Search called off for for Henry Alexander Wise, V.,19, of Fairhope, Alabama missing after his jet ski crashed into a boat driven by 19-year-old Robert Bratkinewiez of Mobile in Saint Joseph's Bay

Search called off for Alabama man missing after boat crash
Originally published July 6, 2017 at 5:39 am


PORT ST. JOE, Fla. (AP) — The search has been suspended for a 19-year-old Alabama man missing after his personal watercraft crashed into a boat near a Florida marina.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release it searched about 7 square miles (18 sq. kilometers) during a nine-hour search for Henry Wise of Fairhope, Alabama. Wise didn’t resurface Tuesday night when his watercraft collided with the boat.

Another person on the watercraft, 19-year-old Gavin Primm of Daphne, Alabama, was injured. His condition wasn’t immediately available.

Multiple agencies assisted in the search for Wise.

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Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said the search for the body of 19-year-old Henry Wise near Port St. Joe, Florida is ongoing as of Thursday morning.

Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Beckah Nelson confirmed the ongoing search. The Coast Guard Sector Mobile reported that they concluded their help in the search on Wednesday (July 5) evening.

Nelson said that Wise and and Gavin Primm, 19, both from Daphne, were on jet ski's when they got into an accident with a boat carrying five people on July 4.
The accident occurred in Saint Joseph's Bay just south of the Highland View Boat Ramp near Highway 98.

Alabama teen missing after jet ski accident in Florida

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials identified the two teens as Henry Wise, 19 and Gavin Primm, 19, both from Daphne.

Primm, who was wearing a life jacket at the time, was seriously injured during the collision, but was able to be pulled out of the water. Wise was never located after the accident.

Nelson identified the driver of the boat as 19-year-old Robert Bratkinewiez of Mobile. No charges have been filed against Bratkinewiez at this time.
Primm remains at a local hospital in Florida in stable condition.
No additional details about the accident have been released at this time.

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Friends and family are invited to gather together on Sunday, July 9, 2017 on the Bluff at Bayside Academy to celebrate the life of Henry Alexander Wise, V. Henry is the son of Henry Alexander "Sandy" Wise, IV and Paige Wise and brother to Harper Wise. The family will begin gathering at 5:30 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at the Bayside Academy Pilot Center 303 Dryer Ave Daphne, AL 36526 with the service following at 7:00 P.M. until sunset. In lieu of flowers the family request contributions be made to The Henry A. Wise, V Foundation. For information regarding the services contact Bayside Academy at 251-338-6438.

Published in the Mobile Register and Baldwin County on July 9, 2017 =================== Port St. Joe, FL - UPDATE: The Coast Guard has suspended the search as of 3:39 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5. The Coast Guard searched approximately 7 square nautical miles for approximately nine hours.
Search and rescue efforts continue in Gulf County, FL Wednesday, July 5, 2017 for a teenager from Daphne.  Florida Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officials said 19 year-old, Henry Alexander Wise VI was driving a jet ski with a friend when it collided with a boat, throwing them into the water.
FWC officials said the accident happened on St. Joseph’s Bay around 7:30 Tuesday night.  Henry Wise and Gavin Primm, both of Daphne were on a Jet Ski and collided with a 24 foot boat driven by another friend from Mobile.  Primm is recovering in the hospital, but Wise hasn’t been found.
A major search effort has been underway since the accident including the US Coast Guard, FWC, and the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office.  
Wise and his friend and teammate, Gavin Primm are recent graduates of Bayside Academy and both played football.  Randy Burgan is the play-by-play announcer for Admirals Football and said Wise was an outstanding player.
“Every Friday night we called his name.  He either made a fantastic catch.  He made a great touchdown.  He was always involved in a play,” Burgan said.   “He was one of those silent leaders on the team…a guy that you could count on and he was going to give a hundred and ten percent every time he hit the field.”
 Wise played wide receiver and defensive back for the Admirals and the news of the accident has been very hard on the Bayside family.  School officials did not talk to the media Wednesday as the search continued.
“Everybody’s trying to still gather answers and find out exactly what happened so it is a shock,” Burgan said.
Officials said the Carolina Skiff that Wise hit was operated by 18 year-old Robert Bratkinewiez from Mobile and had a total of five people on board at the time of the accident.  None of those on the boat was hurt.
The search has been going on from the air and on the water.  The Florida Wildlife Commission has dive crews on the water as well.  No charges have been filed and the investigation into the cause of the accident continues.
 
 

1 employee injured after an ammonia leak and massive explosion at the Grecian Delight Foods plant in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village, Illinois

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. -- Investigators are looking into what caused an explosion at a suburban food facility in elk grove village.

Elk Grove fire investigators say there was ammonia leak at the Grecian Delight Food plant early Friday morning. That ammonia came into contact with something that caused an explosion in a part of the plant that was under construction.

The blast blew out a wall of the plant, and also ruptured a water main.

One hundred workers were inside at the time, but they all made it out safely.

A female plant worker who was burned and a male hazmat worker are being treated in the hospital.

Fire officials say it could have been much much worse.



===============


2 injured in ammonia explosion at Chicago-area food plant
Published 1:42 pm, Friday, July 7, 2017


ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (AP) — Authorities in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village say an ammonia explosion heavily damaged a food processing plant and injured two people.

Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel says a "tremendous amount of damage" was caused at the Grecian Delight Foods plant on Friday morning. He says the blast happened about 7 a.m., blowing out two of the building's outer walls. Crews were able to stop the leaking chemical a few hours later. The cause of the blast is under investigation.

Mikel says about 100 workers were present at the time but no one was near the explosion because it was located in a section of the building that's under construction.

Officials say one female employee and a hazmat worker were taken to area hospitals with injuries that weren't life threatening.



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Friday, July 07, 2017 01:04PM
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) -- An ammonia leak and powerful explosion blew out the side of a food processing plant in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village Friday morning and left one employee injured.

Firefighters, police and a hazardous materials crew responded to Grecian Delight Foods, Inc., in the 1200-block of Tonne Road. Large pieces of the wall on the west side of the building had been blown out.

"There was a release of ammonia inside of the factory here. The ammonia reached an ignition source. There's significant damage to the front wall of the building that's been blown out, as well as the north side of the building," Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel said.

A neighbor, who did not want to go on camera, said she heard a loud boom just after 7 a.m.

"I looked at my roof, thinking something fell on the roof, but there was nothing up there. Periodically, there is a foul odor coming from that place, in the middle of the night, where I need to close my windows," she said.

Witnesses said they saw around 100 employees run out of the building to escape the flames. They all got out safely. The neighborhood did not have to be evacuated.

A female worker sustained burns to her face, but her injuries were not considered life-threatening. She was taken to the hospital for treatment.

A member of the hazmat team was also taken to the hospital, for exhaustion.

The explosion also caused a water main break in the area. Grecian Delight's parking lot flooded Friday morning.

The water main break and ammonia leak were both contained before 11 a.m. The hazmat crew was still on the scene, ventilating the building. Workers had not been allowed back in.

Mikel said there was construction going on in the area at the time of the blast, but officials have not confirmed the exact cause of the ammonia leak and explosion.

Grecian Delight manufactures Greek and Mediterranean food. The company was founded in 1974.

24-year-old Nykolas E. Elkin of Auburn has been charged with arson and possession of a destructive device or explosive in connection with the fire at the Eckhart Public Library; he dropped a burning firework into book-return chute

"Me being...me", he writes in his Facebook posting.

AUBURN, Ind. (AP) — Authorities say a lit firework placed in a book return chute caused the fire that extensively damaged a northeastern Indiana library.


Auburn Police Chief Martin McCoy said Friday that 24-year-old Nykolas Eugene Elkin of Auburn has been charged with arson and possession of a destructive device or explosive in connection with the fire at the Eckhart Public Library.


McCoy says tips from the public led police to Elkin.


The fire that began about 2:30 a.m. Sunday caused extensive damage to its first floor and smoke and heat damage to the basement and second floor.


Library Director Janelle Graber has said books, materials, furnishings and computers all were damaged.


Elkin was being held in the DeKalb County Jail. Online court records do not list an attorney for him.  This guy needs some severe punishment.  What a moronic thug to do such a thing.

Here is some info from his Facebook pages.  This moronic criminal is one of these people who plays video games all his life.  He thought that torching the library was a joke:

Intro

• Former Molding at Therma Tru
• Former Crew at Wendys
• Former ICS Associate at Walmart
• Studied at Dekalb High School
• Went to Dekalb High School
• Lives in Auburn, Indiana
• Single
• From Auburn, Indiana

Obviously this moron cannot hold a job; and he decided to torch a library.  What a criminal!
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Auburn man charged with Eckhart Library arson




Nykolas Eugene Elkin; hopefully he rots in jail for a long-long time.


Investigators say he dropped a burning firework into book-return chute.
by Bob Caylor of The News-Sentinel
Friday, July 07, 2017 03:15 pm

A 24-year-old Auburn man has been charged with two felonies related to the fire Sunday morning that caused heavy damage at the Eckhart Public Library in Auburn.Investigators say Nykolas E. Elkin, whose last known address was a motel in Auburn, chucked a lighted firework into a book-return drop-slot, igniting the fire in the library. He has been charged with possession of a destructive device or explosive with intent, a Level 2 felony; and arson, a Level 4 felony, according to a news release from the Auburn Police Department.

At about 2:20 a.m. Sunday, Auburn police and firefighters were dispatched to the Eckhart Library and found an active fire inside. The Auburn Fire Department brought the fire under control within 10 minutes, but the library was heavily damaged by heat, flame, smoke and water.

Several law-enforcement agencies and a private contractor cooperated in investigating the fire. On Wednesday, they determined that the fire had been caused by a consumer firework that was ignited and placed in a book-return drop-chute. Police appealed to the public for help in finding out who dropped the firework into the library. The public responded with tips, and Elkin was arrested at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.

In addition to the Auburn police and fire departments, Indiana State Fire Marshal Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Indiana State Police and Vergon & Associates Fire Investigation all helped in investigation.



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AUBURN, Ind. (WANE) A 24-year-old Auburn man has been arrested and charged with a fire that badly damaged the public library in Auburn last week. Nykolas E. Elkin

Nykolas E. Elkin, who was last known to reside at the Super 8 Motel in Auburn, was arrested Thursday evening on felony charges of Possession of a Destructive Device or Explosive with intent and Arson related to the July 2 fire at the Eckhart Public Library.

The Auburn Fire Department was called around 2:30 a.m. that Sunday to the library at 603 S. Jackson St. on a report of a fire. Fire Chief Mike VanZile told NewsChannel 15 that crews arrived to find heavy smoke rising from the building, and fire was found on the first floor of the library.

The flames were quickly extinguished, VanZile said, but the library sustained heavy damage to its first floor and smoke and heat damage to its basement and first floor. Library Director Janelle Graber said books, materials, furnishings and computers all were damaged, and Library Board President Carolyn Foley said the library’s entire collection of DVDs and audio books was lost according to a report from the Associated Press. Fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, July 2, 2017, at the Eckhart Public Library in Auburn.

Two days later, VanZile said the blaze appeared to be an “intentional act fire.” The chief asked for the public’s help to solve the case.

In a news conference Friday, Auburn Police Chief Martin McCoy said a combined investigation by the Auburn Fire Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Indiana State Fire Marshalls Office, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Indiana State Police and Vergon & Associates Fire Investigation found that the fire was started by a firework that had been lit and placed in the book return drop chute at the library’s main entrance.

Tips from the public then led police to Elkin. McCoy did not explain why, but he thanked the public for the help.

“The Auburn Police would also like to thank the Citizens who called and provided the information that eventually led Police to the person responsible for this crime,” said McCoy.

ARSONIST ON THE LOOSE? A massive fire broke out early Friday morning at a mixed-used construction site called Alta Waverly in Oakland, California between Uptown and Lake Merritt

OAKLAND, CA (KTVU/BCN) - A major fire broke out early Friday morning at a mixed-used construction site called Alta Waverly in Oakland between Uptown and Lake Merritt, reigniting the debate over the need for housing and sparking concerns over how the fire was sparked.

The fire forced the evacuation of hundreds of people living in neighboring buildings and it remains unclear when they might be allowed to return, according to city officials. Several neighboring homes and apartment buildings were evacuated over fears that a large construction crane at the center of the site might topple over and cause additional damage.


"With a fire this size it is a miracle that we have had no loss of life, no injuries and nothing more than what appears to be cosmetic damage to any ancillary or surrounding structures," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

 At least 700 people live in just one of the neighboring buildings, according to Oakland City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, but city officials couldn't say exactly how many people have been displaced.

But before the embers had cooled, the 4-alarm blaze at the six-story building at 2302 Valdez Street near Grand Avenue, reignited the city's housing debate between those who don't want Oakland to be gentrified and others who support finding more affordable shelter options, especially for low-income and middle class residents. The project, which was slated to open in February 2018, would have added 200 "market rate" housing units in an area of the city known as the "Broadway Valdez Plan," a concerted development stretch aimed at providing a mixture of retail, apartments and condominiums to a city where average rental rates fetch $3,500 a month for a basic place to live.

“Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis,” Schaaf said at a news conference. “And this only exacerbates the problem.” She said that this Atlanta-based Woods Partners development is the embodiment of what the city needs to help people desperate to find a place to live. “This is a loss for our city.”

The blaze also sparked fresh concerns that there might be an arsonist, and one with an anti-housing agenda, lurking about. Oakland Councilman Abel Guillen tweeted, "burning down housing doesn't help make #Oak housing more affordable. It only speeds up displacement of existing residents."

Acting Fire Chief Darin White would not say if he thought the fire was suspicious or not, but he did make a public plea for any information on what might have led up to the blaze, which was seen as far away as Silicon Valley. Someone called dispatch to report the fire about 4:30 a.m., and a source told KTVU that the motion sensors inside the building had picked up some activity. White said he didn't know anything about that.

This was the second major fire in three months at a mixed-used project under construction. In May, a massive blaze ripped through a project under construction in Emeryville at 3800 San Pablo Avenue near the Oakland border that was being built by developer Rick Holliday. In July 2016, two days after the Fourth, the same retail-apartment complex burned for a second time in a six-alarm blaze. Both of those fires were deemed as a result of arson, Schaaf said. However, the culprit or culprits have yet to be caught.

Some community members immediately began speculating that anti-housing activists might want these large projects to burn. On May 1, 2015 people took pictures of a building that had been vandalized at 20th and Telegraph avenue, during a Freddie Gray protest. The words stated: “If you build it, we will burn it.” That photo resurfaced on Twitter Friday.

To Victoria Fierce, housing is key to helping the people of Oakland. She is one of the founders of the YIMBY movement, which stands for, Yes, In My Backyard. "These fires do not help Oakland," she said.

Even though the fire was so huge, White said there were "zero injuries." The most challenging parts of fighting the fire were when a crane looked like it was going to fall, and when a portion of the building collapsed. Burning embers fell on a nearby Victorian, damaging that building, too. The fire was knocked down about 7:30 a.m.

The project was being built on what was a large surface parking lot and a small commercial building. The building, which according to city plans, was supposed to have 193 residential units and 31,500 square feet of retail. The project also was to have included a fitness room, outdoor BBQs and a dog run with a pet-washing area, according to the architect's Pyatok website.

Wood Partners CEO Joe Keough said in a statement he would be working closely with fire investigators to identify the cause.

"Our deepest concern goes out to those impacted by this unfortunate event," he said. He also hired PR firm Sam Singer to help field questions.

Kasia Gawlik Parker, a spokeswoman for the architects of the project, said that her agency's employees, Pyatok, "woke up to this tragedy and are heartbroken."

A review of city building inspections showed that this site had no enforcement actions against it since it began construction in 2015.

Gibson McElhaney said it was very upsetting to see the building severely damaged; the owners were supposed to have offered market rate units, and the city is in dire need of more housing. "This was supposed to relieve the pressure of some of the housing demand," she told KTVU by phone. "This is very disheartening."

The American Red Cross has set up a resource center for evacuees at the nearby Cathedral of Christ the Light, which will remain open until 5 p.m.

Also, people can find shelter and other assistance from the Red Cross at the St. Vincent de Paul Community Center at 2272 San Pablo Avenue.

It's unclear when people will be allowed to return to their homes since fire officials still don't know how unstable the crane, the site's construction scaffolding and the building itself are, said Interim Chief Darin White.

Alameda County sheriff's deputies will use a drone equipped with a camera to fly into the areas still inaccessible to fire crews in order to try to evaluate the crane's stability, White said.

Part of the building already collapsed across Valdez Street during the fire, and the crane was spinning wildly for a time, buffeted by the intense heat, according to Battalion Chief Zoraida Diaz.

Schaaf said the city will bring all available resources to bear in order to determine the cause of the fire and to protect the city's development projects.

Arson investigators from Alameda County, the Oakland Fire Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene to investigate.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (510) 777-3333. 



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4 fires, 4 arsons at half-done housing sites in Oakland

By Michael Bodley, San Francisco Chronicle July 7, 2017 Updated: July 7, 2017 6:53pm





Photo: Jim Stone, Special To The Chronicle



Recent Oakland Fires: The Intersection

A $35 million mixed-use project called the Intersection under construction in downtown Emeryville, on the Oakland border, has burned twice in the past year

The fire that consumed an apartment and retail complex being built near downtown Oakland on Friday wasn’t the first to rip through a half-finished housing development in the area in recent years. It was the fifth.

While the cause of the latest blaze is not known, all four of the previous fires — including two at one site on the Oakland-Emeryville border — have been ruled arson by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said agency spokeswoman Alexandria Corneiro.


One of the four previous fires, which broke out at a development just east of Lake Merritt last October, was publicly identified as arson by Corneiro for the first time late Friday.



Oakland Fire July 7th, 2017 Media: San Francisco Chronicle

That has prompted concern among city leaders coping with a housing shortage, as well as developers who have responded by beefing up security at construction sites and residents shocked by images of flames and billowing smoke. All want answers, but there have been no arrests.

The previous arsons, according to the ATF, to hit projects under development:



The Intersection

A $35 million mixed-use project called the Intersection under construction in downtown Emeryville, on the Oakland border, has burned twice in the past year in fires that were so big they damaged nearby homes and businesses. The ATF’s Corneiro said Friday that both cases were confirmed as arson.

After the latest blaze, on May 13, investigators released grainy images of a man in a sweatshirt riding a bicycle and wearing a backpack in the middle of the night near the seven-story complex, which is located on the 3800 block of San Pablo Avenue. A similar fire struck the project last July, and the second fire happened despite armed guards and surveillance cameras.


Oakland fire

Massive fire engulfs construction project in Oakland

Oakland blaze a setback for city plan to transform Auto Row
Social media captures massive Downtown Oakland fire

There were no injuries in the fires, which occurred when the complex was roughly half-built. A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the conviction of an arsonist. The Intersection is set to be built again, offering 105 residential units and 21,000 square feet of retail space.

The developer, Rick Holliday of Holliday Development, has told The Chronicle the fires were an “attack on housing.” The ATF has not commented on a possible motive.



Lester Avenue project

A massive fire Oct. 31 gutted a three-story apartment complex under construction east of Oakland’s Lake Merritt. The fire was reported around 5 a.m. and quickly spread through the unfinished 41-unit building on the 300 block of Lester Avenue.

Corneiro said the cause was considered arson by ATF investigators, but she would not elaborate or specify whether the agency had identified possible suspects.

The owner, who has not responded to requests for comment, was sued in 2015 by former tenants who claimed he drove them out to make way for the new complex, ignoring a rodent infestation and allowing construction workers to tap into their electricity, causing sky-high utility bills.

Red Star

On June 14, 2012, a blaze that authorities said was deliberately set tore through a construction site for the Red Star senior housing complex near the West Oakland BART Station, shutting down BART service for 12 hours and causing an estimated $25 million in damage. The project at Fifth Street and Mandela Parkway has not been rebuilt.

Federal investigators said they found where the fire started and how it began , but would not reveal what evidence led to their finding. A security guard, though, reported he had been forced to run from the site after being threatened by three young men shortly before the building went up in flames.

Laura Zaner, a spokeswoman for property owner the Michaels Organization, said Friday the company had given up on developing the project and was shopping for a buyer. She said the company was “devastated by the fire,” which halted the building of affordable housing units for senior citizens.

The complex was about two months from opening when it burned down, she said.

a high-voltage wire fell onto a gas box in Fair Lawn; 37 cats had to be evacuated from the Lincoln Avenue Cat Hospital as the fire consumed Valley National Bank.

Thirty-seven cats had to be evacuated from the Lincoln Avenue Cat Hospital as the fire consumed Valley National Bank.
Photo credit: Lincoln Avenue Cat Hospital



Neighbors Evacuated, Dozens of Cats Rescued as Gas-Fueled Blaze Consumes Bank in New Jersey
By Checkey Beckford



Residents were evacuated and dozens of cats were rescued from an animal hospital after a high-voltage wire fell onto a gas box in Fair Lawn, sparking an hours-long fire that torched a bank.

PSE&G hasn’t said what caused the high-voltage wire to collapse onto the gas box, but the fire quickly spread and was so potentially dangerous that firefighters rushed to evacuate everyone nearby, police said.

The fire was still burning six hours after it started on Lincoln Avenue around 11 a.m. Friday.

The fire spread to Valley National Bank, badly damaging the business, police said. Video from the scene shows firefighters battling flames at the bank amid heavy smoke and rain.

Residents, Cats Evacuated as Gas-Fueled Blaze Burns Bank
Residents were evacuated and dozens of cats were rescued from an animal hospital after a high-voltage wire fell onto a gas box in Fair Lawn, sparking an hours-long fire that torched a bank. Checkey Beckford reports.(Published Friday, July 7, 2017)

Dozens of cats had to be evacuated from the Lincoln Avenue Cat Hospital, a veterinary business neighboring the bank. Thirty-seven cats were evacuated in all. None of them were injured, according to officials.

Residents near the fire lost power and were eventually evacuated from the scene and kept at least a block away.

“My lights flickered, on and off, about three times,” Lois Stibely said. “Finally, I heard a humming noise, which is usually like the mainframe of a grid going off. And then the power completely went off.”

PSE&G crews were working to cap the gas leak for hours. Firefighters stood nearby as they waited to put out flames that were shooting up from the sidewalk.

“It’s crazy, it’s been burning since 11 o’clock. I don’t understand why it’s taking this long to get PSE&G out here to start digging to shut it off,” Mary Oprihory said.

The fire was extinguished shortly before 6 p.m. Power was restored to the homes late Friday night.

Valley National Bank spokesman Marc Piro told News 4 that the fire department will not let employees of the bank back in and that they've not had a chance to assess their losses. Piro said customers of the bank are being referred to the branch at 20-24 Fair Lawn Avenue.



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FAIR LAWN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A gas fire in Fair Lawn, New Jersey burned for nearly seven hours Friday.

PSE&G said a high voltage wire fell and landed on a gas box, sparking the fire. It spread to the nearby Valley National Bank.

Some neighbors said it sounded like fireworks. Some were concerned the gas had been leaking for a while.

“We don’t know whether it broke because a tension line hit or because of a car accident that happened there a few months ago,” resident Mary Oprihory said. “Leads me to believe well was there actually a leak going there all this time, and when the tension line fell – boom?”

PSE&G crews could not get the gas shut off, so firefighters ended up dosing it with water just before 6 p.m.

52 year old Moon John Kim, radiologist at Samaritan Medical Center and three north country ambulance workers were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in the Oswego County town of Sandy Creek after a M&T milk tanker jacknifed

A radiologist at Samaritan Medical Center and three north country ambulance workers were killed overnight in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in the Oswego County town of Sandy Creek.

State Police have identified the four people as:

– 52 year old Moon John Kim, Ellicott City, Maryland. SMC says he was an interventional radiologist.
– 50 year old Corey Moore, Canton
– 58 year old Gregg Williams, DeKalb Junction
– 63 year old Roderick Cota, Norwood.

Moore, Williams and Cota were employed by the Canton-based R.B. Lawrence Ambulance.

According to police, a 2015 Western Star milk tanker operated by 38 year old, Charles Howard III of Watertown, was traveling northbound on I-81 when he swerved at 11:38 p.m. to avoid striking deer on the highway.

Police said Howard lost control of the tanker, which jackknifed, blocking both northbound lanes.

According to police, a 2002 Mercury Sable, operated by Moore, was traveling north on I-81 when he was unable to avoid striking the tanker and passed under the trailer and coming to rest in a ditch on the eastside shoulder of the roadway. Moore, along with two passengers in the vehicle, Williams and Cota, were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said a 2011 Subaru, operated by Moon John Kim, was also traveling north on I-81 when he struck the same tanker and passed under the trailer and traveled more than 150 feet off the west side shoulder of the roadway and coming to rest in the median.

“It’s pitch black out here in the middle of the night. It appears they didn’t see the tractor trailer, the tanker itself, crossing the highway, strikes him, at 65-70 miles per hour,” said Trooper Jack Keller.

Kim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Howard was not injured in the crash.

SMC issued the following statement regarding the Dr. Kim:

“Samaritan Medical Center’s staff and physicians are mourning the loss of Dr. Moonjohn Kim. Dr. Kim was a gifted physician who was adored and deeply respected by his colleagues, staff and patients. He leaves behind a legacy of tremendous medical skill, talent and true compassion that impacted the lives of so many patients. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Kim’s family and everyone who knew and loved him.”

SMC said Dr. Kim joined the medical staff in 2011.

He received his medical degree at Hahnemann (Drexel) University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his residency in General Surgery and Diagnostic Radiology at the University to Illinois at Chicago and a fellowship in Interventional Radiology at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Like’s Medical Center in Chicago. He was Board Certified with the American College of Radiology with certificate of additional qualification in Vascular & Interventional Radiology.

SMC said Dr. Kim leaves behind his wife, Clara, and their three young children, Jonathan, Julianne and Johanna.

Meanwhile, the owner of R.B. Lawrence Ambulance is mourning the deaths of his employees.

“It’s just such a huge loss,” said R.B. Lawrence. “They were great people. There’s nothing good about them, there’s a lot great about them and from great families, too.”

He said his employees were an ambulance driver, a critical care technician, and a mechanic.

Lawrence said the driver and the critical care technician were returning from a patient transfer to a Syracuse hospital when the ambulance broke down.

The mechanic drove down to help them and the three were returning home after he was unable to get the vehicle running.

“It’s just terribly devastating to us all,” Lawrence said, noting that because his company is so small, “we are more family and friends than employees and employers.”

State police are investigating the crash.





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Victims Identified In Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-81
Written by Steve Yablonski, Jul 6, 2017
UPDATE July 6 130 PM

SANDY CREEK – State Police in Pulaski are investigating a three-vehicle fatal crash that occurred on Interstate 81 in the town of Sandy Creek.

On Wednesday (July 5), at 11:38 p.m., A 2015 Western Star milk tanker operated by 38-year-old Charles T. Howard III, from Watertown, was traveling northbound on I-81 when he swerved at 11:38 p.m. to avoid striking deer on the highway.

Howard lost control of the tanker, which jackknifed, blocking both northbound lanes.

A 2002 Mercury Sable, operated by Corey E. Moore, 50, from Canton, was traveling north on I-81 when he was unable to avoid striking the tanker and passed under the trailer, coming to rest in a ditch on the eastside shoulder of the roadway.

Moore, along with two passengers in the vehicle, Gregg P. Williams, 58, from De Kalb Junction, NY, and Roderick C. Cota, 63, from Norwood, NY, were all pronounced deceased at the scene.

Shortly thereafter, A 2011 Subaru, operated by Moon John Kim, 52, from Ellicott City, Maryland, was also traveling north on I-81 when he struck the same tanker and passed under the trailer and traveled more than 150 feet off the west side shoulder of the roadway and coming to rest in the median.

Kim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Howard was not injured in the crash.

The New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit are investigating the crash.

State police were assisted at the scene by members of the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office and Sandy Creek Fire Department.



===============











SANDY CREEK, N.Y. -- Four people are dead after two vehicles hit a tanker truck on Interstate 81 in Oswego County Wednesday night.

The driver of an empty northbound milk tanker lost control of his truck just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"He saw several deer in the roadway. He hit the brakes. As you could see the skid marks, which caused him to jackknife across the entire, both lanes of northbound 81,” said New York State Police Public Information Officer Jack Keller.

Investigators say the truck driver immediately tried to straighten out his rig but didn't get enough time.

Corey Moore, 50, was driving a sedan with two passengers, 58-year-old Gregg Williams from DeKalb Junction, 63-year-old Roderick Cota from Norwood, when it crashed into the bottom of the tank and continued into the ravine. Police say all three men in the car died almost immediately.

Shortly after, Moon John Kim from Maryland, driving a Subaru Forester, followed the same path.

"Northbound also, strikes the tanker, goes underneath, and continues to go about a hundred yards, into the middle median where they come to rest. All the occupants, you have three in the first vehicle, one in the second, and all of them are deceased at the scene,” Keller said.

Three of the men were crew members with RB Lawrence Ambulance in Canton and the fourth was a radiologist at Samaritan Medical Center.


Police say it's evident the drivers of the two vehicles couldn't see the truck on the highway because it was dark.

"It's pitch black out here. The middle of the night. It appears they didn't see the tractor trailer, the tanker itself crossing the highway. Strikes him, at 65, 70 miles per hour, and unfortunately all the occupants are deceased,” said Keller.

The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured in the crash.



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CANTON, N.Y. -- Three people killed in an Oswego County crash were employees of a north country ambulance company returning from a call in Syracuse, according to news outlets.

State police identified three dead St. Lawrence County residents as Corey E. Moore, 50, of Canton; Gregg P. Williams, 58, of De Kalb Junction; and Roderick C. Cota, 63, of Norwood.

R.B. Lawrence, owner of R.B. Lawrence Ambulance in Canton, told the Watertown Daily Times they were his employees.

"We are such a small company that they are all family," Lawrence told the newspaper. "They are just great people. I am not sure how we replace them or how we go on, but we are still in shock on this and still trying to figure out all that happened."

A fourth man killed in the crash was Moonjohn Kim, 52, of Ellicott City, Maryland, state police said.
Dr. Moonjohn Kim (Provided photo)

He was an interventional radiologist at Samaritan Medical Hospital in Watertown, said Krista Kittle, a hospital spokeswoman. Kim had worked there for the past six years.

"Dr. Kim was a gifted physician who was adored and deeply respected by his colleagues, staff and patients," the hospital stated. "He leaves behind a legacy of tremendous medical skill, talent and true compassion that impacted the lives of so many patients"

Kim is survived by his wife, Clara, and their three young children.

Lawrence said his employees were an ambulance driver, a critical care technician, and a mechanic, according to WWNYTV.

Friends, coworkers and ambulance services around the state showing their grief and support on social media suggested Moore was one of the ambulance company's head mechanics, Williams was an EMT driver, and Cota was both a supervisor and the critical care EMT.

The driver and technician had transported a patient to a Syracuse hospital earlier in the day and were headed home when their vehicle broke down near Pulaski, Lawrence told the Daily Times. The mechanic drove down to pick them up.
Officials identified the people killed as three St. Lawrence County residents and a man from Maryland. All four worked for medical services. (New York State Police)

Fewer than five miles into the journey back, a milk tanker in front of them heading north for Mannsville jackknifed, according to State Police. The driver, 38-year-old Charles T. Howard III of Watertown, told authorities he swerved to avoid "several" deer in the road and lost control of the tractor-trailer, said Jack Keller, a State Police spokesman.

Moore, Williams and Cota's vehicle struck the disabled tractor-trailer and went under it, coming to rest in a nearby ditch. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

Kim's vehicle struck the same truck soon after, police said. His vehicle passed under it and traveled more than 150 feet before stopping in the median where he was also pronounced dead, according to State Police.


Lawrence said he was told the lights on the tractor-trailer had gone out when it crashed, making it hard to see in the dark. The crash happened just before midnight.

"It's just terribly devastating to us all," Lawrence told WWNYTV.

State police are still investigating the crash. Keller said it was a clear night, and the roads were dry at the time. Investigators shut down the highway for nearly eight hours overnight while they worked the scene.