Brain dead Italian Fabrizio Stabile: BSR Cable Park's Surf Resort in Waco, Texas, voluntarily closed on Friday pending test results after brain dead Italian Fabrizio Stabile, 29, died after falling ill with Naegleria fowleri, what is commonly referred to as a "brain-eating amoeba."

 Brain dead Italian of New Jersey Fabrizio Stabile, he snorted contaminated water through the nose

WACKO WACO, Texas -- 

A surf resort in Central Texas has voluntarily closed pending test results into what is commonly referred to as a "brain-eating amoeba."

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing at BSR Cable Park's Surf Resort, which voluntarily closed on Friday. The agency is testing for Naegleria (nee-GLEHR'-yah) fowleri (FOW'-lur-eye), colloquially known as a "brain-eating amoeba."

It's unclear if the park remained closed Sunday morning. BSR Cable Park owner Stuart E. Parsons Jr. says it will also continue to comply with requests related to the investigation of Fabrizio Stabile's death. The 29-year-old man died in New Jersey earlier this month after falling ill with Naegleria fowleri. Parsons said Stabile had been in the wave pool.

The CDC says Naegleria fowleri is often found in warm freshwater.

==================================
 
THE BRAIN DEAD ITALIAN FABRIZIO STABILE STORY
 
While Fabrizio was mowing his lawn on the afternoon of Sunday September 16, he suddenly experienced a severe headache and went to lie down.  After taking medicine for the headache, he ended up sleeping through the night, and when he awoke Monday morning, the headache had not gone away.  He asked his mother for more medicine and went back to sleep.  When his mother went to check on him in the early afternoon, Fabrizio could not get out of bed and could not speak coherently.  His mother called 911 and EMTs rushed him to the hospital.

At first, Fabrizio’s symptoms (brain swelling and fever) appeared consistent with bacterial meningitis and he was quickly sedated and treated with the appropriate medication and aggressive neurological protocol.  Unfortunately, Fabrizio was not responding to these measures and his condition was rapidly deteriorating.  He had been tested for a multitude of illnesses caused by various bacteria and viruses, but the results were coming back negative or inconclusive.  Finally on Thursday, one of the test results came back positive.  As family and friends huddled in the ICU waiting room, we were delivered a devastating blow. 

Fabrizio’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tested positive for the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri,* which caused a rare infection that has only been diagnosed 143 times in the United States in the last 55 years.  The worst-case scenario was unfolding in front of our eyes as we learned that this infection results in a 98% fatality rate.  By the time Fabrizio was diagnosed, it was too late to administer the drug that had previously been provided to three of the only five known survivors in North America.  Even so, this drug is not easily accessible. 

We were hopeful until the end, but unfortunately, on Friday September 21st we learned the heart-breaking news that Fabrizio was pronounced brain dead as a result of this brain-eating amoeba. 

The moral of the story:  do not snort water through the nose, as the brain dead Italian of New Jersey Fabrizio Stabile did.

*The CDC includes the following description of Naegleria fowleri on its website:

Naegleria fowleri (commonly referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba” or “brain-eating ameba”), is a free-living microscopic ameba*, (single-celled living organism). It can cause a rare** and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The ameba is commonly found in warm freshwater (e.g. lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil. Naegleria fowleri usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the ameba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal. Infection typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, Naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose. You cannot get infected from swallowing water contaminated with Naegleria.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/illness.html

A car exploded on an Allentown, PA downtown street, killing three men and leading to a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018


ALLENTOWN, PA

Three men were killed when a car exploded in Pennsylvania's third largest city Saturday night, drawing a massive response from local and federal law enforcement to what was dubbed a "criminal incident."

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, authorities repeatedly described the explosion in Allentown as an "isolated incident." Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said investigators had a "high degree of confidence that the perpetrator was probably killed."

There was no immediate word on the identities of the victims, nor was there any explanation of a possible motive or cause of the blast. Investigators said they did not believe there was any additional threat to the community.

The explosion happened at approximately 9:30 p.m. on a downtown street and could be heard and felt across the city located about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Resident Carlos Perodin told The Morning Call newspaper that he was watching a movie with his wife when he heard a thunderous explosion and went to the scene.

"The fire was crazy," Perodin told the paper. "The car was pretty much split in half."

Another witness, Stephanie Connelly, said she saw body parts strewn across the street.

"This is real life and I'm shaking and freaking out while I'm running," she told The Morning Call.

A bus station was turned into a makeshift command center with armored vehicles, dozens of police cruisers, mobile command units and even portable bathrooms, the paper reported. Several portable tents were also erected for evidence processing.

Residents were asked to avoid the area, and people who live nearby were asked to shelter in place. A shelter was set up at an elementary school and authorities said it would remain open on Sunday night.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking the lead on the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and local authorities. Officials have asked anyone with information about the case to call (888) ATF-BOMB (283-2662).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.




================================
Sunday, September 30, 2018

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania -- 

A car exploded on a downtown street, killing at least one person and leading to a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents, and federal authorities are helping local officials in the investigation.

The blast happened in Allentown around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Assistant Police Chief Gail Struss said early Sunday.

"We can confirm that there is at least one fatality," she said in a statement. A news conference was planned Sunday afternoon.

City and Lehigh County authorities are investigating along with state police, the FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

"There is not believed to be any remaining threat to public safety," the FBI said in a message on Twitter. "We thank residents of the area for their patience as evidence is collected and secured."

Resident Carlos Perodin told The Morning Call of Allentown that he was watching a movie with his wife when he heard a thunderous explosion and went to the scene.

"The fire was crazy," he said. "The car was pretty much split in half."

Another witness to the aftermath of the explosion, Stephanie Connelly, told The Morning Call that she saw body parts strewn across the street.

"This is real life and I'm shaking and freaking out while I'm running," she said.

A bus station was turned into a makeshift command center with armored vehicles, dozens of police cruisers, mobile command units and even portable bathrooms, the paper reported. Several portable tents were also erected for evidence processing.

Residents were asked to avoid the area, and people who live nearby were asked to shelter in place. A shelter was set up at an elementary school.

The FBI earlier said it was working with other agencies and "to assess the situation and determine the cause, with public safety the bureau's highest priority." Officials asked anyone who witnessed the blast or had information about it to contact investigators.

Ashley Kay, 21, and a 53-year old man died after thei speeding Honda Accord was split in half when it collided head-on with a Porche SUV in Lakeside, California

 Your story is over, Ashley Kay.  Speed Kills.

The Medical Examiner's office identified one of two victims killed in a head-on crash that split their car in half in unincorporated Lakeside Thursday morning.

The two cars collided on Wildcat Canyon Road near Willow Road at about 6:30 a.m., CHP Officer Travis Garrow said.

A Honda Accord carrying a 53-year-old man and 21-year-old Ashley Kay, both from El Cajon, was speeding southbound at the same time a Porsche SUV with a 43-year-old Santee woman inside was heading northbound, CHP said.

The Honda veered to the road's outside curb and the driver appeared to over-correct, driving into the path of the Porsche, Garrow said. It was not clear who was behind the wheel in the Honda at the time.

"The force of the collision was so great it caused the Honda to be cut in half, basically right down the middle," Garrow said.

The crash ejected both passengers and they landed in the street, he said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Kay was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in a helicopter where she died from her injuries, Garrow said.

Kay's family released a statement hours later.

"We cherished every moment we got to spend with you, she was so young and could have done anything she wanted anytime she wanted, she will be greatly missed and will forever be in our hearts."

The woman in the Porsche was transported via ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital with major injuries. She was expected to survive, Garrow said.

Garrow said everyone was believed to have been wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

It was not clear if drugs or alcohol were factors.

CHP is continuing their investigation into the crash and is looking for possible witnesses. Anyone with information can call 619-401-2000.

Margarita Vela, 26, died when she crossed over a median and crashed head-on into a green Mercedes, leaving the other driver in critical condition

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

A 26-year-old woman killed Friday in a head-on crash on the Southwest Side has been identified by San Antonio police as Margarita Vela.

Vela was traveling south along the 8900 block of Poteet Jourdanton Freeway shortly before 7 a.m. when she crossed over a median and crashed head-on into a green Mercedes, according to a police report. The back of Vela's car then flew up and landed on a white pickup truck.

Paramedics pronounced Vela dead at the scene. The driver of the green Mercedes was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition, and the driver of the pickup truck sustained minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital.

Abraham Rubalcaba, 57, stood and looked at the wreckage from afar Friday, amazed that the driver of the white pickup truck was able to walk away from the crash.

"I just want to shake his hand," he told the Express-News Friday. "I want to tell him 'God was on your side today. It was not your time.' It's a miracle."

The driver of the pickup declined to comment on the crash.

Female driver, 33, dies in a fiery crash after she crosses the median and collides with two other vehicles in Indianapolis, Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WISH) --


A 33-year-old woman is dead after a fiery, three-vehicle crash on the city's northeast side.

The crash happened around 7 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 46th Street and North Sherman Drive.

The woman was driving west on 46th Street, when her vehicle crossed the median and hit two eastbound vehicles. The car caught fire.

A child was taken to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Two people were taken to area hospitals. The conditions of those people were not known on Saturday night.

The drivers of the other two cars pulled the woman out of the burning vehicle. Despite those efforts, she died at the scene.

Worker employed by Carson Corporation died after he was struck by a large beam that slipped off a truck while it was being loaded near the boathouse in the Shea Rowing Center in Princeton, New Jersey

September 29, 2018

Princeton, NJ

A critically injured construction worker first discovered by crew team members near Shea Rowing Center this morning has died from his injuries after receiving medical treatment in Trenton.

Members of the lightweight women’s crew team first discovered him at approximately 8:20 a.m.

According to the team’s captain Grace Miles ’19, the team was on their morning practice warm-up run when they heard sounds of a crane and someone “screaming in agony.”


Miles said herself and five other teammates promptly ran to the source of the noise and saw that a “huge” 12-foot-wide section of metal building material had fallen on a construction worker.

The construction worker’s colleagues allegedly “couldn't hear him,” according to Miles, since they were in a removed area of the construction site.

Miles said that after trying to help the victim, her teammates promptly called the Department of Public Safety, which forwarded their call to 911 operators.

Officers from the Department of Public Safety responded to the incident at 8:26 a.m., along with the Princeton Police Department and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, according to University Spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss.

Hotchkiss told the The Daily Princetonian in a written statement Saturday afternoon that workers from Carson Corp. told emergency workers that the man was “struck by a large beam that slipped off a truck while it was being loaded.”   Carson Corporation is doing the directional drilling to run the cables under Lake Carnegie for the campus expansion.

First responders provided medical aid to the construction worker before transporting him to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton for further treatment, Hotchkiss said.

Miles told the ‘Prince’ the rest of her team’s practice was cancelled and her teammates are “extremely emotionally distressed.”

Two other members of the women's lightweight crew team declined to comment, or did not respond to requests for comment from the ‘Prince,’ respectively.

According to crew team members, the construction near the boathouse has been in progress since March 2017. The construction involves running cables under Lake Carnegie as part of construction for the new campus, according to Emily Erdos ’19, a member of the open weight women’s crew team.

Erdos is also Head Opinion Editor for the ‘Prince.’

Press representatives from Capital Health Regional Medical Center declined to comment on the condition of the injured worker when the news first broke.

Hotchkiss said that students who were nearby at the time of the accident were offered counseling through University Health Services.

The Department of Public Safety directed comment to the Office of Communications and Michael Hotchkiss.

The story was updated at 3:20 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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

Campus Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade Project


The Princeton campus is currently fed electricity from two PSE&G substations - one at Elm Drive and one at Charlton Street. Combined, these two have a capacity of 30MW. While this is sufficient capacity for today, any significant new building construction will require a new substation to maintain an adequate supply. Studies performed in 2005 and 2013 have identified the need for a new 75MW substation to alleviate the capacity limit on PSE&G’s existing supply to campus. The University has decided to construct a new substation in West Windsor where PSE&G has sufficient capacity and power the campus from it. Substation construction requires 2 - 3 years and is already underway.

The project will proceed in four overlapping phases. First, directional drilling from Princeton Campus to West Windsor will provide a large conduit for power and OIT data lines between these two areas. This will provide future connectivity and allow the extension of the campus network to West Windsor. Next, when the new 69kv substation comes online in West Windsor, the existing substations and feeds will be upgraded, replacing 30 yr-old transformers at Elm Drive. The project will also construct a storm water basin for the new substation and replace obsolete switchgear in the turbine room under Dillon Gym to increase reliability and provide additional capacity.​



Estimated completion
Spring 2019

Project team


Substation Construction
Valiant Power Group (link is external)


Directional Drilling
Carson Corporation (link is external)


Electrical Contractor
Armour and Sons Electric (link is external)


Office of Capital Projects
Brian Robertson, Senior Project Manager (link sends e-mail)


Engineering and Campus Energy
Thomas Nyquist, Executive Director (link sends e-mail)


Princeton University Civil Engineering and Construction
Sean Gallagher, Director, Operations Civil & Environmental Engineering (link sends e-mail)

Related links
Construction Impacts Map
Electrical Infrastructure Road Detours
Office of Capital Projects

Three people presumed dead, 1 injured after a brand new Airbus H125 Helicopters AS350 B3 crashed in shallow water about 63 miles NW of Gustavus, Alaska

David King, Helicopter Pilot and President/Director of Ops - Last Frontier Air Ventures, Ltd

Josh Pepperd, the president and owner of Davis Constructors, is missing from a helicopter that crashed Friday evening near Yakutat.

EXTREME EMERGENCY PRAYER REQUEST!
Josh Pepperd and his sons Aidan and Andrew were in a bad helicopter accident between Yakutat and Juneau, Alaska. Here is what I know. Aiden has internal injuries and is currently being Life-Flighted to the hospital in Anchorage. Josh and Andrew have not yet been found. There is currently a Coast Guard search going on for them. If ever a miracle was needed... this is such a time for one. PLEASE, PLEASE SEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO WILL PRAY! I will post updates as I have them. PLEASE SHARE THIS!


September 30, 2018




ANCHORAGE, Alaska —



The Coast Guard suspended it’s search Sunday for potential survivors of a helicopter crash near Lituya Bay, Alaska.

The search was suspended at approximately 1230 p.m.

The Coast Guard, Alaska Air National Guard, Southeast Alaska Dogs for Ground Search and Civil Air Patrol searched a total of 788 square miles over a period of more than 36 hours.

“After maximizing search efforts with air, surface and shoreside assets we suspended the search today,” said Capt. Darran J. McLenon, chief of response for the 17th Coast Guard District. “One survivor is with his family and continues to be evaluated at a hospital in Anchorage. The Coast Guard prays for his full recovery and grieves with the family and friends of the crash victims.”

======================================
1 rescued, 3 missing in Southeast Alaska helicopter crash

Updated: Saturday, September 29th 2018, 7:20 PM AKDT

By Chris Klint

Search efforts are continuing Saturday to find three people missing after Friday night’s crash of a helicopter into Southeast Alaska waters, with a rescued teenage boy alive but gravely hurt.

The Airbus H125 helicopter’s missing occupants were identified Saturday afternoon by Alaska State Troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain as Palmer man David King, 53; Anchorage resident Josh Pepperd, 42; and his 11-year-old son, Andrew Pepperd. Their next of kin have been notified, DeSpain said.

Joshua Pepperd is the president of Davis Constructors & Engineeers, an Alaska-based construction firm which claims credit for nearly $3 billion in projects across the state during its 40-year history.


David King is the president and director of operations of Last Frontier Air Ventures, Ltd.  He owns Airbus As350 B3 helicopter in his fleet and this is the reason he was helping Pepperd piloting the helicopter from Texas to Alaska.

Airbus Helicopters Inc. posted photos on its Facebook page Wednesday of the Pepperds taking delivery of the helicopter, which have since been taken down.

The Airbus, which was being flown on a long-distance trip to Wasilla from Grand Prairie, Texas, had been en route from Juneau to Yakutat when U.S. Coast Guard officials were informed it was overdue as of 6:30 p.m. Friday.

“Two adults and two adolescents were aboard the crashed helicopter that was reported to be brand new out of the factory,” Coast Guard officials wrote in a statement. “The pilot is reported to have 40 years flying experience including Alaska flight time in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.”

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued a 14-year-old boy from a nearby beach after the crash, which occurred in Lituya Bay as the newly built Airbus H125 helicopter was being flown from Grand Prairie, Texas to Wasilla. Troopers and family friends identified him as Andrew Pepperd’s brother, Aiden.



Jeff Brodsky, who urged people to pray for the Pepperds on Facebook Saturday, said that according to Aiden his father was flying at the time of the crash with assistance from King, a longtime instructor and pilot. Aiden was thrown from the chopper still strapped into his seat and knocked out.

"His head was resting on a blade when he woke up which thankfully kept his head out of the water," Brodsky wrote. "He barely had the strength to unbuckle. He finally did and tip-toed to the shore."

Troopers said Aiden was flown to a Sitka hospital, then to Anchorage. By Saturday afternoon he was at Providence Alaska Medical Center, where staff listed him in critical but stable condition.

"He has broken ribs puncturing his lung," Brodsky wrote. "They decided to not do surgery today. They are just going to monitor him the rest of today and tonight. It is a real miracle that Aiden is in as good a shape as he is."

An initial search Friday found debris from the crashed Airbus, but no sign of the other three people on board.

“Apparently the wreckage was found about 100 feet from the shore,” DeSpain said. “It’s still trying to be determined if [those missing are] still in the wreckage or if they managed to get out.”

A Coast Guard spokesman, Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn, said winds at the time of Aiden's rescue were at about 10 mph, with seas nearby at about 5 to 8 feet.

On Saturday, another Jayhawk crew and the Coast Guard cutter Bailey Barco were searching the area for the helicopter's other occupants, with support from a Civil Air Patrol aircraft. Littlejohn refused to describe the effort as a recovery operation.

“We are still out there searching for survivors,” Littlejohn said.

More debris from the helicopter had been found Saturday evening, according to Littlejohn, but none of the Airbus's occupants.

According to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska chief, the chopper was being tracked on its trip by family members, who first reported it overdue.

“They noticed that the tracking system had stopped between Juneau and Yakutat,” Johnson said. “Yakutat was the next fueling stop they were scheduled to make; they did not make it.”

An NTSB investigator and a helicopter engineer will be sent to the scene to learn more about the crash, Johnson said.




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

About us

Last Frontier Air Ventures is a diverse Alaskan Helicopter company offering Support Statewide for: Mineral Exploration, Oil Field Support, Survey, Slung Cargo, Video and Film Projects, Aerial Photography, Tours, and Heli Skiing, Short and Long Term Contracts. Last Frontier Air Ventures, being Alaskan owned and operated, can customize any job, big or small, to meet specific client needs.

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


NTSB investigating crash of Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 in shallow water about 63 miles NW of Gustavus, Alaska.

==================== Narrative:
The helicopter crashed 100 feet from the shore. Fuselage had been found in shallow water, according NTSB. One occupant (14) was rescued with mild hypothermia, three other were missing. Two adults and two adolescents were in the helicopter at the moment of the accident. Research operations are still in progress.

USCG: “Two adults and two adolescents were aboard the crashed helicopter that was reported to be brand new out of the factory,” Coast Guard officials said.
The helicopter was on a long distance trip out of Grand Prairie, Texas.

Sources:
https://www.newsweek.com/helicopter-crash-alaska-three-people-missing-after-crash-lituya-bay-north-1145153?piano_t=1
https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/494706311.html
http://www.ktva.com/story/39198698/1-rescued-3-missing-in-southeast-alaska-helicopter-crash
_____________
http://www.jetnetglobal.com/abiFiles/abiRegIndex.aspx?ACID=225360&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
https://www.radarbox24.com/data/flights/n907pl#999535705
Date: 28-SEP-2018
Time:

Type:
Airbus Helicopters H125
Owner/operator: Chinilna Equipment LLC
Registration: N907PL
C/n / msn: 8471
Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Near Lituya Bay, N of Juneau, AL - United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature: Private
Departure airport:

Destination airport:

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

AS350 B3

This intermediate lift helicopter provides the fastest and quietest ride for the highest level of passenger comfort in its class. This Astar is a 5 to 6 passenger helicopter with an external load lift capacity up to 2770 lbs. Increased lift and altitude performance over the B2 Astar. The Astar B3 is one of few helicopters that maintains performance from sea level up to 9000 feet. It provides exceptional visibility from all passenger seats both front and rear.

Options:

• External basket
• Squirrel cheeks
• GPS real time flight tracking
• Sliding door

Speed and/or alcohol to blame as 2 Indiana Tech students dead, 2 others seriously injured in Saturday crash on I-69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana

2 Indiana Tech students dead in Saturday crash on I-69.  Speed and/or alcohol to blame

By: WANE Staff Reports


September 29, 2018

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA:
 
FWPD responded to a fatal crash Saturday.

Two people were killed and two were seriously hurt early Saturday after a crash on I-69.

It happened on I-69 Northbound, near exit 311 B for Lima Road.

According to Fort Wayne police dispatch, the crash happened just after midnight.

A least one car could be seen on it's top. Investigators believe all the vehicles involved were traveling northbound on I-69.

Fort Wayne police say two people died at the scene. The other two victims were transported to a local hospital, listed in critical and serious condition.

Indiana Tech has confirmed that the two that died were students at Indiana Tech.

The school released this statement Saturday morning on Facebook saying:


"The Indiana Tech community is shaken and saddened today by the deaths of two students during a car crash early this morning. We give thanks for both of their lives and the brilliance and vitality they brought to our university. May they rest in peace.

As we move forward as a university, we ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers the family members and friends of all affected by this tragedy."

The interstate was completely reopened to traffic at around 5:30 a.m.

Fort Wayne Police Department's F.A.C.T. is processing the scene.

Most of the drunk or impaired driving occurs in the early am hours, like this one.  It is Friday night to Saturday 12:00 am and students speed and drink and drive.  Only a high speeding car would rollover like the one did here. The driver failed to negotiate the curve as he was taking the 311B exit and rolled over.

Rachel Kayl, 33, tearfully admits “excessive speed” during the 2016 winter morning was the “primary cause” that her SUV smashed into a vehicle carrying three teens to school, killing Bridget Giere and Stephanie Carlson, both 16

Officers who responded to the scene found Kayl “distraught and crying,” the complaint said. She did not show any signs of intoxication or impairment.

She told officers she “did not mean to hit” the other vehicle and couldn’t recall if the light was green, the complaint said. “It all happened so fast,” she told officers, according to the complaint

She asked officers if she could be charged if any of the passengers in the other vehicle died, according to the charges. Kayl declined to participate in follow up interviews with authorities.

The vehicle carrying the girls was traveling about 20 mph when it was hit.


Maple Grove woman tearfully admits speed caused crash that killed 2 Mounds View High School students


By Sarah Horner | shorner@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
September 27, 2018 


Rachel Kayl was driving about 80 mph when her SUV smashed into a vehicle carrying three teens to school on a dark December morning now almost two years ago, killing two of them.

Bridget Giere and Stephanie Carlson, both 16, died in the crash. A third student, Samantha Redden, who was driving them to Mounds View High School in her Chevrolet Equinox that morning, sustained significant injures.

On Thursday, just days before her trial was to start, Kayl admitted in Ramsey County District Court that she was driving approximately 30 miles over the 50 mph speed limit on County Road 96 when the fatal collision took place.

She also admitted that it was her extreme negligence that day that caused Giere and Carlson’s deaths, and left Redden to recover from a collapsed lung, significant blood loss, an injury to her spleen and a traumatic brain injury.

Redden, now a freshman at Century College, as well as both Giere and Carlson’s parents, listened from benches in the gallery as Kayl tearfully described what happened during the hearing.

She also entered guilty pleas to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation.

The 33-year-old was driving eastbound on County Road 96 around 7:30 a.m. Dec. 1 2016 when her SUV collided with Redden’s westbound Chevrolet Equinox that was turning left onto Old Highway 10.  



Ramsey County sheriff's office photo of Rachel Kayl, 33



Her admission came after nearly two years of preparing to fight the charges at trial.

While an accident reconstruction with the Minnesota State Patrol determined after the crash that Kayl’s “excessive speed” that winter morning was the “primary cause” of the collision, her attorney argued otherwise in motions filed with the court.

Defense attorney Adam Johnson asserted that it was actually Redden’s failure to yield to Kayl, who had a green light at the time, that caused the collision.

As a part of her plea deal, the state agreed to drop the two manslaughter charges facing Kayl in her case.

She is expected to receive a roughly 10-year stayed sentence for the convictions when she is sentenced in mid-December. That means Kayl will be sent to prison only if she fails to abide by the terms of her probation, according to a spokesman with the Ramsey County attorneys’ office. Mourners left flowers, Teddy bears, pictures and cards Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, where 16-year-old Mounds View High School students Bridget Giere and Stephanie Carlson were killed in a car crash on Minnesota 96 in Arden Hills. (Pioneer Press: Jean Pieri)

The judge also could order her to spend a year in jail.

Her attorney declined to comment Thursday on her decision to plead guilty.

“We intend on arguing our position at sentencing,” Johnson said.

Stephanie Carlson’s father, Steven Carlson, described the hearing afterward as “emotional” and cathartic.

“It was nice to have her take ownership of what she did and, you know, admit to everything we kind of knew since the beginning,” he said.” It’s hard to listen to though, and it’s too bad it took this long, but it’s nice that at least this part is over.”

He added that he and his wife, Catherine, were OK with the terms of Kayl’s plea deal, and said that while they don’t feel hatred toward her, they do believe she needs to be held accountable for her choices.

“We understand and acknowledge that Rachel and her family have their own burdens and sorrows, but we do not believe that exonerates her from the consequences of killing two young women and severely injuring a third in an action that was 100 percent preventable,” the couple wrote in a statement provided Thursday evening.

Giere’s parents, Marty and Marilee, said Kayl’s guilty plea offered them little solace, but added that they were struck by the remorse she showed in court.

“I just know if I had done that I would be very, very sorry and she never showed that until today,” Marilee Giere said.

Marty called the hearing “just one more step in the process … It never ends,” he said. “You think about her every day.”

Giere, Carlson and Redden had been close friends since grade school, the Carlsons said Thursday afternoon. The girls had been driving to school together ever since Redden got her license.

Hundreds of Mounds View High School students gathered in the days after the fatal wreck to grieve for their classmates.

Last fall, a memorial garden created in their honor was completed at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills, which is less than a mile from the crash scene.

Marilee Giere visits it all the time. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “I just sit there and think about the girls. … It’s really for all young people who have passed. There’s a lot of them.”