MEC&F Expert Engineers

This blog presents Metropolitan Engineering Consulting & Forensics (MEC&F) claim management and claim investigation analyses of some of the typical claims we handle

Friday, July 10, 2015

Truck driver killed after he crashed his truck around a curve in Mahwah, New Jersey

Police identify driver killed in truck crash

  By Noah Cohen | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
July 10, 2015









MAHWAH, NJ

 Township police identified the truck driver killed in a single-vehicle wreck Friday as a 62-year-old Passaic County man.

Glenn Slater, of Hewitt, was driving his 2005 Sterling truck on Stag Hill Road, toward Route 17, when he lost control of the vehicle at a curve, according to police Chief James Batelli.

The truck, which was carrying a dumpster with a truck bed water tank inside, left the roadway, hit several small trees and flipped over onto the driver's side, Batelli added. Slater was partially ejected from the rig and pronounced dead at the scene.

The dumpster came off the truck and ended up in the middle of the two lane roadway, according to police.

Officers rushed to the scene after a call from a passing motorist around 6:35 a.m., the chief said.

It remained unclear why Slater lost control of his truck, Batelli said. Slater had just filled up the water tank before the wreck and police were looking to speak with anyone who saw him earlier.

Township police, firefighters, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office fatal accident unit, sheriff's department and State Police truck inspection unit responded to the deadly crash.

Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Eric Larsen of the Mahwah Police Department at 201-529-1000.
Marina Smith at 11:59 PM
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1 dead, 1 injured after pickup truck crashes into San Jose, California home


A car crashed into a home on the 3200 block of Sprucegate Court in San Jose, Calif. on Friday, July 10, 2015.
A car crashed into a home on the 3200 block of Sprucegate Court in San Jose, Calif. on Friday, July 10, 2015. (KGO-TV) 
 
Bay City News
Friday, July 10, 2015 02:40PM
 
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- 
 
One person was killed and another person was injured when their truck crashed into a home in East San Jose Friday morning, a police spokesman said.

Around 10:45 a.m., officers responded to a report of a white truck that crashed into a home in the 3200 block of Sprucegate Court across the street from Evergreen Valley High School, Officer Albert Morales said.

It appears the truck went off the roadway, drove into a wall and crashed into the backyard of the home.

Arriving officers found two men inside a truck that sustained extensive damage, Morales said.

One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene and the other man was transported to a hospital for treatment, the spokesman said.

Traffic investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash, Morales said.
Marina Smith at 11:53 PM
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Carolina Beach, NC party boat, the 120-foot-long Royal Winner Princess II, crash injures at least 6 when the boat struck a wall while departing for a cruise.




Emergency officials prepare a woman to be taken to a hospital after a boat accident Friday night near Carolina Beach. F.T. Norton/StarNews
By F.T. Norton
StarNews Staff
Published: Friday, July 10, 2015

CAROLINA BEACH, NC

About a half dozen party boat passengers were injured Friday night, fellow passengers said, when the boat struck a wall while departing for a cruise.

Brandon Hancock and Livingston Paula said they were among dozens of passengers -- including numerous children -- aboard the Royal Winner Princess II party cruise when it struck a wall near Snows Cut.

They said it was a hard hit and people went flying. Hancock and Paula said it took about half an hour for the boat to return to its Winner Drive dock after the accident.

Paramedics went aboard the boat after 9:30 p.m. to triage the patients, using colored tags to indicate the severity of their injuries.

At least one woman was seen being carried from the boat and placed on a gurney before being taken away in an ambulance. She wore a neck brace.
At least five people were taken to hospitals by ambulance.

Carolina Beach police and Fire Chief Alan Griffin declined to comment, referring questions to N.C. Wildlife Commission officers at the scene.

Passenger Dawn Harris of Houston, Texas, and formerly of Carolina Beach, said she was with a group of 22 women participating in a ladies' night out on the cruise.

Harris, who was on the bow of the boat with her friends, said she tried to warn the captain before the boat hit the wall.

"For five minutes I was yelling, 'Where are you going? You're going to hit the wall!' I turned and looked and he was on his cellphone. And then we hit the wall," Harris said.

Her friends Vicki Hoss of Carolina Beach and Shannon Szczypta confirmed what Harris said.

"This was a bummer of a ladies' night out," Hoss said.

The 120-foot-long Royal Winner Princess II is described on the Winner Boats website as one of the company's two "400-passenger dinner and dance cruise ships with three decks."
Marina Smith at 11:50 PM
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Small plane crash landing at Kay Larkin Airport in Palatka, Florida






JULY 10, 2015


PALATKA, Fla. —


Florida Highway Patrol is responding to a plane crash in Palatka.

The crash landing happened at Kay Larkin Airport at SR 100 and CR 216 on Friday night.

Troopers responded around 10:20 p.m. and say there are only minor injuries.

A witness says the plane is severely damaged and that a pilot was able to crawl out and call for help. -
Marina Smith at 11:42 PM
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3 killed in fiery Cessna 206 plane crash in northern Mexico


Posted: July 10, 2015
 
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (AP) - 

Authorities in a Mexican state bordering Texas say that three people have died in a small plane crash.

The Coahuila state prosecutor's office said in a statement that the Cessna 206 flying from McAllen, Texas to Torreon, Coahuila crashed and burst into flames beside a toll highway east of Torreon just after 7 p.m. Thursday.

The statement identified a pilot and co-pilot and said authorities were working to identify a third person aboard the plane.
Marina Smith at 11:35 PM
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Coast Guard crew medevacs fisherman from vessel off Willapa Bay, Wash.



An MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., medevacs a fisherman reportedly going in and out of consciences from a vessel 48 miles west of Willapa Bay, Wash., July 10, 2015. The aircrew transferred the fisherman to local EMS personnel waiting at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor in Westport, Wash. U.S. Coast Guard video courtesy of Air Station Astoria.


July 10, 2015
ASTORIA, Ore. - An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., performs a search and rescue (SAR) demonstration before crowds on the Columbia River in Astoria, Saturday, August 13, 2011.The SAR demonstration was performed as part of the 117th Asoria Regatta celebration.This year's Astoria Regatta is appropriately titled "Happy 200th Birthday Astoria."U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn 

WARRENTON, Ore. — 

A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a fisherman reportedly going in and out of consciences from a vessel 48 miles west of Willapa Bay, Washington, Friday.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, hoisted a 30-year-old man and transferred him in stable condition to local EMS personnel waiting at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor in Westport, Washington.

Coast Guard Sector Columbia River watchstanders received a medevac request around 9:45 a.m. from the captain of the 57-foot fishing vessel Jager Brooke over VHF channel 16.

“The captain’s quick action in seeking assistance for his crewmember aided in securing his well being,” said Petty Officer 1st Class John Bennett, a situations unit controller at Sector Columbia river. “His initiative ensured our ability to get the fisherman to the medical attention he needed.”

Local EMS transported the mariner to Grays Harbor Community Hospital.
Weather on scene was 9 mph winds and 4-foot high seas.
Marina Smith at 11:28 PM
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East Hollywood Residents Without Water Due to Second Water Main Break in Two Days






The break comes about 24 hours after a broken water main sent water into underground parking garages less than one mile from Friday's flooding

By Jonathan Lloyd and Kevin LaBeach


A water main break in East Hollywood floods a neighborhood near the site another pipe break a day earlier. John Cadiz Klemack reports for the NBC4 News at Noon on Friday July 10, 2015. (Published Friday, Jul 10, 2015)

A water main break was reported again Friday in East Hollywood a day after a pipe split sent water gushing into streets and parking garages in the same area.
Firefighters responded at about 2 a.m. Friday to the intersection of Clinton Street and Alexandria Avenue in East Hollywood, about a half-mile west of Thursday's flooding in the 600 block of New Hampshire Avenue. The broken water main was flooding the street for a full block.

About 15 customers are without water. Repair work, complicated by the location of a gas line, are expected to continue into Friday afternoon.

The break occurred just a few blocks from the site of Thursday's main break, one of three reported in the Los Angeles area. Other breaks were reported on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood and in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

SoCal Water Main Breaks

[LA GALLERY UPDATED 7/10] SoCal Water Main Breaks
"Because of the drought, there seems to be a heightened focus on our leaks, which is understandable," said LADWP Superintendent John Cox. "But our leak rate has actually dropped. About eight to 10 years ago, we were averaging six a day within the city. Now, we're down to about three a day."

The breaks and leaks generally result from the age of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's pipe system. Friday's break occurred along an 8-inch cast iron pipe installed in 1934 and Thursday's break involved a 12-inch pipe installed in 1929. Crews found a 12-foot-long split along that pipe, allowing water to flood underground parking garages.

The aging infrastructure  problem was highlighed in 2009 when a break in Studio City damaged homes and again last summer when a pipe break flooded the UCLA campus. UCLA is seeking about $13 million in compensation from the LADWP, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Published at 4:28 AM PDT on Jul 10, 2015
Marina Smith at 7:40 PM
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At Least 12 Workers Killed in Eni Nigeria Pipeline Blast


Friday, 10 July 2015

Graphic for Dozen Killed in Eni Nigeria Pipeline Blast in Oil and Gas News
Twelve workers have been killed and others were injured after an explosion ripped through a repair site at an Eni-connected pipeline in Nigeria on Thursday.

The blast occurred on or near the onshore Tebidaba-Clough Creek line in the Niger Delta late on Thursday afternoon, Italian major Eni said.

"The explosion resulted in the death of 12 members of the maintenance team of a local company of services, with three others being injured," he said.

"The causes of the incident are still under investigation by both Eni and the local authorities."

Eni claimed that the pipeline had been "previously damaged by acts of sabotage". It is unclear from the Italian's statement if the explosion occured on the pipeline itself or at an adjacent repair site.

The nationalities of the deceased and injured and the extent of damage to the facility have not been reported.

It continued: "The company expresses its deepest condolences to the families involved in this tragic accident."

The pipeline where the explosion occured has suffered a blast from militants in the past - in April 2012 Mend claimed an attack on the pipeline.

Militant attacks on oil infrastructure are not as common following a 2012 amnesty offered by the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan to groups in an attempt to reduce the number of firearms in the Niger Delta and beyond.

However, assaults on pipelines and other oil facilities remain commonplace as criminals syphon off crude. Oil companies regularly blame such actions for pipeline disrutption and leaks.
Source: www.upstreamonline.com
Marina Smith at 7:25 PM
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Venezuela loses bid to reduce $46M Tidewater award


Friday, 10 July 2015

Graphic for Venezuela loses bid to reduce $46M Tidewater award in Oil and Gas News
World Bank Tribunal has rejected Venezuela’s appeal on the ruling in March in a case brought by Tidewater against the Latin American country.

On March 13, 2015, the Tribunal ruled in favor of Tidewater, who accused Republic of Venezuela of unlawfully expropriating its oil services business in Venezuela.

The tribunal found that Venezuela had expropriated Tidewater’s investment in its Venezuelan subsidiary SEMARCA without payment of prompt, adequate and effective compensation.

It determined that Tidewater was entitled to be compensated for that expropriation, and calculated the principal amount of the compensation to be paid as $46.4 million.

Looking to reduce the amount it has to pay, Venezuela applied for a revision of the ruling. Making its case, Venezuela claimed that the tribunal had based its decision on a document containing a typographical error, according to which the estimated value of SEMARCA was $31.9 million instead of $13.9 million.

Venezuela claimed that if the tribunal had been aware of this fact, the award would have been between $27 million and $35 million.

The tribunal acknowledged that there had been a clerical error in transcription. However, it said the error was not of such nature ‘as decisively to affect the award,’ and dismissed the application for revision, affirming its initial ruling of $46.4 million as final.
Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com
Marina Smith at 7:23 PM
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Man dies after motorcycle collision on Callingwood Road overpass in Edmonton, CA

UPDATE: Man dies after motorcycle collision on Callingwood Road overpass

By Karen Bartko and Emily Mertz Global News
A crash involving a motorcycle and SUV at Callingwood Rd and Anthony Henday Drive on Friday, July 10, 2015.
A crash involving a motorcycle and SUV at Callingwood Rd and Anthony Henday Drive on Friday, July 10, 2015.
Morris Gamblin, Global News
EDMONTON — A motorcyclist was making a left turn onto Anthony Henday South when he was struck by an SUV coming from the opposite direction, police say.

The crash happened around 7:15 a.m. at 62 Avenue and Callingwood Road on the overpass of the Henday.

Police say a Ford Explorer heading east collided with the motorcycle that was heading west and making a left turn.

At the scene, the motorcycle could be seen on the road, sideways, under the front of a blue SUV.

Paramedics treated the 55-year-old motorcycle rider at the scene and took him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The two people in the SUV, a 59-year-old man who was driving and a 59-year-old woman who was a passenger, did not report any injuries.

Roads in the area of the crash were closed while police investigated. They were reopened by 11:45 a.m.

Alcohol and speed to not appear to be factors, police say.

This is the 15th fatal collision in Edmonton this year.

It was a busy morning for traffic investigators, who were earlier called to a fatal crash in the west end. A truck slammed into a building near 178 Street and 118 Avenue, and the driver was killed.
Marina Smith at 7:19 PM
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Coast Guard Crew Medevacs Fisherman From Vessel off Willapa Bay, Wash.



JULY 10, 2015
 
An MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., medevacs a fisherman reportedly going in and out of consciences from a vessel 48 miles west of Willapa Bay, Wash., July 10, 2015. 

The aircrew transferred the fisherman to local EMS personnel waiting at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor in Westport, Wash. 

 U.S. Coast Guard video courtesy of Air Station Astoria.

Marina Smith at 7:15 PM
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Coast Guard medevacs sick child from fishing boat Gail Frances near Rhode Island


July 10th, 2015
Coast Guard TRACEN Yorktown unveils new boat 

BOSTON, MA


The Coast Guard medevaced a 12-year-old boy Friday from a charter fishing boat one mile southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island.

The boy’s father called Coast Guard Station Point Judith watchstanders at about 10 a.m. from the charter fishing boat Gail Frances. He said his son was severely ill and needed help from the Coast Guard.

A 45-foot response boat crew that was already underway diverted to the scene.
“We were training in the area when we got the notification,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Diggiovanni, the officer of the day at Station Point Judith. “Once on scene, our main goal was to get him ashore as soon as possible.”

The Coast Guard crew took the ailing boy and his father aboard the response boat and took to him shore where they transferred care to an awaiting EMS crew.
Marina Smith at 7:13 PM
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Coast Guard investigates 32-foot fishing vessel grounding near Newport, Ore.


July 10, 2015
Remnants of the 32-foot fishing vessel Sea Pup rest on the North Jetty of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Ore., July 10, 2015. Coast Guard personnel are investigating the incident, which could result in enforcement actions. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy Sector Columbia River)
Remnants of the 32-foot fishing vessel Sea Pup rest on the North Jetty of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Ore., July 10, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy Sector Columbia River)


WARRENTON, Ore. — 

Coast Guard personnel are investigating a fishing vessel that went aground and subsequently broke apart on the North Jetty of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Friday.

“Sector Columbia River investigators are conducting an investigation into the incident,” said Chief Petty Officer Bradley Bennett, a marine science technician with the Incident Management Division at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. 

“Investigations are used to to gain and understanding of an incident, and could result in enforcement actions.”

Sector North Bend watchstanders received a call from the vessel’s captain around 1:30 a.m. stating he ran aground. A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Yaquina Bay and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Facility Newport launched in response.

Once on scene, both crews reported the vessel out of the water on the rocks and the vessel operator standing on the jetty. A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter and safely escorted the captain to emergency personnel on shore.

When vessel broke apart against the rocks up to 80 gallons of diesel was reportedly released.

Weather on scene was reported as 5 mph winds and 3-foot seas.
Marina Smith at 7:11 PM
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Breaking the law: Coast Guard crews and US attorneys review evidence procedures


July 10th, 2015
Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Scott Manion, a boarding officer with Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor, gives a tour of the station's small boats to several assistant U.S. attorneys and interns from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, July 10, 2015. The Coast Guard 9th District legal staff set up a tour of Marine Safety Unit Cleveland, Station Cleveland Harbor, and the Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay to strengthen the partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is responsible for prosecuting federal criminal cases with a Coast Guard interest. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Laughlin)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Scott Manion gives a tour of the station’s small boats to several assistant U.S. attorneys and interns from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Laughlin)


CLEVELAND, OHIO


Crews from Cleveland U.S. Coast Guard units hosted Department of Justice assistant U.S. attorneys and interns from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio Friday morning.

The attorneys and interns toured Marine Safety Unit Cleveland, Station Cleveland Harbor, and the Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay to help strengthen the partnership the Coast Guard has with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting federal criminal cases with a Coast Guard interest, such as environmental crimes, drug cases, false-distress-signal cases, and boating under the influence cases.

During the tour, the attorneys, Marine Safety Unit officers, Station Cleveland Harbor petty officers, and a Coast Guard judge advocate discussed the various Coast Guard statutory missions and operations the Coast Guard conducts throughout the Great Lakes, and ways that the Coast Guard can hone best practices when investigating and referring federal crimes to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

One such case that the Coast Guard and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District recently worked together on involved Sandusky, Ohio, native Danik Shiv Kumar, who pleaded guilty to one count of making a false distress call in violation of 14 U.S. Code 88(c).

Kumar, a licensed aircraft pilot, told authorities in March 2012 he saw what he thought was a distress flare coming up from a boat as he flew over Lake Erie near Cleveland. When asked by Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport to take a closer look, Kumar said he did not see a vessel, but reported seeing more flares and a fishing boat with four people aboard wearing life jackets and active strobe lights. The resulting 21-hour search included a 140-foot U.S. Coast Guard cutter, three smaller rescue boats, a rescue helicopter and a Canadian CC130 Hercules airplane.

A federal judge sentenced Kumar to serve three months in prison and pay restitution of $277,000 to the U.S. Coast Guard and $212,000 to the Canadian Armed Forces.

“Today’s event illustrates the outstanding partnership between the Coast Guard and the Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, and we look forward to working together again and building a better partnership,” said Lt. Michael Walker, judge advocate with the Coast Guard 9th District legal office.

The Coast Guard works with the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, and other federal, state and local agencies to prosecute and recover costs for the federal government on behalf of all taxpayers.
Marina Smith at 7:10 PM
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3 fishing boats burned in Narragansett, Mass. 1 boat sunk, possible arson


Posted on July 10, 2015
Galilee boat burnings
A boom contains oil leaking from the sunken fishing vessel Victoria Elizabeth, one of three boats that burned early Friday. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

WPRO News

Investigators say it is possible that arson is to blame after three fishing boats burned early Friday morning at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett.

The Victoria Elizabeth caught fire and sank, while the Blue Thunder and the Gator were badly damaged at a separate pier. Lieutenant Joseph Poccia of the Department of Environmental Management Police said the fires occurred separately and were several hundred yards apart.

“One was already burning and the other came in while firemen were actually here,” said Poccia.

“Point [Judith] has had fires in the past to boats and it’s a rough and tumble atmosphere down here and some days it can be mechanical but other times it could be suspicious,” Lt. Poccia said.

Along with the DEM, a number of local, state and federal agencies are involved in the investigation, including Narragansett Police and Fire Departments, the DEM and State Fire Marshal, U.S. Coast Guard and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Environmental engineers are onsite monitoring the sunken Victoria Elizabeth as the boat is leaking fuel into the water.

The two other boats were at a separate dock, but next to each other. The Blue Thunder and Gator burned and were heavily damaged. The Blue Thunder was towed to a nearby marina while the Gator remained tied to the dock.
So far, authorities say they have no suspects in the boat burnings.

Remains of the fishing vessel Gator, one of three boats that burned at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News
Remains of the fishing vessel Gator, one of three boats that burned at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News
The U.S. Coast Guard issued this photo of the boats ablaze at dockside in Galilee.
The U.S. Coast Guard issued this photo of the boats ablaze at dockside in Galilee.
Marina Smith at 7:08 PM
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Coast Guard, partner agencies responding after 3 boats suspiciously burn in Rhode Island


July 10th, 2015
A fishing boat burns in Galilee, R.I., Friday, July 10, 2015. The Coast Guard is investigating three boat fires in the same location. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
A fishing boat burns in Galilee, R.I., Friday, July 10, 2015.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

BOSTON, MASS.

The Coast Guard and local responders are investigating suspicious boat fires in Galilee, Rhode Island.

Coast Guard pollution specialists from the 1st Coast Guard District received a report of a fishing vessel on fire at the Galilee State Pier at 3 a.m. Friday.

Coast Guard Station Point Judith crewmembers and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management responders arrived on scene and verified that three fishing vessels were involved in two separate fires along the town’s waterfront.

The fishing vessels Gator and Blue Thunder were heavily damaged and Elizabeth Victoria sank at the pier.

Containment boom and absorbent materials were deployed around the sunken Elizabeth Victoria.

The fires are under investigation and cleanup operations are on-going.
“The Narragansett Fire Department was actively fighting the fires when we arrived on scene,” said Cmdr. Frank DelRosso, a response coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England. “We are working with our partners and the owners of the vessels to mitigate the threat of pollution from entering the waterway.”

Every year, the Coast Guard assists or saves $119 million worth of property.
Marina Smith at 7:07 PM
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2 dead after a box truck rear-ended a flatbed semi-truck on I-75 northbound on Alligator Alley in Florida




By WINK NEWS
July 10, 2015

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – 

Two people are dead after a box truck rear-ended a flatbed semi-truck on I-75 northbound on Alligator Alley.

Troopers say they got the call about the crash a few minutes before 7 a.m. The two men in the box truck died at the scene.

WINK News learned the semi-truck driver is not hurt.

All westbound lanes into Collier County were blocked near mile market 96 for hours Friday morning. Authorities say the road is now back open.
Marina Smith at 7:02 PM
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Former assistant provost at The College of New Jersey jumps off George Washington Bridge, presumed dead

Witness to GWB jump matches photo to missing ex-TCNJ assistant provost


By Keith Brown | For NJ.com 
 
 JULY 10, 2015
 









EWING, NEW JERSEY

The witness who reported a man had jumped from the George Washington Bridge on Tuesday told police he matched a photo of the former assistant provost at The College of New Jersey who went missing the same day, authorities said.

patrick-donohue-tcnj.jpegCourtesy Donohue family
 
Patrick Donohue's car and wallet were found in New York near the bridge on Tuesday, authorities said. A woman who was jogging on the bridge contacted police at 9:45 p.m. to report a man had jumped and later provided the photo confirmation, authorities said.

Though no body was found after a two-hour search and police consider Donohue's disappearance an open investigation, his family said Friday they presume he was killed in the fall.

Donohue, 50, had just retired July 1 from his position as a well-known member of TCNJ's administration with key leadership roles in multiple community outreach initiatives.

"I'm still in shock," said Greg Grant, former NBA star who had known Donohue for a decade. "He had just been like a brother to me. And he mobilized so many kids with his work at the Bonner center."

Donohue, who worked at TCNJ for nine years, served as the director of the Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement, a service and scholarship program. 

Donohue was honored in May by Grant's Academy Sports Academy for his work with Trenton youth.

"He just lived, breathed and gave all his heart and soul to helping others, running programs and always trying to help,'' said his brother, Peter Donohue.
Patrick Donohue was instrumental in the opening last year of a TCNJ satellite office in downtown Trenton. The office at South Broad and State streets, offers open spaces for everything from classes, lectures, movie screenings and workspace.

"He wanted to be part of the solution,'' Peter Donohue. "That's just the kind of guy he was.''

The Rev. Toby Sanders, former president of the Trenton school board, said the news about Donohue disappearance is "devastating" to the Trenton community.
Sanders described Donohue as "a teacher who had his hands in the soil of the needs of the community."

Sanders said Donohue consistently brought a passion to his work to improve Trenton.

"Most of the time, people don't know what they mean when they use the word 'hero,'" Sanders said. "But Pat Donohue was a hero. And just like a hero, he would swoop in there right when you needed him most.''

Donohue also was instrumental in the creation of the Trenton Violence Reduction Strategy – a $1.1 million social services-based project bankrolled by the Attorney General's office.

The program is geared toward getting young people out of gang culture with job training programs and family assistance, said Trenton Police Detective Alexis Durlacher, who worked with Donohue to set up the program two years ago.
"Pat championed those who needed someone in their corner," said Durlacher.

Donohue also oversaw the Institute for Prison Teaching and Outreach, the Bonner VISTA Fellows program, the AmeriCorps programs, the TrentonWorks Initiative and the Trenton Prevention Policy Board initiative, according to TCNJ.
TCNJ President R. Barbara Gitenstein sent a campus-wide email to students and faculty Friday encouraging those in need of counseling to contact on-campus services for students in Eickhoff Hall 107. 

Faculty needing assistance are encouraged to use the Employee Assistance Program in Forchina Hall 124. 


"This will be very difficult for the many students, staff and faculty who worked closely with him and held him in such high regard," Gitenstein said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Marina Smith at 6:57 PM
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Electrocuted worker in Leesburg, GA is responding by blinking his eyes and nodding.



Posted: July 10, 2015
By Diane DeanIt happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday in Leesburg while some workers were moving a large electric welding machine. It happened around 11 a.m. Tuesday in Leesburg while some workers were moving a large electric welding machine.
 
LEESBURG, GA (WALB) - 

A man who was severely shocked while working at his job Tuesday is slowly improving.

We spoke to 22-year-old Cody Dooling's uncle this afternoon, and he says that Cody is now breathing on his own.

Larry Barricklow says his nephew is responding by blinking his eyes and nodding.

He does have some movement and continues to improve slowly.

He is expected to recover but has a long road ahead. It is not clear how long he will remain hospitalized.

It happened around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday in Leesburg while some workers were moving a large electric welding machine which tipped over during the move, and trapped Dooling for several seconds and shocked with 240 volts of electricity before the other workers could free him.
Marina Smith at 6:51 PM
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2 L.A. County Deputies Taken to Hospital After They Were Rear-ended While Performing Traffic Stop in Carson, CA


Posted 10:29 PM, July 9, 2015, by Kennedy Ryan
Two L.A. County sheriff's deputies were injured in a crash in Carson on July 9, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)
Two L.A. County sheriff's deputies were injured in a crash in Carson on July 9, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)

Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were injured in a two-vehicle crash in Carson on Thursday night.

The crash occurred around 9:38 p.m.near the intersection of Alameda Street and Wilmington Avenue, according to Supervisor Ornelas with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The deputies were conducting a traffic stop when they were rear-ended, according to Sgt. Binion with the Carson Sheriff’s Station.

The deputies were not believed to be seriously injured, Binion stated.
Marina Smith at 6:41 PM
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Health industry resists safety protocols to protect nurse worker injuries





Public Citizen report claims hospital execs have no plan of action to reduce rate of on-the-job nurse injuries
 
July 10, 2015

By David Ferguson

A new report from the advocacy group Public Citizen says that hospital executives and administrators have no plan of action for lowering the staggering rate of on-the-job injuries for nurses. Furthermore, institutions appear to resist any government attempt to regulate the industry from the outside.

"Many of the injuries suffered by healthcare workers are musculoskeletal disorders, which result from moving or repositioning patients without adequate assistive technology," the group said in the report announcement. "As Public Citizen's research has demonstrated, these injuries can be career-ending events for many nurses. But safe patient handling practices have been shown to reduce injuries and save healthcare providers money."


The report, titled "Little Support from Above," says that the American Hospital Association opposes regulation, as do the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-led Coalition for Workplace Safety, the American Health Care Association and its affiliated National Center for Assisted Living.

However, when asked how they intend to remedy the issue of injuries from patient handling, "none of the organizations offered a meaningful response," according to Public Citizen.

"It is a cruel irony that an industry devoted to health shows such disregard for the health of its own employees," said report author Taylor Lincoln. "Ultimately, the healthcare industry bears responsibility for this problem. In the meantime, legislators and regulators should exercise the full extent of their public protection mandate to help healthcare executives see the light."

The report points out that while groups representing healthcare employers staunchly oppose regulations and new patient handling laws, groups that represent the actual workers support these measures.

A policy statement from the American Nurses Association stands in favor of actions and policies that result in the elimination of manual patient handling.

U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) head David Michaels has called for laws to protect healthcare workers. Last year, Michaels sent a letter to 5,000 of the nation's hospital administrators calling hospitals America's "most hazardous" places to work, NPR reported. 

A June memo from the agency added musculoskeletal injuries to the list of points of inspection for OSHA investigators. Although the agency issued regulations in 2000 requiring employers to take measures to protect workers against musculoskeletal injuries on the job, Congress repealed it the following year.  "Without a rule," the advocacy group said in the announcement, "OSHA is severely limited in its ability to protect healthcare workers."

Michaels told NPR earlier this year, however, that the agency must move slowly in order to ensure that its rulings are fair and enforceable.  "The requirements that OSHA has to go through to issue a new standard are very, very onerous," he said. "It takes us years if not decades to put out a rule."

To learn more:
- here's the announcement
- read the report (.pdf)
- check out the memo
- here's the NPR article
Marina Smith at 6:37 PM
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