drivers on the road today for heavenly day they have more rules to follow from the law and DOT regulations than some of you may even begin to know! Im sure they get frustrated from time to time, but when someone pulls out in front of you at the last minute, you get frustrated too! Unfortunately, they about have a heart attack each time someone does that to them not knowing if they can stop in time so unexpectedly. Hopefully people can help prevent from this horrific accident to give more space to trucker and all moving vehicles in the future! My family has all that were involved in our prayers and our condolences to the family who encountered the loss. May God Bless!

Not all OTR drivers are bad derivers is a fair statement, however as an OTR motor coach operator, I see many companies hiring anything that breathes to drive these big rigs. I have seen OTRs try to pass on gravel shoulders in Colorado and my pet peeve is an OTR governed @ 68 or less try to pass another semi governed the same and tying up the left and right lane for miles making the regular cars pack up and get stupid. Possibly the cause of this accident.

Source: http://www.northescambia.com

THE YOUNG AND THE ELDERLY ARE THE MOST FREQUENT VICTIMS OF HOUSE FIRES: 2 CHILDREN DIE IN NEW CASTLE, PA; NO WORKING SMOKE DETECTORS WERE FOUND. PA NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND REQUIRE SMOKE ALARMS FOR EXISTING HOMES – NOW.

APRIL 7, 2015

NEW CASTLE, PA

Two children died in a house fire early Tuesday morning in Lawrence County, PA.

The fire began at a home on Boyles Avenue in New Castle shortly after 2 a.m. 
The victims were identified as Isaiah Whittier, 5, and 2-month-old Roman Whittier. Their parents, grandmother, two siblings and a family friend escaped.
The mother, Jocelyn Burcham, was burned on her arms and her hands. Her 6-year-old son, Cullen Whittier, was also burned. Both were treated at the hospital and released.
Gabriel Whittier, 2, was unharmed.
“They were good kids. They were always down here playing with my dogs. They were a nice family,” neighbor Bill Heasley told Channel 11’s Amy Marcinkiewicz.
Lisa Beshero, a neighbor, said she tried to comfort Burcham.
"I brought her a blanket. She had said she just lost her mother and she said I can't lose my babies," Beshero told Channel 11 News.
The children's father, C. J. Whittier, told Channel 11's Jennifer Tomazic that the fire was sparked by a candle, but investigators at the scene said that was not the case.
According to New Castle Fire Marshal David Viggiano, the fire began on a chair in the parents' upstairs bedroom.  Roman Whittier was found in that room on his parents' bed.  Isaiah Whittier was found in a back bedroom.
“It's hard on our guys especially when it's kids. Your heart just breaks,” said Assistant Chief Mike Kobe.
Firefighters told Channel 11 News that there were no working smoke detectors in the house where a memorial has been started.
“That just breaks your heart when we hear that the home had nothing. No alarms whatsoever,” said Kobe.
A police officer who tried to rescue the family was overcome by smoke and had to be rescued by firefighters. He was treated for smoke inhalation and released from the hospital.

A GoFundMe account has been established for the family. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by clicking here.

America's fire death rate is one of the highest per capita in the industrialized world. Fire kills approximately 3,000 and injures approximately 20,000 people each year. The majority of deaths are in homes without a working smoke alarm. A smoke alarm greatly reduces your chances of dying in a fire.

It is shameless that the great state of PA has no smoke alarm requirement applicable to existing homes which are not undergoing changes.  This must change. Now.

VESSEL COLLISION, OIL SPILL IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER

APRIL 7, 2015

The Coast Guard responded Monday to a collision on the lower Mississippi River near Convent.

At about 4 p.m., the motor vessel Privocean, a 751-foot bulk carrier, broke free from its mooring, drifted downriver and collided with the 98-foot towing vessel Texas, which was moored at the time.

While the river is open, it is restricted to one-way traffic between mile marker 160 and 163, according to the United States Coast Guard.

Crews continue to monitor the water quality following the collision on the lower Mississippi River near Convent.

Around 4 p.m. Monday, the motor vessel Privocean, a 751-foot bulk carrier, broke free from its mooring. Coast Guard officials say the vessel drifted downriver and collided with the 98-foot towing vessel Texas, which was moored at the time.

Crew members of the Texas were taken to the hospital for medical evaluation, but no injuries were reported, according to the Coast Guard.

The Privocean continued to drift downriver and collided with the motor vessel Bravo, an 816-foot tank ship that was offloading crude oil. The Bravo was able to complete emergency shutdown procedures before breaking free of its moorings and connection points, causing an oil spill.

Approximately 126 gallons of oil were spilled on deck of the Bravo, according to the Coast Guard. Initial assessments show approximately 420 gallons of oil discharged into the river. The Coast Guard informed the down-river Parish Officials to protect municipal water supplies.

The spill was contained and is currently being cleaned. Water plants are monitoring the situation.

Coast Guard officials say the water is safe and there is no cause for alarm.