1 driver seriously injured in Troy, Ohio high-speed crash

  By Kelley King Published: July 4, 2015

A single-vehicle crash in the 3000 block of West State Route 41 left one man seriously injured on July 3, 2015. (Piqua Daily Call Photo/Mike Ullery)

A single-vehicle crash in the 3000 block of West State Route 41 left one man seriously injured on July 3, 2015. (Piqua Daily Call Photo/Mike Ullery)

TROY, Ohio (WDTN) 

The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a crash that seriously injured a driver.

The crash happened around 10:30 p.m. Friday in the 3000 block of West State Route 41 west of Washington Road.

According to deputies, the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control, veered off the road, and hit a wood fence. Officials said he then hit a utility pole before coming to rest in a ditch.

Deputies said the victim was impaled by a fence board.

Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to cut apart the vehicle and free the victim.

CareFlight was called and transported the driver to Miami Valley Hospital. His name and condition have not been released.

The crash remains under investigation.

1 driver killed and three injured in Coffee Co., Georgia crash

Posted: July 04, 2015 

By Aaryn Valenzuela

COFFEE CO., GA (WALB) - 

Two cars collided along Andrew Tanner Rd. in Coffee County on Saturday. The crash happened about a mile and a half from Flying Hawk Rd.

The Georgia State Patrol says the driver of a black Dodge pick up hydroplaned, and the Nissan Xterra behind him crashed into him.

The driver Rufus Littleton died. The passenger, Crystal Payne, was airlifted to Macon from Coffee Regional Medical Center.

The two people in the Nissan Xterra both went to the hospital. The driver broke his right leg, and had a collapsed lung.

The passenger suffered a concussion.

Trooper Clint Guest says the crash is still under investigation and charges are pending.

Stay with WALB for the latest.

5-year Old Girl Killed, Mother and Brother Injured After Being Struck by Jumping Sturgeon in Boat in Florida

JULY 4, 2015

LAKE CITY, Fla.

A 5-year-old Florida girl riding in a boat has died after a sturgeon leaped from the Suwannee River and struck her.

Wildlife officials said Jaylon Rippy died after being struck Thursday night. Her mother and 9-year-old brother were also injured and taken to a Gainesville hospital. Their condition was not known.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said this is the first fatality recorded from a sturgeon strike on the Suwannee River. Four people have been injured by jumping sturgeon this year.

The fish are known for leaping more than 7 feet above the water. They can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds and can cause serious injuries.

Woman killed after jumping from moving vehicle on Bishop Ford in Chicago and struck by another vehicle

Posted 3:35 PM, July 4, 2015, by WGN Web Desk, Updated at 06:33pm, July 4, 2015

A 34-year-old woman was killed Saturday after she jumped from a moving vehicle on the Bishop Ford Expressway.

CHICAGO — A 34-year-old woman was killed Saturday after she jumped from a moving vehicle on the Bishop Ford Expressway and may have been struck by another vehicle on the roadway, according to Illinois State Police.

A medical examiner identified the victim as Monique Lofton, 34.

Lofton was a passenger in a 2014 Ford Escape being driven on I-94 northbound south of 130th street, police said.

At about 10:45 a.m., Lofton jumped from the moving vehicle which was being driven by a 55-year-old woman, police said.

After jumping, officials determined that she was struck by a vehicle which continued driving. Police were searching for that other vehicle.

After the incident the northbound Bishop Ford was closed from 10:45 a.m. until 2:15 p.m., police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Illinois State Police at (847)294-4400.
The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report.

The effects of Independence Day fireworks on hourly and 24-hr average particulate matter concentrations.

Fireworks release high levels of pollution on July 4 weekend

 

Average concentrations for the 24-hr period beginning 8 pm on July 4 are 5 μg/m³ (42%) greater than on control days, on national average. 

• 
  

BY Kenzi Abou-Sabe  July 4, 2015 at 5:07 PM ED

Spectators watch rockets from the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks show explode over the East River in New York, July 4, 2014. New studies show that fireworks may adversely affect peoples’ health because of the high levels of pollutants they release into the air. Photo by Eric Thayer/Reuters

An average of 230 Americans end up in the emergency room every day in the month around July 4 because of firework-related injuries, but pyrotechnic mishaps are not the only potential setback of this Fourth of July tradition.

A new study published this week in the journal Atmospheric Environment found that fireworks release high levels of pollution into the sky on July 4 and 5.
“When people think of air pollution, they think of other kinds of things—smoke stacks, automobile exhaust pipes, construction sites,” study author Dian J. Seidel told TIME. “I don’t think most people think of fireworks.”

As a national average, culled from 315 different testing sites, Independence Day fireworks introduce 42 percent more pollutants into the air than are found on a normal day.

Part of that increase is a spike in emissions of perchlorate, a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency says may “disrupt the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones needed for normal growth and development.”


///-------------///

Abstract

Previous case studies have documented increases in air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), during and following fireworks displays associated with various holidays and celebrations around the world. 

But no study to date has explored fireworks effects on air quality over large regions using systematic observations over multiple years to estimate typical regional PM increases. 

This study uses observations of fine PM (with particle diameters < 2.5 μm, PM2.5) from 315 air quality monitoring sites across the United States to estimate the effects of Independence Day fireworks on hourly and 24-hr average concentrations. 

Hourly PM2.5 concentrations during the evening of July 4 and morning of July 5 are higher than on the two preceding and following days in July, considered as control days. 

On national average, the increases are largest (21 μg/m³) at 9–10 pm on July 4 and drop to zero by noon on July 5. Average concentrations for the 24-hr period beginning 8 pm on July 4 are 5 μg/m³ (42%) greater than on control days, on national average. 

The magnitude and timing of the Independence Day increases vary from site to site and from year to year, as would be expected given variations in factors such as PM2.5 emissions from fireworks, local meteorological conditions, and distances between fireworks displays and monitoring sites. 

At one site adjacent to fireworks, hourly PM2.5 levels climb to ∼500 μg/m³, and 24-hr average concentrations increase by 48 μg/m³ (370%). These results have implications for potential improvements in air quality models and their predictions, which currently do not account for this emissions source.

Teen daughter dies in crash near Douglas Co., Oregon; father driver charged with DUII and homicide

Posted: July 04, 2015

By FOX 12 Staff

 

CANYONVILLE, OR (KPTV) -

 The Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported that a 13-year-old girl died on Friday after the car she was in struck a tree. 

According to police, at 8:45 p.m. they were called to a vehicle crash in the 3800 block of Tiller Trail Highway in Canyonville. 

Police said that a 1994 Toyota Camry, driven by Paul Pena, 55, was traveling eastbound on the highway when it left the road and struck a tree on the passenger side of the vehicle. 

When police arrived they said that Pena was attempting to do CPR on his daughter, Sophia Pena, 13, who was the passenger in the vehicle. 

Sophia Pena was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. 

Paul Pena was taken into custody and charged with DUII, reckless driving and criminally negligent homicide.

Driver dies following head-on collision that left Chicopee, Mass. police officer seriously injured

Posted: July 04, 2015

By Jessica Michalski

 

 

 

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - 

 A driver involved in a head-on collision with a Chicopee police cruiser early Saturday morning has died and the officer remains in the hospital with serious injuries. 

The accident happened shortly after 2 a.m. on Front Street in Chicopee. 
Lt. Patrick Major with the Chicopee police department told Western Mass News one of their police cruisers was traveling opposite another vehicle, described as a "Mountaineer," when the crash occurred. The force of impact pushed the cruiser into the parking lot of city hall. 

Both the operator of the SUV, who's described as a 37-year-old man from Chicopee, and the officer were rushed by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

In a Facebook post to the department's page officer Mike Wilk noted that the driver "has passed away."  

Wilk added that the "officer is still at Baystate Medical being treated for various bruises, lacerations and head injury."  

Police are not releasing the name of the officer or the driver until their families have been notified.

Lt. Major told us state police are investigating this incident.  Troopers were called in to do accident reconstruction work.  They spent several hours on scene investigating.  

Our crew who went to the crash site saw that the airbags had deployed in the police cruiser. 

Western Mass News has reached out to state police asking for further details including what may have caused this crash to occur.  This is a developing story.  We'll have more information as soon as it becomes available. 

1 male driver under arrest after he runs a red light and kills a female driver in Atlanat, Georgia

Driver arrested after July 4 accident kills one

Christopher B Buchanan, 7:12 p.m. EDT July 4, 2015

(Photo: Tyson Paul/WXIA)

JULY 4, 2015

 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

One driver is behind bars following an accident Saturday afternoon that killed another motorist.

Police have not identified the driver or the victim but said that the suspect is being held for suspicion of driving under the influence with more charges pending.

Police believe he was driving north on Moreland Avenue when he ran a red light at Memorial Drive and crashed into a Nissan Maxima. The driver of the Maxima was killed. The female passenger was taken to the hospital and 11Alive has not yet obtained her condition.

The accident happened in DeKalb County but crossed into Fulton.

Ryan Kruger contributed to this report.

Emergency responders examine the scene of an accident at the intersection of Moreland Avenue and Memorial Drive. (Photo: Tyson Paul/WXIA)

 

 

6 workers killed in China shoe factory collapse

BY Denis Slattery

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, July 4, 2015, 9:28 PM

Photomall/ZUMAPRESS.com

More than 50 people were working in the four-story brick factory building in the city of Wenling, in Zhejiang province, when it collapsed.

At least six workers were killed when a shoe factory collapsed in eastern China Saturday, according to Chinese state media.

More than 50 people were working in the four-story brick factory building in the city of Wenling, in Zhejiang province, when it collapsed at around 4 p.m., according to BBC News.

The China Daily newspaper said a large pool built on the factory’s roof was believed to be the cause of the collapse.

It was unclear how many people were trapped in the rubble, but hundreds of rescue workers and firefighters responded to the site, CCTV-America reported.

Photomall/ZUMAPRESS.com

The China Daily newspaper said a large pool built on the factory’s roof was believed to be the cause of the collapse.

In January last year, 14 workers died in a fire at the Dadong shoe factory in the same city. It was unclear if the collapse occurred in the same factory.

The wealthy coastal city of Wenling is well-known for its footwear industry.
The city’s tourism office says one in five pairs of shoes available worldwide originates in Wenling, according to BBC News

US Fish and Wildlife Service: Shell must maintain a 15-mile buffer between two rigs drilling simultaneously.

Shell's Arctic Oil Drilling Plans Hit by Polar Bears and Walruses

Published in Oil Industry News on Saturday, 4 July 2015

Obama administration says animal protection laws prevent Shell from drilling with two rigs simultaneously at a close range.

The Obama administration has dealt a setback to Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic oil exploration plans, saying established walrus and polar bear protections prevent the company from drilling with two rigs simultaneously at a close range, as it had planned.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service issued Shell a permit which emphasized that under federal wildlife protections issued in 2013, companies must maintain a 15-mile buffer between two rigs drilling simultaneously.

The rule is meant to protect populations of animals sensitive to the sounds and activities of drilling. Walruses have been known to plunge off rocks into the sea during drilling, putting their populations at risk. The animals are already at risk from reduced habitat areas due to global warming. Drilling with only one rig at a time could slash the amount of work Shell had hoped to accomplish.

Shell is evaluating the permit and "will continue to pursue" its drilling plan, spokesman Curtis Smith said. "Our goal is to safely accomplish as much work as we can before the end of open water season."

The return of ice in late September ends the drilling season.

In Shell's 2015 Arctic drilling plan, no two of its wells are more than 15 miles apart. Two of the wells it had been planning to drill in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska are about nine miles apart.

The move came the same day that Shell began to send the Noble Discoverer, the second of two drilling rigs up to Alaska from the Seattle area, for drilling from late July until late September. The company is hoping to return to Arctic drilling for the first time since its mishap-plagued 2012 season.

Shell can still drill this summer, if it gets a few more permits required under a conditional plan the administration approved in May, the Interior Department said.
Source: www.worldoil.com

Hispanics commit most of the drug trafficking: Seattle-based Coast Guard returns after seizing nearly six tons of cocaine from criminal Latinos worth $180 million dollars

Mr. Trump was right in emphasizing the criminal activities of Hispanics

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area

Story by Lt. Donnie Brzuska

Courtesy Photo A Coast Guard Cutter Midgett small boat crew returns to the cutter with 1,628 pounds of cocaine jettisoned by fleeing smugglers during a night-time pursuit in the Eastern Pacific Ocean near Central America May 26, 2015. (Coast Guard photo courtesy of Cmdr. Benjamin Berg)

SEATTLE – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett returned to Pier 36 in Seattle Tuesday at 10 a.m. following a 71-day counter-drug deployment in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central America.
During the deployment, law enforcement officers aboard Midgett interdicted seven drug-laden “panga” vessels in international waters, seized more than 12,100 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $180 million wholesale and apprehended 22 suspected drug smugglers.
“This is the most successful counter-drug patrol I’ve experienced in more than 26 years of service,” said Capt. Brendan C. McPherson, Midgett’s commanding officer.
“Our success is a testament to our resolve to help defeat the illicit networks that fuel instability within the region and threaten our neighbors. I couldn’t be more proud of the extraordinary professionalism and tactical prowess demonstrated by the Midgett crew.”
The crew of Midgett left Seattle April 21 to patrol in support of Operation Martillo, a multi-national, interagency counter-drug operation in the Eastern Pacific region coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Fla. An armed MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Squadron based in Jacksonville, Fla., was embarked aboard Midgett for part of the deployment.
“The U.S. faces significant risks to regional security and prosperity brought on by the rising threat of Transnational Organized Crime networks,” said Rear Adm. Meredith Austin, deputy commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area. “Criminal networks in the Western Hemisphere draw immense profits from drug trafficking, which the crew of Midgett has worked tirelessly to disrupt and combat.”
Coast Guardsmen aboard Midgett worked closely with various U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection and Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft to locate and seize the drug shipments.
“By interdicting these illegal drug loads far offshore, before it can get into the pipeline within Central America, we not only protect our own U.S. border but also the maritime borders of our Western Hemisphere neighbors,” McPherson said.
Case Summary -
On May 5, a maritime patrol aircraft located a suspect vessel traveling at a high rate of speed approximately 140 nautical miles southwest of El Salvador. Midgett’s crew launched two boats to intercept the suspect panga vessel. Upon detection, the crew of the stateless vessel began to jettison bales of contraband. The cutter boat crews pursued the panga, employing warning shots and disabling fire into the outboard engines to stop the fleeing vessel. Three persons aboard were apprehended along with approximately 1,232 pounds of cocaine and 160 pounds of marijuana.
Three days later, on May 9, another maritime patrol aircraft located a suspect panga vessel in the same area. After a brief pursuit by the cutter’s boat crews, the suspect panga was stopped and boarded. Officers discovered 31 bales containing approximately 1,320 pounds of cocaine. Three persons aboard the panga were apprehended.
On May 26, another maritime patrol aircraft located a suspect panga traveling in excess of 20 knots. The crew launched their embarked armed helicopter aircrew along with their two boats to intercept the suspect vessel. After observing the panga jettison bales into the water, the helicopter employed warning shots and disabling fire into the outboard engines to stop the fleeing vessel. The boarding team recovered 32 bales containing approximately 1,650 pounds of cocaine and apprehended three suspected smugglers. A second suspect panga was located by the same maritime patrol aircraft while the first vessel was being interdicted by one of Midgett’s boat crews. A second cutter boat intercepted the second suspect panga, simultaneously with the first interdiction, and quickly gained positive control after observing the vessel jettison bales of suspected contraband. Six bales containing approximately 264 pounds of cocaine was recovered and three persons were apprehended.
On May 31, another suspected panga was located and stopped utilizing warning shots and disabling fire from the armed helicopter resulting in the seizure of 29 bales of contraband containing approximately 1,628 pounds of cocaine and the apprehension of four suspected smugglers. Later that day, another suspect panga was interdicted after being disabled by the cutter’s armed helicopter. Thirty-six bales of contraband containing approximately 1,738 pounds of cocaine were seized and three suspected smugglers were apprehended in that case.
On June 6, the crew of Midgett interdicted another suspect panga vessel in the Eastern Pacific after it was located by a maritime patrol aircraft. Both cutter boats were launched to pursue the vessel. After a brief chase, a boat crew on one of the cutter boats used warning shots to signal the vessel to stop. Once stopped, Coast Guard officers observed 12 bales containing approximately 1,452 pounds of cocaine in plain sight within the vessel. The contraband was seized and three suspected drug smugglers were apprehended.

16 people rescued by the Coast Guard after a boat on Lake Michigan caught fire Saturday afternoon

 

JULY 4, 2015

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

A boat on Lake Michigan caught fire Saturday afternoon near Oak Street Beach, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

The boat was floating near the shore at Chicago Avenue when a fire broke out in the engine area, known as the "playpen," inside the breakwater, fire officials tweeted.

About 16 people inside the boat were rescued by the Coast Guard, but no injuries were reported.

//-----------------///

Coast Guard rescues 16 people from burning boat north of Navy Pier in Chicago

July 4th, 2015

U.S. Coast Guard file photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Garloch

CHICAGO — The Coast Guard rescued 16 people from their burning boat north of Navy Pier, near the Water Filtration Plant in Chicago, Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor received a call at about 2:30 p.m. over Ch-16 marine radio about the fire on board a 35- pleasure craft.
The watchstander directed a Coast Guard crew, already underway on patrol in the area aboard a 25-foot response boat, to respond. They arrived on scene in minutes.

All 16 people, including three in the water, were brought onto the Coast Guard boat.

A Chicago Fire Department boat arrived on scene to put out the fire.

All 16 people were transferred to Belmont Harbor by the Coast Guard. The damaged vessel was towed to Belmont Harbor by a commercial tow boat service.

There were no injuries or medical issues.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.

6 Teens Injured by Explosive Device Thrown Into Backyard During Party in Manteca, California

by Cassandra Vinograd, Andrew Rudansky and Elizabeth Chuck

JULY 4, 2015

MANTECA, CA

 

Six teens were injured when an explosive device was thrown into a backyard party in northern California, police said early Saturday. 

The Manteca Police Department said officers responded to reports of numerous injuries from an explosion at a local home shortly before midnight. 

"Preliminarily, we're thinking that it's a modified firework that was thrown into the backyard," Manteca police Chief Nick Obligacion told NBC News. 

Around 60 high schoolers were attending a party at the home when "an unknown subject intentionally threw an explosive device over a fence" into the backyard, according to a statement from police. 

There were six victims, Obligacion said. Four were treated and released with minor to moderate cuts and burns, one was transferred to a county hospital with moderate injuries and another was transported to Oakland Children's Hospital for a "more severe facial injury that doesn't require surgery," Obligacion said. 

All of the victims were juveniles, he added.

10 injured, including 3 children, when boat exploded in Spring Cove Marina on Solomons Island, Maryland during refueling

  JULY 4, 2015

Calvert County, MD

Ten people were injured when a boat (a cabin cruiser) exploded (a flash fire) in Calvert County, Maryland on Saturday.

It happened around 6 p.m. in the Spring Cove Marina on Solomons Island. The 38-foot cabin cruiser was fueling at the dock when an unknown source ignited the vessel, according to Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Eight of the 10 injured were transported to a specialty center, including the three pediatric patients. Two people were sent to a local emergency room for minor injuries at the Calvert Memorial Hospital.

None of the injuries was life-threatening, the fire department said.

The state fire marshal, along with police, will be on the scene throughout the night to investigate.

Motorcyclist killed in head-on collision with dump truck in Tooele County, Utah

 

Posted 3:10 pm, July 3, 2015, by Mark Green
 
TOOELE COUNTY, Utah – 

A man suffered fatal injuries in a head-on collision between a motorcycle and a dump truck Friday morning on SR-112 in Tooele County.

The crash occurred at about 9:25 a.m. near mile marker 6 on SR-112.

Sgt. Scott Schovaers, Tooele City Police Department, said the crash is still under investigation but it appears the motorcyclist moved out of the westbound lane and into oncoming lanes.

“It’s looking like the rider of the motorcycle veered into the lane of the dump truck,” he said.

The motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries and has so far only been identified as an adult male. There were no other injuries in connection with the crash.

FOX 13 News will have more information as it becomes available.

Train collides with semi-truck in northwest Houston, Texas

Police say the big rig was on the tracks when the train smashed into it Saturday

 

Saturday, July 04, 2015 05:09PM

 

HOUSTON, TEXAS (KTRK) -- 

 

A big mess was left in northwest Houston after a train crashed into the trailer of a truck Saturday afternoon.

Police say the big rig driver pulled onto the tracks at 43rd and Hempstead. The railroad crossing arms came down.

The truck driver pulled forward as much as he could, but couldn't get out of the train's way in time.

The truck spilled the empty cardboard boxes it was carrying. No one was hurt.

2 Injured After A Piper PA-18 Small Plane Crash Lands on Crowded California Beach in Carlsbad, California

A small plane crash landed Saturday, July 4, 2015, on a beach in Carlsbad, California. Courtesy Jason Koons

July 4, 2015

By DEAN SCHABNER

 

 Carlsbad, California

 

A small plane that was towing an advertising banner crash landed today on a crowded California beach, after its engine cut out. 

The single-engine Piper PA18 lost engine power shortly after 3 p.m. and landed on Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. 

The pilot of the plane suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to the Carlsbad Police Department. 

One person on the beach was also reportedly injured in the crash landing. 

According to witness accounts, the plane's engine cut out and then the pilot dropped the banner the plane was towing, before circling, apparently looking for a place to land. 

When the plane's wheels hit the sand, it flipped over, witnesses said. 

2 People Confirmed Dead in Aeronca Champion L-16 Small Plane Crash in Portland, Oregon

 

 

 

 JULY 4, 2015

 

PORTLAND, OREGON (Kiii News) - 

 2 people have died in a small plane crash that happened in Portland this afternoon.  

Emergency crews were called out to the scene of the crash near the 300 block of Pebble Beach just after 2 o'clock.  

The crash site is at the North Shore Country Club in Portland just at the edge of the water.  

Neighbors say the plane barely missed homes before they heard a loud "boom."  Police say the victims were one young man and one young woman. 

The woman was taken away on a stretcher, but the man's body was still trapped inside the plane. 

The victim's families have been notified, but they are not releasing names yet. 

The plane is a 1947 Champ L-16. 

Police say the two were flying from a local airport when they crashed here at the North Shore Country Club. 

The FAA will be coming out in a couple hours to investigate the crash.

WOMAN INJURED AFTER BOAT HITS ROCKS OFF FALMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS BEACH

A woman was taken to the hospital Friday evening with minor injuries after a boat she was on struck some rocks off Chapoquoit Beach, according to the fire department.

By MARY ANN BRAGG

mbragg@capecodonline.com 

JULY 4, 2015 

WEST FALMOUTH, MASS.

A woman was taken to the hospital Friday evening with minor injuries after a boat she was on struck some rocks off Chapoquoit Beach, according to the fire department.

The fire department was called to the beach at 5:30 p.m. for a report of a boat taking on water, Falmouth Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Smith said.

A private towing service also responded to the scene and, with the help of another privately owned boat, five people and a dog from the damaged boat were transferred to the beach itself, Smith said.

From the beach, the fire department’s rescuers took the injured woman to Falmouth Hospital, he said.