Indiana man pleads guilty to unemployment insurance fraud

Kara Berg, IndyStar 7:58 p.m. EDT June 3, 2016

The Mishawaka man collected unemployment benefits even though he held a full time job.



(Photo: File photo)

After collecting unemployment benefits as he worked full time, a Mishawaka man has pleaded guilty to insurance fraud.

Unemployment insurance fraud is a Class C felony, and Frank J. Handley, 42, will serve eight years of probation and repay more than $38,000 in restitution for the benefits he collected.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development began investigating Handley, and determined he was fraudulently receiving the unemployment benefits. The agency makes sure people aren't collecting benefits they shouldn't be receiving — like Handley did.

In 2013, Indiana cracked down against people committing unemployment insurance fraud. Late 2013 saw at least 18 cases.

To file a complaint against someone you believe is committing insurance fraud, go to www.in.gov/dwd/fraud.

William Gibson,a Clark County, Ohio deputy is accused of filing a false insurance claim after a car crash

Clark County deputy indicted on insurance fraud charge





Bill Lackey
Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy William Gibson walks through the jail cell modules in the Clark County Jail in 2014. Bill Lackey/Staff


Deputy William Gibson

By Katherine Collins

Staff Writer



A Clark County deputy has retired after he was charged with insurance fraud.

William Gibson is accused of filing a false insurance claim after a car crash, Clark County Prosecutor Andy Wilson said. A Clark County grand jury indicted Gibson this week.

“I’m disappointed,” Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly said. “This is not how we conduct ourselves.”

The sheriff’s office was notified of the investigation into the fraudulent claim on Tuesday, Kelly said, and of the indictment on Wednesday. Gibson was placed on leave, Kelly said, and then chose to retire.

“This certainly will have a long and lasting implication on his career,” Kelly said. “It’s over and he’s going to have to deal with the court at this point.”

Gibson didn’t return calls for comment from the Springfield News-Sun.

He served with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years and was most recently assigned to the jail division. A retirement board will determine if Gibson will receive his benefits, Kelly said.

Gibson would have faced an internal investigation if he hadn’t retired, the sheriff said.

“There would’ve been serious discipline as consequences for these violations,” he said. “All deputies are supposed to adhere to all laws, rules and regulations. And they take an oath to that effect.”

Last month a Clark County deputy was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, according to court records. Steven Elliott was transferred to the jail division, where he isn’t required to drive as part of his duties, Ben Hunt, human relations manager with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, previously told the Springfield News-Sun.

“It is not a trend,” Kelly said of the recent criminal charges against two deputies. “I think my record speaks for itself that we uphold our law enforcement officers to a higher standard.”

But deputies are human, he said, and make mistakes.

“They make bad decisions,” he said. “They have even more severe penalties because of the higher standard they’re held to.”

Gibson appeared in Clark County Common Pleas Court on Friday and was offered a continuance until next week. He didn’t enter a plea to the charge of insurance fraud. If convicted, he likely won’t face prison time because he has no prior criminal record, Wilson said.

John Roger Lund, a San Jose dentist, faces insurance fraud charges

By Tracy Seipel, tseipel@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 06/04/2016 05:54:01 AM PDT
Updated: 06/04/2016 05:55:00 AM PDT



SAN JOSE -- A San Jose dentist who served on the Santa Clara County Dental Society's Ethics Committee is facing insurance fraud charges, prosecutors said Friday.



The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office confirmed that it expects to charge veteran San Jose dentist John Roger Lund, D.D.S. with 28 counts of insurance fraud on Monday morning.



The office declined to release any details about the case until after Lund's arraignment.



Reached late Friday afternoon, Lund, 66, said that he is "innocent of all charges."



Records show Lund, a Saratoga resident, received his California dental license in 1976.



He said he has been retired for four years and confirmed his last office location was on Prospect Road in San Jose.



The Dental Board of California said that Lund has no previous disciplinary action, but there have been complaints filed against him.



Scott Vice, an enforcement analyst at the board, could not discuss the nature of the complaints.

Vice said the board investigates complaints, and depending on the nature of the violation can issue a citation and can also file criminal charges. He could not confirm if the dental board was the agency that filed the criminal charges against Lund.

Vice said the case also has been referred to the Attorney General's office for an administrative investigation.He said insurance fraud could range from performing unnecessary dental work on patients to falsifying insurance forms.


Lund had run into legal problems in October 2013, when dentist Brendon J. Zeidler sued Lund after purchasing Lund's San Jose dental practice from him the year before. Zeidler accused Lund of breach of a written contract, intentional misrepresentation, and concealment. In 2014, Lund filed for summary judgment, which was denied.

In court documents, Zeidler alleged that Lund misrepresented that the dental practice had 728 active patients and that it generated $729,000 to $988,999 per year for the prior four years based on actual patient treatment performed in a legal and appropriate manner and legitimate and legal insurance billing practices.

The lawsuit said Zeidler alleges that Lund had collected those revenues but that they were generated "as a result of fraudulent billing activity, billing for treatment that was unnecessary and billing for treatment which was never performed."

Lund's attorney, Tom Nolan, of Palo Alto, did not return a reporter's call on Friday.

Police are looking for three people wanted after victims had money stolen from their bank accounts through skimming devices attached to ATMs in Queens.

ATM skimmers in Queens make off with victims' cash, police say






Eyewitness News
Saturday, June 04, 2016 02:00PM
QUEENS, New York (WABC) -- Police are looking for three people wanted after victims had money stolen from their bank accounts through skimming devices attached to ATMs in Queens.

Between Jan. 7 and June 1, according to the New York City Police Department, the suspects placed and removed skimmers and PIN-capture devices on ATMs at various banks.

They used victims' personal information picked up by the devices to make unauthorized withdrawals and purchases, police said.

The first individual is described as a white man, 25 to 40 years old, wearing a gray hooded sweater and a dark colored baseball cap.

The second is a white man, 25 to 40 years old. Last seen wearing a white sweater and sunglasses.

The third is described as a white man, 25 to 40 years old, with a beard. He was last seen wearing a black hooded coat.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

2 Jewish New York men drown while swimming in ocean off Miami, Florida

Josh Einiger has the story.





Eyewitness News
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
MIAMI, Florida (WABC) -- Two communities in New York area are in shock after two men drowned in the waters off North Miami Beach, Florida, Tuesday morning.

Police said Rabbi Yikzchak (Isaac) Rosenberg, of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, and Chaim Parnes, of Kieryas Joel in Orange County, went to North Miami Beach with two friends at about 11:30 a.m. to go swimming. They ended up at an unguarded area of Haulover Beach.

Three of them, including Rosenberg and Parnes, went into the water to swim and got caught in a rip tide.



"We deployed the jet ski. Unfortunately, those persons were in an unguarded area. My recommendation is swim when there is a lifeguard," said Tiago Choze, a lifeguard at the beach.

A off-duty Bal Harbour police officer also rushed to help, jumped into the Atlantic but he was only able to save one man.

After they were pulled to shore, emergency responders performed CPR on Rosenberg and Parnes but they did not make it.



People in Williamsburg Tuesday afternoon were in disbelief over the news. Rosenberg, a father of eight, was the owner of Certified Lumber. He built the company from scratch, along with his brother, Abraham. Friends said, even in the toughest economic times, the pair never let their employees down.

Friends said the 67-year-old was a serious, yet generous man, who was an advocate on many issues including housing, health and jobs here at home and overseas. As one person put it, he was always available to listen, gave freely of his time and never said "I can't."

"I asked when he'll be coming back, he said after the weekend I'll be back, and this is what happened," said Rabbi Moishe Indig, Satmar Community.

Rosenberg's family flew to Florida to bring his body back to Brooklyn to be buried. "They went out for a swim and here it is. They come back in cargo," said Isaac Abraham, the victim's friend.

Parnes was a diamond dealer in his hometown. He had survived a different brush with death when in North Miami he was beaten and robbed of $35,000 in diamonds just six months ago.

"I don't think the holdup he had was a mile away, but this is what it is. It's just luck not being his way," Abraham said.

The founder of the Jewish Future Alliance posted this message on social media:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Satmar community in New York after the terrible tragedy in Miami."

4 arrested after high-speed chase through Johnston Co., NC

Four people were taken into custody after a high-speed chase through Johnston County





Saturday, June 04, 2016 11:59AM
JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Four people were taken into custody after a high-speed chase through Johnston County late Friday night.

Our crew on the scene said a State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop an SUV in Sampson County for going 90 mph in a 70 mph zone just before midnight. The vehicle reportedly pulled over and then fled.

Authorities told our crew the trooper chased the vehicle into Johnston County on I-40 at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

After the trooper performed a pit maneuver, the SUV spun into the median into the guardrail shortly after midnight.

All four of the SUV's occupants were taken into custody after they were checked out at Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn. No serious injuries were reported.

Troopers have not yet released the names of those arrested.

Pedestrian killed on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, NC

Authorities have identified the pedestrian struck and killed on Glenwood Avenue (WTVD)





Saturday, June 04, 2016 09:41AM
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A pedestrian was killed Friday evening on eastbound Glenwood Avenue at I-540.



Raleigh police say 32-year-old Ronald Joseph Cinnante Jr., of Durham, was struck and killed as he tried to cross the exit ramp to the interstate on foot.


The driver who hit Cinnante Jr. was identified as 35-year-old Derek James Tyner, of Raleigh. A wreck report released about the incident reported it was raining heavily at the time of the crash and the roadway was dark with no streetlights. Police also said Cinnante Jr. was not crossing in a designated crosswalk.

Police have not said if any charges will be filed against Tyner.

Actress sues Phila., alleges lead contamination cover-up

Updated: June 3, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT

 
 REUTERS/Carlos Barria The lawsuit contends Philadelphia has been aware of high levels of lead in the tap water for years and failed to warn residents of contamination.


by Sam Wood, Staff Writer


A Shakespearean actress from West Philadelphia, represented by a major national law firm, has filed a class-action suit claiming the city put her family - and tens of thousands of other Philadelphians - at a "significantly greater risk" for lead poisoning.


Eleni Delopoulos, 37, who lives with her 2-year-old son and husband, filed suit Thursday in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

The suit contends the city has been aware of high levels of lead in the tap water for years and failed to warn residents of contamination. It also alleges that the city rigged the results of its water tests to produce "a woefully inaccurate picture" of lead contamination in Philadelphia.

Mike Dunn, spokesman for Mayor Kenney, said the city was aware of the suit.


"At this time we have no comment," Dunn said.

Delopoulos' attorney, Steve W. Berman of Seattle's Hagens Berman firm, served as lead counsel in the $206 billion class-action settlement against Big Tobacco.

Delopoulos contacted the law firm after hearing it had filed a similar complaint against Chicago in February, said Elizabeth Fegan, a partner at Hagens Berman involved in both suits.

Delopoulos recently moved to Philadelphia from New York City. She has been a featured performer with Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater and joined the staff of Wolf Performing Arts Center in Bryn Mawr as a teaching artist.


Fegan said the city recently dug up the street in front of Delopoulos' 48th Street house to replace the water mains, but did not warn residents.

Delopoulos' toddler was playing in a pile of dirt when a city worker warned her the soil was contaminated with lead.

"That seems to have prompted the call" to the law firm, Fegan said.

There is no safe level of lead exposure for children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children exposed to lead can suffer irreversible damage, including developmental delays and learning difficulties.

Delopoulos' complaint demands that the city pay for a citywide medical monitoring program that would provide blood tests to detect the presence of lead.

It also demands the city pay to replace all lead service pipes running into individual houses from city water mains with nontoxic materials.

City Water Department officials have said they believe that homeowners, not the water utility, bear the responsibility for replacing lead service lines that run from their property curb line into their homes. The department is creating a Homeowners Emergency Loan program, under which the city would help provide zero-interest loans, to be paid back over five years, to hire a city-approved certified plumber to replace lead lines.

Fegan said the cost of creating a monitoring program would be minimal. The expense of replacing pipes would be steep. Madison, Wis., which has one-sixth the population of Philadelphia, spent more than a decade and nearly $20 million to replace all its lead service lines.


Fegan said the law firm would ask the city for all internal guidelines about how it conducts water tests and notes taken during any internal discussions about the quality of Philadelphia water.

"We guess they'll be less than stellar compared to what the city told residents," she said.

City testing procedures, including how homes are chosen and whether testing protocols produce artificially low lead levels, have been the subject of numerous media reports since revelations about lead in Flint, Mich., water.

City officials have defended their methods as complying with federal regulations and have repeatedly said the water is safe. But because service lines may contain lead, they advise running taps for a few minutes before drinking, and not consuming hot water from the tap.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20160603_Actress_sues_Phila___alleges_lead_contamination_cover-up.html#3zkX70s1qtG5oaSe.99

Guardian investigation reveals testing regimes similar to that of Flint were in place in major cities including Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia

At least 33 US cities used water testing 'cheats' over lead concerns





Exclusive: Guardian investigation reveals testing regimes similar to that of Flint were in place in major cities including Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia

Water departments to change lead-testing methods after investigation
Of the 43 large cities that provided water testing information to the Guardian for this investigation, 33 used distortions in their testing in the past decade. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP


Oliver Milman and Jessica Glenza

Thursday 2 June 2016 07.03 EDT Last modified on Thursday 2 June 2016 17.42 EDT


 


At least 33 cities across 17 US states have used water testing “cheats” that potentially conceal dangerous levels of lead, a Guardian investigation launched in the wake of the toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has found.





Chicago residents take action to be rid of lead pipes as fear of toxic water grows

Of these cities, 21 used the same water testing methods that prompted criminal charges against three government employees in Flint over their role in one of the worst public health disasters in US history.

The crisis that gripped Flint is an extreme case where a cost-cutting decision to divert the city’s water supply to a polluted river was compounded by a poor testing regime and delays by environmental officials to respond to the health emergency.


The Guardian’s investigation demonstrates that similar testing regimes were in place in cities including Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit and Milwaukee.


On Thursday, the Hagens Berman law firm filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia, alleging that water department testing protocols “temporarily hide” lead contamination and that the city does not test enough high-risk homes.

The Guardian investigation concerned thousands of documents detailing water testing practices over the past decade. They reveal:
Despite warnings of regulators and experts, water departments in at least 33 cities used testing methods over the past decade that could underestimate lead found in drinking water.
Officials in two major cities – Philadelphia and Chicago – asked employees to test water safety in their own homes.
Two states – Michigan and New Hampshire – advised water departments to give themselves extra time to complete tests so that if lead contamination exceeded federal limits, officials could re-sample and remove results with high lead levels.
Some cities denied knowledge of the locations of lead pipes, failed to sample the required number of homes with lead plumbing or refused to release lead pipe maps, claiming it was a security risk.

33 US cities violated EPA guidelines

The Guardian contacted 81 of the most populous cities and towns east of the Mississippi River, and asked how they test drinking water for lead.

A review of documents found that in the last decade, 33 city and town water departments and two states used testing methods that defied recent US Environmental Protection Agency guidance. These methods may lower the amount of lead detected in water in households.
In 21 cities, testers were instructed to 'pre-flush' water pipes before testing for lead content, against EPA guidance
In 7 cities, testers removed aerators from spouts before running water, which can reduce lead content
In 23 cities, testers were told to run water slowly, which causes less lead to be dislodged from pipes

New England
Boston, MA



Worcester, MA



Springfield, MA



Bridgeport, CT



Portland, ME



Lewiston, ME



Bangor, ME



South Burlington, VT



Mid-Atlantic
Philadelphia, PA



Buffalo, NY



Jersey City, NJ



Albany, NY



Croton-on-Hudson, NY



Midwest
Chicago, IL



Detroit, MI



Columbus, OH



Milwaukee, WI



Grand Rapids, MI



Aurora, IL



Rockford, IL



Warren, MI



Galesburg, IL



Sebring, OH



South
Miami, FL



Tampa, FL



Greensboro, NC



St. Petersburg, FL



Augusta, GA



Jackson, MS



Charleston, SC



Mount Pleasant, SC



Bowling Green, KY



Southaven, MS





Data obtained by the Guardian via FOI requests. Graphic: Rich Harris/Jan Diehm/The Guardian

The disaster in Flint, sparked when authorities failed to treat drinking water for lead, prompted criminal charges against three government employees: Mike Glasgow, Stephen Busch and Mike Prysby.

Marc Edwards, the scientist who first uncovered the crisis in Flint, described water testing in some of America’s largest cities as an “outrage”.

“They make lead in water low when collecting samples for EPA compliance, even as it poisons kids who drink the water,” Edwards, a Virginia Tech scientist, said. “Clearly, the cheating and lax enforcement are needlessly harming children all over the United States.

“If they cannot be trusted to protect little kids from lead in drinking water, what on Earth can they be trusted with? Who amongst us is safe?”

For 25 years, the Environmental Protection Agency has required water utilities to test a small pool of households for lead contamination at least every three years. Typically, city water departments ask residents to collect these water samples. But the way residents are instructed to sample their water, as well as which households are chosen for testing, can profoundly impact how much lead is detected.

Testing methods that can avoid detecting lead include asking testers to run faucets before the test period, known as “pre-flushing”; to remove faucet filters called “aerators”; and to slowly fill sample bottles. The EPA reiterated in February that these lead-reducing methods go against its guidelines, and the Flint charges show they may now be criminal acts.

The arrest warrant for Glasgow, Busch and Prysby states that the men “did improperly manipulate the collection of water samples by directing residents to ‘pre-flush’ their taps by running the water for five minutes the night before drawing a water sample and/or did fail to collect required sampled included in the tier 1 category of service lines.”

The tactic of pre-flushing, which helps clear lead from home plumbing prior to a test, is rampant across many large cities. In their most recent test cycles, Philadelphia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Buffalo, New York, tested water for lead in this way.

The EPA has warned since 2008 that pre-flushing is problematic and goes against the “intent” of regulations designed to detect lead. Nevertheless, the federal agency failed to properly police state agencies who included the method in sample instructions for years, including at the Maine and Rhode Island departments of health.

Further distortion is achieved through the removal of “aerators” – the small metal filters at the tip of faucets. These filters can collect lead particles and add to lead detected in tests. The EPA has warned against this practice since 2006, when it became clear that a lead poisoning case in Durham, North Carolina, was missed by the water department at least partly because it routinely removed the filters.

Philadelphia, a city accused of having the worst water testing in the US, asks testers to pre-flush their pipes, remove aerators and slowly pour water into a sample bottle. The EPA has warned against all these testing methods, which could “mask the added contribution of lead at the tap”.

Documents show some authorities have also removed high-risk homes from testing or sought to obscure their dangerous lead levels. In Michigan, a department of environmental quality (MDEQ) official told the director of a town water department in a Detroit suburb called Howell to “bump this one out”, referring to a sample with high lead levels, by taking additional samples.

“I would suggest at least five more samples,” Adam Rosenthal, an official at the MDEQ drinking water office wrote in an email in 2008.

New Hampshire offered similar advice to water system officials in that state, advising water departments to test early so any high results could be re-tested.

“If your water system samples early in their compliance period, then time remains for you to collect a second set of samples,” reads advice from New Hampshire’s department of environmental services to local water systems. “This may result in a 90th percentile below action levels.”

  A handyman explains the new water filter to Mary Stewart and Terrence Tyler at their residence in Flint, Michigan. Photograph: Sarah Rice/Getty Images




Water departments to change lead-testing methods after investigation


Thousands of Flint’s children are expected to suffer developmental problems as a result of the lead contamination. Hundreds of thousands of bottles of water have been distributed to the city by the national guard, deployed in January. Barack Obama called Flint’s lead contamination a “man-made disaster” and a symptom of urban neglect suffered by poor, largely black communities across the US.

Since the crisis in Flint prompted a federal state of emergency, the city, state and its new water supplier, Detroit, phased out water testing distortions. But other cities have failed to do so – against the advice of EPA guidelines..

In the nine years since the EPA last updated lead regulations, a substantial body of peer-reviewed science has shown no level of lead is safe for humans. Tiny amounts are associated with impaired development and behavioral problems in children, and exposure is linked to a propensity to commit violent crimes.

Also in that time, peer-reviewed studies by EPA scientists and academics showed how testing methods that flout guidelines miss lead contamination. Some of these studies even stemmed from previous lead contamination crises, such as in Washington DC in 2001.

“What on earth can you do when the environmental policemen at EPA have condoned open cheating on the water lead rule for more than a decade now?” said Edwards, the author of several studies.

In a statement, the EPA did not respond to the widespread testing distortions but said it is currently working on “long-term revisions” to its lead and copper rule, expected in 2017.

“During our review, EPA has been evaluating critical issues related to increasing public health protections under the rule while maintaining an approach that can be feasibly implemented by the states and drinking water utilities,” the regulator said.

“As we develop the proposed revisions to the rule, we are also focusing on enhanced oversight of the states, including implementation of the existing rule. In EPA’s recent letter to the states, we make clear that approaches are not to include aerator removal or allow pre-stagnation flushing prior to collection of samples by residents.”

The crisis in water testing could be even more widespread than evidence unearthed by the Guardian shows. Several large cities sell water onto almost 400 adjacent cities and towns. Many of these locations also test their own water as part of EPA recommendations.

As part of its investigation in the wake of the Flint disaster, the Guardian sought water testing documents from 81 of the largest cities in states east of the Mississippi River. Eastern states are considered to have a high risk of lead contamination due to their aging infrastructure. Forty-three cities provided information, and 33 of these used distortions in their water testing in the past decade.


Several cities do correctly follow EPA guidelines on testing, according to documents provided to the Guardian, including: Cincinnati, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky; and Mobile, Alabama. Several said they intend to change protocols when they next test, including Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Buffalo, New York; Worcester and Boston, Massachusetts; Lewiston, Maine; and the Rhode Island and Maine health departments. Chicago stopped aerator removal and pre-flushing by 2012.

In response to the Guardian’s investigation, many water departments said the EPA had not issued clear guidance on the issue in the past. Some said they had never received a previous EPA memo regarding testing protocols, or that the practices are not illegal.

Mahita Gajanan contributed to this report.

One of Hawaii's most active volcanoes erupts in spectacular fashion

A volcanic cone in Hawaii has been erupting for over 30 years (Tim Wright/AP Photo)





Saturday, June 04, 2016 12:29PM 

One of the most active volcanic cones on Hawaii's Big Island has erupted yet again

Puu Oo, a volcanic cone in Mount Kilauea's eastern rift zone, has been actively erupting since January 3, 1983. Since that time, the lava has claimed over 200 buildings in nearby areas and covered nearly nine miles of highway along the southeast coast of the Island of Hawaii.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that this new activity from Puu Oo does not threaten any buildings.

A man trying to cross the eastbound lanes of the North Loop died this morning after he was hit by a pickup truck in Houston, TX

Multiple lanes closed at North Loop EB at McCarty due to fatal accident





A deadly accident is blocking traffic this morning on the North Loop (KTRK)





Thursday, June 02, 2016 02:31PM
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man trying to cross the eastbound lanes of the North Loop died this morning after he was hit by a pickup truck.

It happened along the 610 North Loop eastbound at McCarty. HPD says the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver did stop and wait for police. At this point, no charges are expected to be filed.

The accident blocked the right shoulder, right lane and two center lanes. Traffic was getting by on the left lanes.

We're following this story on Eyewitness News. Watch for updates on air, online and on our mobile news app.

Hwy 288 NB at McCard reopens after fatal accident in Texas

Saturday, June 04, 2016 06:47AM
PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- All lanes of Highway 288 northbound at McCard are now reopened after a fatal wreck.

Emergency crews cleared the scene at 6:34am. The two-vehicle accident resulted in the death of at least one person.

We do not know much about how the accident happened or the victim involved, but abc13 was told this was a fatal accident.

We're following this story on Eyewitness News. Watch for updates on air, online and on our mobile news app.

Officials investigating deadly explosion in Erick, OK

Posted 6:00 pm, June 3, 2016, by Sarah Stewart, Updated at 07:34pm, June 3, 2016




ERICK, Okla.-911 calls started pouring in just before 11:30 Thursday night.

“All we knew was there was an explosion and possible injuries,” said Erick police chief, Patrick Strange.

When police arrived at the home near the center of town, they found a shed behind a home had exploded.

One man was found deceased at the scene.

They believe he was inside the shed at the time of the explosion.

Neighbors all around felt and heard the blast.

“I was watching tv and all of a sudden – boom! I mean you know and one of my deals came falling down off the wall,” said Paulyn West.

“It shook the whole neighborhood,” said Katisza Newton. “There was smoke everywhere. It was burning rubber and just kind of crazy.”

Authorities have not officially identified the man who died but family members say he is Kenneth Greer, 43.

He lived in the home with his mother, who was unharmed in the blast and actually slept through it.

Police say they do not believe a meth lab was involved.

“We’ve looked over the scene and we’ve ruled that out. There’s no evidence that appears to be foul play or any signs of narcotic activity,” said Chief Strange.

Police are now waiting on autopsy results from the medical examiner to help answer a lot of questions.

Flooding in eastern Texas has reached a record high, causing thousands to evacuate.

Record-High Floods Leave Thousands Displaced In Texas

Flooding in eastern Texas has reached a record high, causing thousands to evacuate.






1.

Cattle are driven west away from the surging Brazos River in Brazoria County, Texas on June 2, 2016.

Nearly the entire eastern half of Texas is under a flash flood watch or warning as the effects of days of heavy rains linger in creeks and rivers. At least six people died in floods last week in Central and Southeast Texas.

Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle via AP


2.

Streets along the Brazos River are closed in Rosenberg, Texas on June 2.

Storms off the southeast Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico are threatening to worsen flooding in places like Brazoria and Fort Bend counties, southwest of Houston, where residents near the Brazos River have been forced to leave their homes. Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle via AP


3.

A baby armadillo crosses a flooded road in Booth, Texas on June 1. Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle via AP

 

4.

Mia Le walks down Aqua Vista Drive past flooded townhouses as she tries to make her way home near Kingwood, Texas on June 2. Michael Ciaglo / AP


5.

An aerial view of homes in the Horseshoe Bend area on the banks of the Brazos River, on June 1. Brandon Wade / AP


6.

Two men stand on the Dry Creek Bridge as they look on at a stranded vehicle from the rising floodwater in Austin, Texas on May 27. Ricardo B. Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman via AP

 

7.

An alligator crosses Sawmill Road near Brazos Bend State Park in floodwaters in Fort Bend County after heavy rainfall, outside Houston, Texas, on June 1. Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office / Reuters


8.

Parker County Technical Rescue personnel bring Elizabeth and Tim Jenkins away from their flooded home on the Brazos River, on June 1. Paul Moseley / AP


9.

People fill up sandbags as local creeks and Lake Brownwood spilled over their banks in Brownwood, Texas, on May 31. Nellie Doneva / AP

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10.

A house is flooded by water from the rain-swollen Brazos River in Richmond, Texas on May 31. DANIEL KRAMER / Reuters


11.

Morgan's Point Resort Fire and Rescue team works on Lake Belton near the scene of an accident at Fort Hood, Owl Creek Park near Gatesville, Texas, on June 2.

Fort Hood says five soldiers are dead and four are still missing after an Army troop truck was washed from a low-water crossing and overturned in a rain-swollen creek. Michael Miller / The Temple Daily Telegram via AP


12.

A portion of Riverside Drive in Tahitian Village washed out in Bastrop, Texas on May 30. Deborah Cannon / AP

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13.

Jason Lucas, left, his wife, Eloise Lucas, center, and their daughter, Ava Lucas, 10, paddle down a road to get to their home in Booth, Texas on June 1. Michael Ciaglo / AP


14.

Rosenberg firefighters motor past submerged cars and homes as they survey the damage along the Brazos River in Richmond, Texas, on May 31. Michael Ciaglo / AP


15.

Responders with Texas Search and Rescue look inside a truck that was swept away in a flood and recovered from a pond in southern Austin, Texas, on May 31. Jay Janner / AP


16.

Houses are submerged in floodwaters in the Horseshoe Bend area on the banks of the Brazos River on June 1. Brandon Wade / Star-Telegram via AP
17.

Jim Lennon walks through the garage of a townhouse that was broken down when floodwaters from the San Jacinto river rushed through the first floor, on June 2 near Kingwood, Texas.

Off-duty officer accused of causing deadly road rage crash in Weld County, CO

Posted 5:17 am, June 2, 2016, by Chuck Hickey


PLATTEVILLE, Colo. -- One person was killed after an accident in Weld County that the sheriff's office said was caused by road rage. And they believe the person who caused the crash is a police officer.

Officer Blair Jackson from the Ault Police Department is under arrest, charged with second-degree homicide and reckless driving resulting in death. He was off duty at the time.

The Weld County Sheriff's Office said it began in Gilcrest along Highway 85 about 6 p.m. Jackson, 48, and the driver who was killed were heading southbound, Jackson in a green Subaru and the victim in a Ford Ranger.

The sheriff's office believes the driver of the Ranger was forced off the road near Highway 85 and Weld County Road 32 1/2. The vehicle rolled over and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office said the cause of the accident was a result of road rage. Jackson was booked into the Weld County Jail.

The name, age and victim of the victim have not been released.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call the Platteville Police Department at 970-785-2215.

Court documents detail drunk driver in deadly crash involving Starkey van that killed two in Kansas.

Posted: Thu 4:11 PM, Jun 02, 2016 |
Updated: Thu 11:23 PM, Jun 02, 2016

 
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) The affidavit, detailing the case against a man reported to have been driving under the influence and causing a May 6 fatal crash in Wichita, was released Thursday.

A little before 4 p.m. May 6, Wichita police officers were dispatched to an injury crash at West Newell and North Young on the south side of the city.

Witnesses said they observed a white Cadillac Escalade running a stop sign, eastbound on Newell at Bahr Street. The Escalade collided with a minivan from Starkey, Inc., an organization that helps adults with developmental disabilities.

Police say the Escalade was driven by 56-year-old Bret Blevins. They say he was driving under the influence at the time of the collision.

A witness to the crash says he observed Blevins trying to undo his seat belt from the driver's seat of the crashed SUV and also observed a small bottle of alcohol in the vehicle. A passenger in the SUV was also injured. Initially, police say Blevins denied being behind the wheel of the Escalade at the time of the crash.


After attempting to render aid on a passenger ejected from the minivan, the witness said he observed Blevins crawling out of the passenger side of the SUV and leaving the scene on foot.

The witness said he tried to stop Blevins. Court documents say officers caught up with Blevins and observed that he smelt strongly of alcohol, that his eyes were glazed, watery and bloodshot and that his speech was slurred.

Blevins was transported back to the scene of the crash and assessed by EMS. Police spoke with more witnesses and determined the Escalade was speeding at the time of the crash.

The passenger in the Escalade was interviewed by police the day after the crash, court documents say. The passenger said she and Blevins were on their way back to Blevins' house when the crash occurred. She said she saw the stop sign, but didn't think Blevins was paying attention.

The two passengers from the Starkey van who died from their injuries in the crash were pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital a few hours after the collision occurred.

On May 20, the district attorney's office charged Blevins with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, four counts of aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while suspended.

Distracted and drugged female driver charged in fiery deadly crash on I-64 in KY

UPDATED 2:57 PM EDT Jun 03, 2016
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —A southern Indiana woman faces charges for a deadly crash on Interstate 64.

 
A fiery crash killed a man in Floyd County late Monday night. 

Klara Holst was arrested Thursday for "causing death while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana."

Investigators said that in March, she crashed into a pickup truck stopped on the westbound side before the Greenville exit.



The driver, David Smith, was waiting for a friend whose truck was being towed.

The New Albany man was trapped as his pickup truck caught fire.

Holst told investigators she was reaching for something in her car when she lost control.

Mustang, OK female driver killed in head-on collision on I-35 in Purcell. 3 children taken to OU Medical Center in critical condition

 


Photo provided by Joyce Estes
UPDATED 9:25 PM CDT Jun 03, 2016 
PURCELL, Okla. —A 21-year-old Mustang woman was killed in a crash Friday afternoon on Interstate 35 in Purcell, officials said.

Kaila Danielle Boehner was driving a black 2011 Chevrolet Cruse south on I-35 shortly before 2:30 p.m., when her vehicle left the roadway, went into the center median and entered the northbound lanes, hitting a white 2013 GMC Yukon, according to an accident report.

Boehner was pinned in her vehicle for about 2 hours and pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver and three child passengers -- ages 5, 7 and 8 -- in the Yukon were taken to OU Medical Center. The children were admitted in critical condition.

The driver was treated and released with a leg injury.

Troopers are investigating what caused Boehner's vehicle to drive into the northbound lanes.

2 pedestrians killed after a 2006 Chevrolet vehicle, driven by a 57-year-old Kissimmee man, was heading south on Poinciana Boulevard and crashed into the pair while they were in the road

Troopers ID pair killed while walking on Poinciana Blvd

Christal Hayes rOrlando Sentinel




Troopers have identified two pedestrians hit and killed Thursday night in Osceola County.

Jason Carter, 30, of Winter Garden, and Chelsea Harris, 27, of Orlando, were walking on Poinciana Boulevard near Oren Brown Road about 10:30 p.m. when they were struck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A 2006 Chevrolet vehicle, driven by a 57-year-old Kissimmee man, was heading south on Poinciana Boulevard and crashed into the pair while they were in the road, troopers said.

It's unknown what direction the pair was walking.




Both died at the scene.

The intersection was closed as troopers investigated, Montes said.

The area is located about a block behind a Wal-Mart Supercenter and is just west of U.S. 192 and the Kissimmee Gateway Airport.

A 26-year-old Orlando man is dead after a vehicle ran into his moped Friday.

Orlando man named as moped driver who died in crash

Caitlin Doornbos Staff Writer

A 26-year-old Orlando man is dead after a vehicle ran into his moped Friday.



A 26-year-old Orlando man is dead after a vehicle ran into his moped Friday, officials said.

Israel Mojica Camacho was driving south on Bumby Avenue about 2:30 p.m. when he slowed to make a left turn onto Kaley Avenue, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said.

The driver of a Hyundai behind Camacho, Joseph Sabarre, 22, of West Melbourne, did not slow down and struck Camacho from behind, Montes said.


Camacho was thrown off his moped and landed on Sabarre's windshield, Montes said.



Camacho died at a hospital, Montes said.

Troopers continue to investigate.

an engine explosion and fire on a boat forced two men to swim to safety Friday in West Bay, Texas

Source: US Coast Guard WEST BAY, TX (WAFB) -


Coast Guard: 2 men swim to shore after boat engine explosion and fire in Texas Saturday, June 4th 2016, 11:09 am EDTSaturday, June 4th 2016, 11:09 am EDT
Posted by WAFB StaffThe US Coast Guard said an engine explosion and fire on a boat forced two men to swim to safety Friday.

Officials said the engine on a 25-foot pleasure craft exploded near in West Bay, Texas and caused the boat to catch fire. They added the two men were able to swim to shore.

"In this case the boaters were extremely lucky to not have been injured by the fire," said Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Andrechik, the operations chief at Sector Houston-Galveston. "We encourage everyone to make sure their boats are ready to be out on the water have readily available safety gear."

According to reports, one of the men went into the water immediately after the explosion while the other tried to put out the flames. They added after he was unable to get the fire under control, he grabbed a life jacket, jumped into the water and swam back to the marina with the other man.

Driver dies after truck flips and hits tree Saturday in LA

Source: Raycommedia
MADISONVILLE, LA (WAFB) -

Driver dies after truck flips and hits tree 
Saturday, June 4th 2016, 12:54 pm EDTSaturday, June 4th 2016, 12:54 pm EDT
Posted by WAFB Staff

A man is dead after the truck he was driving went off the highway and slammed into a tree Friday night.

Louisiana State Police identified the victim as Brent Cyprian, 31, of Loranger. Troopers reported the crash happened on LA 22 west of LA 1085 in Madisonville around 9 p.m.

According to Tpr. Dustin Dwight, the preliminary investigation showed Cyprian was driving east on LA 22 when his 2000 Chevrolet Silverado crossed the center line. Dwight said it remains under investigation what caused the truck to go across the center line into the westbound lane.

Dwight added after crossing the center line, Cyprian overcorrected and swerved, which caused the truck to flip and into a ditch. He reported the truck rolled through the ditch and slammed into a tree on the passenger side.

Investigators said Cyprian was not wearing a seat belt and suffered severe injuries as a result of the crash. He was reportedly taken to Lakeview Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Officials said he was pronounced dead by the emergency room doctor shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Troopers reported blood samples were taken from Cyprian and will be examined by the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office. It is normal procedure for blood samples to be taken from drivers in deadly crashes on Louisiana highways.

The investigation is ongoing.

2 people are dead and 3 officers were hospitalized after being exposed to an "unknown substance" inside a vehicle on Florida's Turnpike

3 officers treated, 2 dead after hazmat situation on Florida's Turnpike






An accident and hazmat situation left the Florida Turnpike closed in both directions for several hours in Osceola County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. (Daniel Harris/Courtesy photo)

Christal Hayes Orlando Sentinel

Officers treated after exposed to substance inside SUV that left 2 dead on Turnpike in #OsceolaCounty



Two people are dead and three law-enforcement officers were hospitalized after being exposed to an "unknown substance" inside a vehicle on Florida's Turnpike Thursday, officials said.

The incident closed the Turnpike for about four hours and backed up traffic for miles as law-enforcement and hazmat crews investigated.


A Florida Highway Patrol trooper noticed a white SUV that had hit a guardrail near Mile Marker 224 about 3:15 p.m., the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said.

The trooper went inside the vehicle and found two people dead, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said.

Four laborers and a police officer were sent to hospitals Friday after being overcome by chemical fumes at a residential construction site in Coronado, CA

5 hospitalized in Coronado hazmat incident
City News Service
10:45 AM, Jun 3, 2016
2:04 PM, Jun 3, 2016






Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Tanyos, Faris

CORONADO, Calif. - Four laborers and a police officer were sent to hospitals Friday after being overcome by chemical fumes at a residential construction site in Coronado.

The workers were applying a waterproofing sealant to the walls of a below-grade chamber on a parcel at Olive and G avenues when they began having respiratory problems shortly after 10 a.m., city Fire Chief Mike Blood said.

Medics administered oxygen to the crew members and a police officer who also reported some similar ill effects while responding to the emergency. The five men were then sent to medical centers for follow-up care. Their ailments were not believed to be serious, Blood said.

Police shut down the intersection as a precaution and sent for a hazardous materials team to determine if there were any lingering air-quality problems in the neighborhood.

By early afternoon, the area had been deemed safe and the streets were open again to through traffic.

Pipeline worker was killed when he was pinned between some heavy equipment and a pipe in Oregon

Worker killed in accident at area construction site


 

By Mike Sigov | BLADE STAFF WRITER
Published on June 4, 2016




A man was killed at a construction site in the 3800 block of Starr Avenue while working on a pipeline project early Friday, authorities said. The area office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has six months to complete an investigation into the incident.


A central Michigan man was killed early Friday at a natural gas pipeline construction site in Oregon in an accident that included an excavator, authorities said.

Oregon Assistant Police Chief Paul Magdich said the worker was killed when he was pinned between some heavy equipment and a pipe in the 3800 block of Starr Avenue while working on the pipeline.

Detective Ryan Spangler said two people — the victim and the excavator operator — were the only two involved. The incident happened while pipe was being installed.

The victim was identified last night as Jacob Angelos, 29, of Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Dr. Diane Barnett, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said he was pronounced dead at the scene and that an autopsy is scheduled for today to determine the cause of death.

Richard Wall of Welded Construction LP of Perrysburg said his company will cooperate with the investigation.

“We suffered a tragedy today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends,” he said.

Oregon City Administrator Mike Beazley said the 22-mile long pipeline will feed natural gas to an electric plant under construction in Oregon.

The Oregon Lateral pipeline will extend from a gas interconnection system in Maumee to the new Oregon Clean Energy Center plant on North Lallendorf Road in Oregon.

The pipeline, being built and owned by North Coast Gas Transmission LLC of Columbus, was first proposed in October, 2014, to supply the $800 million electric plant that will generate 799 megawatts by using natural gas-fired generators. The privately owned electric plant is expected to be operating in May, 2017.

The pipeline will pass through Maumee, Perrysburg, Perrysburg Township, Rossford, Lake Township, Walbridge, Northwood, and Oregon. Perrysburg Township will have the longest section, 6.8 miles.

Michael Calderone, president and chief executive officer of Somerset Gas Transmission Co. and North Coast Gas Transmission, refused to answer questions about the project Friday.

Chad Positano, assistant area director for the Toledo office of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency was aware of the incident and has six months to complete an investigation it has initiated.

“Our condolences go to the [deceased] worker’s family and friends,” Mr. Positano said.