MEC&F Expert Engineers : 08/06/18

Monday, August 6, 2018

Partial facade collapse at the location of Belleclaire Cleaners located at 156 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011.

CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- 

Authorities are on the scene of a partial facade collapse at a building in Manhattan.

It happened Monday evening on Eighth Avenue and 18th Street in Chelsea. 

The location appears to be that of Belleclaire Cleaners located at 156 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011.
 
Bricks fell off a four-story mixed-use building.

The building has been evacuated, but no injuries have been reported.

The Department of Buildings is heading to the scene to investigate.


Farm owner Roy C. Bell, 72, was moving cattle around the Bell Farms in Covington, NY and was trampled to death by a one year old bull








COVINGTON, N.Y. —



State police say a 72-year-old man has died after being struck by a bull on a farm in western New York.

Troopers say Roy C. Bell of Perry died Thursday at a farm on Simmons Road in Covington, 30 miles southwest of Rochester. Police say Bell was moving cattle around the farm when he was struck by a 1-year-old bull shortly before noon.

A family member found him unresponsive and emergency medical personnel tried to revive him without success. Bell was taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

It was the second death caused by a bull in upstate New York in 10 days. On July 24, 68-year-old Eugene Wolfert died after being gored by a bull on his dairy farm in Middlefield in Otsego County.


Roy with his family owned and operated Bell Farms in Perry.


Roy was born on June 26, 1946 and passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2018.
Roy was a resident of Perry, New York at the time of passing.


======================
Covington, N.Y. (WHAM) - 

State Police are investigating after a bull trampled a man to death at a farm in Wyoming County Thursday.

According to our news partners at The Batavian, this happened on Simmons Road shortly before noon.

Property records show this is at Bell Farms in Covington, which is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Geneseo.


Troopers said 72-year-old Roy Bell was moving cattle around the farm before noon and was trampled by a one year old bull with no horns.


Workers and family members performed CPR until EMS workers arrived, but Bell was unable to be revived.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy on Bell to determine an exact cause of death.13WHAM News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.


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


Man trampled by bull in Covington
posted by Howard B. Owens

A man has reportedly been trampled by a bull and is not breathing at a location on Simmons Road in the Town of Covington.

The location is in Pavilion's fire district and Pavilion fire is responding, along with Mercy EMS.

Dispatchers are checking on the availability of Mercy Flight.

Last week, in the Town of Covington, a man suffered rib and abdominal injuries after being gored by a bull.

UPDATE 11:52 a.m.: CPR in progress. Mercy Flight dispatched.

UPDATE 1:56 p.m.: A reporter for 13WHAM is at the location and a State trooper confirmed there is a fatality.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: Via our news partner, 13WHAM, the victim is 72 years old from Perry. He was an employee.

UPDATE 2:43 p.m.: Press release from State Police in Warsaw:

On Aug. 2 at 11:40 a.m., Troopers responded to Simmons Road in the Town of Covington for a man struck by a bull. Further investigation reveals that Roy C Bell, 72, of Perry, was moving cattle around the farm. A family member located Bell after being struck by the 1-year-old bull. Lifesaving measures were administered to Bell who was unresponsive. Bell succumbed to his injuries and was taken to Monroe County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.



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








PERRY, NY — 


Roy C. Bell, age 72, of Perry passed away on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 at his family farm.

He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 26, 1946, a son of the late William and Lillias (DeGlopper) Bell.

Roy with his family owned and operated Bell Farms in Perry.

He was an active member of the Wyoming Methodist Church in Wyoming. He enjoyed working on the farm and woodworking. He had a great love of animals and plants.

He is survived by a brother, Robert (Darleen) Bell of Perry; nieces and nephews, Michael (Kerry) Bell of Pavilion, Roger (Diana) Bell of Goshen, Ind., David (Dianne) Bell of Beaver Dam, Wis., Jerry (Marcia) Bell of Perry and Diane (Michael) Dee of Colorado Springs, Colo.; along with many great nieces, nephews and friends. Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother, Willard Bell, who passed away in 2016; and a nephew, Rick Bell, who passed away in 2015.

Tree trimmer Joe English, 57, working for Daddy Girls landscaping services died after he fell 20-feet from a ladder on Saturday after disturbing a wasp nest while trimming trees at a Jacksonville Beach home.





JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. - 

Joe English worked as a tree trimmer for Daddy Girls landscaping service out of Deltona, Florida. The 57-year-old man fell from a ladder on Saturday while trimming trees at a Jacksonville Beach home.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said English fell approximately 20 feet from the ladder and landed on brick pavers after disturbing a wasp nest. 

English died of his injuries Sunday at Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

Neighbors said English was well know and well liked. They’re having a hard time processing how this could happen in the neighborhood they described as quiet.

“I saw him go to the ambulance on a stretcher,” said John Wood, a Jacksonville Beach neighbor. “This family’s been doing it for a long time and a lot of neighbors use them and we certainly hate to see anybody get hurt.”

“That would certainly be a dangerous situation if a wasp started coming after you,” said Wood.  


Police worked the scene for hours after the tree trimming service employee fell to the driveway. Officers interviewed the home and business owners over the course of their investigation.

Some studies indicate these accidents may be on the decline. A tree care industry association analysis revealed a 22% dip in worker fatalities, and 16 percent fall in incidents in 2017.

“it’s a difficult job trimming these tall palm trees around the neighborhood,” said Wood. Neighbors are praying for the family.

Jairus Ayeta, 21, worked as an apprentice lineman for PG&E and was killed in a vehicle related accident on the western edge of the Carr fire in Shasta County



REDDING, Shasta County — Update Sunday, August 5:

Pacific Gas and Electric spokeswoman Melissa Subbotin says the worker killed Saturday has been identified as Jairus Ayeta. Ayeta sustained fatal injuries in a vehicle related accident on the western edge of the Carr fire in Shasta County.

Subbotin says Jairus Ayeta, who was in his 20s, worked as an apprentice lineman for PG&E.

Pictured: Jairus Ayeta. Courtesy Ivy Johanson

The Whiskeytown National Recreation Area says they are conducting a fatality investigation in conjunction with the Shasta County Coroner's Office.


Ayeta is the seventh person to die in the destructive fire.



Original Article:

A PG&E spokesperson has confirmed the death of a crew member working in the area of the Carr Fire.

He said, "Safety of our employees and customers is PG&E's top priority. Our thoughts and prayers are with our fallen team member, their family, and our extended team. We are working with law enforcement to investigate the circumstances of the incident."

This is the seventh death caused by the Carr Fire. Four of those killed were civilians and now three people have died who were working on the fire. We will update this story as we learn more. 








A fundraiser for his family has been set up here. 

Jairus Ayeta was a 21 year old apprentice lineman for Pacific Gas and Electric originally from Kampala, Uganda. He had a smile that could light up a room and a laugh that was infectious to all of those around him. He had a strong work ethic and was always jumping at the opportunity to learn new things and work with his friends. He was loved by many and played a key role in the upbeat atmosphere of his apprentice class. With a sad heart he put his climbers on for the last time on Saturday August 4th, 2018 while aiding in restoring power after the tragic Carr fire. We are raising funds for his family in this difficult time. We ask that you keep his family, close friends and co-workers in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of this beautiful soul. 

Property owners and insurers have filed a lawsuit against Nevada officials over a prescribed burn event on Whittell Forest land that led to an uncontrollable fire that caused over $80 million in property damage.






Property owners and insurers have filed a lawsuit against Nevada officials over a “prescribed burn” event that led to an uncontrollable fire that caused over $80 million in property damage.

The first trial over the fire case begins August 06, 2018, Courtroom View Network reported. A total of 96 plaintiffs are attached to the lawsuit, including property owners affected by the fire and their insurers – such as Farmers, Travelers, Allstate and Liberty Mutual.

On October 04, 2016, the Nevada Division of Forestry began a prescribed fire on Whittell Forest land owned by the University of Nevada, Reno. However, remnants of the blaze managed to spread outside the prescribed area and went out of control on October 17, 2016.

By the time the “Little Valley Fire” was brought under control five days later, it had ravaged 2,291 acres of land, destroyed 23 homes and 17 outbuildings. Reports say that some of the buildings damaged in the fire were of historical importance.

A Reno Gazette-Journal investigation estimated that the damage from the fire could exceed $80 million.

The trial will be presided over by Washoe County Judge Scott Freeman, who had consolidated the numerous individual lawsuits into a single case; it is expected to take two weeks to complete. At least 17 attorneys from various law firms are involved in the case.

The state department that had prescribed the fire will be represented by the Nevada attorney general’s office. Since the incident, the department has denied any liability for the fire – previous court filings from the Division of Forestry claimed that the fire burned out of control entirely by accident, and not due to the negligence of its employees.


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



See smoke? It's a controlled burn in the Whittell Forest
Marcella Corona, mcorona@rgj.com 


Oct. 3, 2016



If you see smoke coming from the Whittell Forest Tuesday, don’t be alarmed. It’s a controlled burn.

That’s the message the Nevada Division of Forestry is sending out to residents in the area. Firefighters from the Washoe Valley Volunteer Fire Department are planning on conducting a prescribed burn Tuesday in the Whittell Forest near Little Valley, authorities said in a news release.

Burn boss and trainee taking fuel moisture readings today at #LittleValleyBurn. pic.twitter.com/ExJr2zYM88— Nevada Forestry (@NevadaForestry) October 2, 2016

The prescribed burn area is about three miles west of Washoe Lake and about 2 miles northeast of Lake Tahoe. It was not immediately known what time Tuesday crews would conduct the burn.

The goal is to protect meadow ecosystems by removing encroaching vegetation and heavy layers of matted grass, authorities said.

“This will create healthy stands in forested areas and form a shaded fuel break to help protect structures on the west end of Washoe Valley from the threat of wildland fire,” the Nevada Division of Forestry said in a news release.

OSHA has cited Day & Zimmermann NPS Inc. for exposing employees to electric shock hazards at the Tennessee Valley Authority Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. Two employees pulling electrical cable suffered burns from an arc flash.














U.S. Department of Labor Cites Tennessee Contractor After Two Employees Burned at Nuclear Power Plant


SODDY DAISY, TN – 


The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Day & Zimmermann NPS Inc. for exposing employees to electric shock hazards at the Tennessee Valley Authority Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. The company faces $71,599 in proposed penalties.

Two employees pulling electrical cable suffered burns from an arc flash. OSHA cited the Chattanooga-based company for failing to require that employees wear protective clothing and equipment; conduct pre-job briefings with employees on energy source controls; removal of a ground and test device; and allow potential for residual electrical energy to accumulate.

"These serious injuries could have been prevented if the company had implemented effective work practices to reduce the risk of electric shock hazards," said OSHA Nashville Area Office Director William Cochran.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to help ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov




Day & Zimmermann is a century-old, family-owned company specializing in construction & engineering, operations & maintenance, staffing, security and defense for leading corporations and governments around the world.
Our vision is to accelerate the next generation of innovation.
Chairman & CEOHarold L. Yoh III
Annual Revenue: $2.5 Billion
Global Workforce: 43,000
Headquarters: 1500 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Media Contact: Suzanne Watts
 



=======================
 

Donnie Johnson: The Story of an Arc Flash Survivor

Twelve years ago, August 12 started just like any other morning for electrical contractor Donnie Johnson. Except for one thing: Tampa, Florida, the city where he lived and worked, was bracing for Hurricane Charlie, and his job was to connect a large electrical generator to a giant frozen foods warehouse facility in preparation for it. An electrician for almost two decades, he had told his wife just before they married, "As long I have these (hands), we will always have money."

All of this came to an abrupt halt when Donnie, husband and father of two, suffered third-degree burns down to the muscle on both arms and hands and second-degree burns to his face, head, and neck due to an arc flash explosion. He acknowledges that his severe injuries were preventable had he been following the safety procedures and wearing PPE. The heat of the arc blast seared through him in a split second at a temperature the burn unit doctors told him was seven times as hot as the sun's surface. When his wife came to the accident scene, she could only identify him by recognizing his boots sitting near his stretcher in the ambulance.

It's important to note that while Donnie miraculously survived, he has devoted a big part of his life to telling his story. Why? In his own words, "I'm not offering 'arc flash' education or providing safety rules or guidelines, I am simply telling what could happen if you don't follow your safety procedures," he writes on his website, Donnie's Accident. "This is about my personal experiences before, during, and since the accident. Also how it affects you and those who care about and depend on you.... All of this happened to me because I wasn't wearing my safety gear."

In an email conversation with Donnie, he relayed this: "If I can make one guy use his PPE, then I've done something! Jobs are dangerous enough out there without adding to it by not following safety procedures or wearing PPE!"

Reading Labels, Wearing PPE May Have Prevented This Accident
 
As a service electrician, Donnie was wiring a large, semi-trailer mounted generator to an electrical system. He had the wiring in place and terminated. It was at this point, Donnie said, where he should have reached into his fully stocked PPE bag. Instead, he thought, "What could possibly happen as long as I am careful?" and "All that gear is so hot and bulky."


The meter he had been using for several months to check rotation was not a phase rotation meter, but a motor rotation meter. He neglected to read the warning label, stating it was not to be used on live circuits. He checked the electrical rotation on the 480 volt generator, fully energized to get an accurate reading. He opened the electrical cabinet panel, connected the first two clips, but as he attempted to clip the third, the meter failed and blew a puff of carbon into the electrical gear.

"This is the equivalent of throwing a cup of water into the electrically energized gear," Donnie explained. "The carbon set off a carbon arc between the three phases in the switch gear, shorting all three phases together and causing an explosion with an arc flash or blast. All of this happened in a split second. As I was being blown to the ground, I actually saw a two- to three-foot ball of white light, or basically a ball of lightning."

The loud explosion from the erupting heat can cause heat or metals to be inhaled into the lungs and solidify. He could only hear a sizzling noise. The only other workers had escaped the scene when the explosion happened, so he was alone. In shock, he pulled himself out of the darkened building, with his first thought being how he was going to get the power back on. As people ran toward him, he was starting to realize just how badly he had been injured by their reactions. Although he was conscious, with burns as severe as his were, the explosion damaged his small nerve endings, causing him not feel the pain yet. He asked a worker to call his wife and tell them he'd be transported to Tampa General Hospital because he couldn't put his hands in his pockets to retrieve his phone. 
Paramedics arrived and cut his clothing away from his body. At the hospital, doctors inserted a breathing tube because the swelling from the burns was making his windpipe swell shut. Doctors then made incisions the entire length of each arm in order to relieve the swelling.

Over the next few weeks, surgeons grafted skin to his arm. He developed an E. Coli infection in his lungs, the first of many infections. With skin being the main protector from infection, the burns brought Donnie's healing process to a virtual standstill. He developed pneumonia and blood infections. A surgeon removed about a one-inch section of his trachea. He developed an infection and it ruptured the stitches that held the re-section together. He had a tracheotomy, with a tube inserted to bypass the surgical site to allow it to heal. Then, two months later, another surgery was performed to close the tracheotomy opening.

He had surgery on his hand to relieve scar bands and almost lost his thumb. His windpipe was also collapsing from scar tissue caused by the breathing tube being in for so long. They found he was allergic to one of the medicines, which was causing complete organ failure. His only source of nourishment was an IV drip.

One Split-Second Arc Flash Explosion Brought Almost Two Years of Rehabilitation
 
Rehabilitation to build the atrophied muscles would take more than a year and a half of therapy. Donnie weighed 165 pounds upon entering the hospital. His severe pancreatitis and fear of how his digestive system would react to food made eating impossible, and after a month and a half in a coma, he dropped 50 pounds. His arms and legs were the same size as his 9-year-old son's, including the thick bandaging. The pain from the actual burns subsided, but the graft sites on his legs still caused intense pain.


All the while, the east coast of Florida was being ravaged by hurricanes Francis and Jeanie. Donnie's surgeries and recovery lasted almost two years, and as he points out repeatedly on his website, all because he didn't take less than a minute to put on his arc flash PPE.

Life After Donnie's Arc Flash Explosion Accident
 
Donnie started back to work in the office at the beginning of 2006. Today, he is closing in on his 22nd year with the same electrical contractor, Borrell Electric Company, where he was recently promoted to Service Department manager. He and his wife also present workplace safety around the United States. Since releasing the Donnie's Accident video, he has received emails from more than 150 countries and 150,000 unique visitors. How does this celebrity status feel? In an email exchange, Donnie said, "I'm very proud that safety managers around the world are using my video as part of their employee training. Even with full safety training, it is hard to fight complacency.... I hope I can make a difference and with all good intentions, open some eyes. Accidents will happen, but if I had been wearing my PPE I would have probably only gone to the hospital for a checkup and minor injuries. I'm no safety expert, but I try to provide an example of what could happen if you don't follow your safety procedures, and I was lucky!


"When someone complains about the safety gear being hot, uncomfortable, or too bulky, I pull up my sleeves and tell them, 'It's a hell of a lot more comfortable than living with this for the rest of your life.... If you make it.'"

Grenada Lake Medical Center of Mississippi to Pay More Than $.1.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Medically Unnecessary Psychotherapy Services


Grenada Lake Medical Center to Pay More Than $.1.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Medically Unnecessary Psychotherapy Services


The Justice Department announced today that Grenada Lakes Medical Center (GLMC), a publicly-owned hospital which at various times has been operated by the University of Mississippi Medical Center and by the Grenada Lake Medical Center Board of Trustees, has agreed to pay more than $1.1 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the hospital sought and received reimbursement from Medicare for services that were not medically reasonable or necessary.

The settlement resolves allegations that, beginning in January 2005 and continuing until April 2013, the hospital submitted claims for Intensive Outpatient Psychotherapy (IOP) services that did not qualify for Medicare reimbursement. The IOP services in question were performed on GLMC’s behalf by Allegiance Health Management (Allegiance), a post-acute healthcare management company based in Shreveport, Louisiana, but billed to Medicare by GLMC directly.

“Hospitals that participate in the Medicare program are responsible for ensuring that the services performed at their facilities or on their behalf reflect the medical needs of patients rather than the desire to maximize profit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler for the Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who misspend taxpayer funds by providing medically inappropriate services.”

Today’s settlement with GLMC follows a recent settlement with Allegiance, as well as previous settlements with more than twenty other hospitals where Allegiance provided IOP services.

“We will not tolerate hospitals that place profit over legitimate patient care by billing for medically unnecessary services,” said C.J. Porter, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “In coordination with our partners, we will continue to investigate these cases and ensure taxpayer funds are used as intended.”

The settlement with GLMC resolves certain allegations in a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Arkansas under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed by Ryan Ladner, who formerly worked for Allegiance as a Program Manager at the Inspirations Outpatient Counseling Center located at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mr. Ladner will receive approximately $195,000 as his share of the GLMC settlement.

This, and prior settlements in this matter, were the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Audit Services and Office of Inspector General.

The claims settled by the current agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The lawsuit is captioned U.S. ex rel Ladner v. Allegiance Health Management, Inc., et al, No. 4:10-CV-170 (E.D. Ark.). 


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

Our History

The original Grenada Hospital was founded in October 1923, in the old Broadstreet home on College Street by Dr. F.S. Hill and Dr. J.K. Avent. Property on Mound Street was later acquired and, in February 1927, Grenada Hospital moved to that location with a new brick building with a capacity of 50 beds. This hospital was enlarged in 1946, 1957, and 1962, and had an ultimate capacity of 75 beds. In 1966, the hospital was reduced to 47 beds and was listed as an all private room hospital.

The Grenada Hospital was purchased in January 1965, by Grenada County and operated on Mound Street as Grenada County Hospital until November 15, 1967. The new Grenada County Hospital, in its present location, was opened November 15, 1967, with a capacity of 96 beds.On May 12, 1969, the hospital's Holmes Junior College sponsored Licensed Practical Nurse School was started.

The Grenada County Ambulance Service became a part of the hospital on April 1, 1977. It was then necessary to enlarge the emergency room area to include an emergency waiting room and space to accommodate the emergency medical technicians.

Ground was broken in 2007 for a $22 million expansion and on April 14, 2009, a grand opening ceremony was held to celebrate the completed expansion. Expansion and renovations included the following:
  • The Ambulatory Care Unit was expanded from 11-beds to 18-beds.
  • The newly-constructed West Wing houses two units, one is the new state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit (CCU) on the third floor, which was expanded from 5-beds to 9-beds. The other new unit on the West Wing is the new Women's Pavilion on the second floor which has expanded from 12 beds to 23 beds. The spacious new state-of-the-art patient care rooms on this unit are as impressive as the new CCU rooms. In addition, floors 2, 3, and 4 were designed with spacious and attractive patient rooms.
On January 1, 2014, University of Mississippi Medical Center assumed the operation of the 156 bed Grenada Lake Medical Center through the execution of a 20 year lease with three 10-year renewal options.

At least one person has been killed, up to 70 people have been injured, and a bridge has partially collapsed when a tanker truck carrying explosive materials exploded following a traffic accident on a highway near the northern city of Bologna.











MILAN, Italy -- Italian police say at least one person has been killed, up to 70 people have been injured, and a bridge has partially collapsed following a major explosion on a highway near the northern city of Bologna.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported the explosion was caused by an accident involving a truck that was transporting flammable substances, which exploded upon impact.


Italian firefighters tweeted that they've sent multiple rescue and emergency squads, including one from their urban search and rescue team.

Italian private Sky TG24 reported that some of the injured people had been hit by flying glass when windows in nearby buildings exploded.
 
=====================



The Latest: 1 dead, up to 70 injured in Italy road explosion
Published 1 Hour Ago The Associated Press


MILAN, Italy (AP) — The Latest on a highway explosion in Italy (all times local):

4:40 p.m.

Police in Italy say one person has died in the explosion on a highway near the northern city of Bologna that collapsed part of a raised highway.

Police also said in a statement Monday that between 60 and 70 people were injured, some with serious burns, when a tanker truck carrying explosive materials was in a traffic accident.

The news agency ANSA said the tanker was carrying liquefied petroleum gas. The explosion sent flames soaring into the air.

4:05 p.m.

Italian police say at least 56 people have been injured and a bridge has partially collapsed following a major explosion on a highway near the northern city of Bologna.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported the explosion was caused by an accident involving a truck that was transporting flammable substances, which exploded upon impact.

Italian firefighters tweeted that they've sent multiple rescue and emergency squads, including one from their urban search and rescue team.

Italian private Sky TG24 reported that some of the injured people had been hit by flying glass when windows in nearby buildings exploded.

Several cars on a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Station Square in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday afternoon and crashed onto the light rail tracks.





Freight Train Cars Derail Near Station Square, Crash Onto T Tracks
August 5, 2018 at 11:28 pm



PITTSBURGH, PA (KDKA) — 


Several cars on a Norfolk Southern train derailed near Station Square on Sunday afternoon and crashed onto the light rail tracks.

It happened just after 1 p.m. as a train traveling from North Jersey to Chicago was passing above the Station Square T station.


(Photo Credit: NewsChopper 2/KDKA)

According to Norfolk Southern officials, seven rail cars on a Norfolk Southern double-stack intermodal train transporting shipping containers derailed.

“One of the calls came in, it was dispatched apparently that there were cars hanging off Mt. Washington, and they were figuring, ‘Yeah, right,’ until they came across the Smithfield Street Bridge and saw it for themselves,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.


(Photo Credit: KDKA Photojournalist Dave Colabine)

The cars were transporting consumer goods, including houseware, food and beverages, mouth wash and other common household products. There were no hazardous materials involved.

A few people were standing on the T platform at the time of the derailment, but no one was injured.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW —



Jesse Frazier was waiting for an inbound T when heard something that sounded like “fighter jets” and saw someone on the platform across from him start running.

“I did the same because I didn’t know what was behind me, if it was going to be a domino effect, so I just took off running and it felt like an earthquake,” Frazier said. “Luckily I wasn’t standing on the very end of the platform because, I mean, it happened within feet of where I was standing, but I got lucky.”


(Photo Credit: Jesse James Frazier)

Witness Lexi Bubacz and her dad were across West Carson Street when they heard the crash.

“It sounded like a bunch of thunder. You just heard all the rumble,” Bubacz said. “So as soon as we got up here, you could see all the cars off the track, down the walls, on the trolley station.”


(Photo Credit: KDKA Viewer)

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, but officials have ruled out a rock slide as a potential cause.

In a statement, Norfolk Southern said, “Norfolk Southern’s top priority is public safety as we coordinate recovery efforts with local first responders. Norfolk Southern has two divisions of a contract company that specializes in rerailing rail cars and derailment cleanup and two additional excavators en route.”


(Photo Credit: KDKA)

As evening set in, the clean-up was just beginning. Heavy equipment that will be used to hoist the wreckage and clear the debris was on the scene, and the cars still on the tracks were moved.

Officials initially estimated it would take about 72 hours to remove the cars. Hissrich said around 11:20 p.m. Sunday that they were ahead of schedule.

A Pan Am Railways freight train carrying hydrochloric acid derailed in Wendell, Massachusetts because of stormy weather.



Severe weather causes train derailment in western Massachusetts



August 5, 2018


WENDELL, Mass. —

A freight train carrying acid derailed in Massachusetts because of stormy weather.

State fire officials say a Pan Am Railways partial freight train derailed early Saturday in Wendell, a rural town of about 800 residents next to the Connecticut River Valley. They said they believe wet weather was the cause.

Four of the six cars overturned. One of the cars was filled with hydrochloric acid, which is corrosive and is used for making batteries and fireworks.

An evaluation of the car reveals no hazardous-material leaks or reactions took place. A hazmat team responded to be certain.

No one was injured in the derailment.

Pan Am Railways calls itself North America's largest regional railroad system, with routes stretching from New Brunswick, Canada, to New York's Capital District. The rail company didn't return a message seeking comment on the derailment.

An extension cord is to blame for the fatal fire at at West Point, Miss. apartment complex that killed Shayla Swain, 24, and her one-year-old daughter Serenity Cox



Shayla Swain, 24, and her one-year-old daughter Serenity Cox died in the fire


WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – 


An extension cord is to blame for the fatal fire at a West Point apartment complex.

As you may remember, Thursday, West Point Fire Chief Ken Wilbourne told WCBI investigators were leaning toward a possible electrical issue involving the extension cord.

We also reported that the blaze started early Wednesday morning in a downstairs bedroom.

Shayla Swain, 24, and her one-year-old daughter Serenity Cox died in the fire.

Another child and the children’s father were able to escape without injury.

Wilbourne says this concludes their official investigation.


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


By:
STEVE ROGERS
Staff Writer
news@dailytimesleader.com
Sunday, August 5, 2018
WEST POINT, MS


A man who lost his wife and young daughter in a fire this week was working to turn his life around following his arrest in 2017 on a string of burglary charges in Lowndes County.


"There's no doubt in my mind he was a different person. He'd has been working so hard. And his wife and daughters meant the world to him, the family meant everything to him. He's been dedicated to the children," said Donna Smith, the Columbus attorney and Lowndes County public defender who'd been appointed to represent 23-year-old Stefon Rashad Cox on the burglary charges.


When an apparent accidental electrical fire broke out late Tuesday night in the apartment he shared with his wife, 24-year-old Shayla Swain and their two children, Cox managed to escape through a rear door as the unit filled with smoke.


He found Swain outside in the front of the apartment with daughter Trinity, who just turned 2 on July 13.


Shayla dashed back into the apartment and up the stairs to get 16-month-old Serenity, who'd only recently been brought home from LeBonheur Children's Hospital after undergoing trachea surgery.


Shayla got to the baby's crib but couldn't get out before being overcome by smoke. She and the baby perished.
Shayla was five months pregnant with their third child. Her mother died a year earlier from cancer.
Stefon also has a child by another woman.


"I knew he'd been baptized recently. He told me about it, how he was changing," Smith said of her client, referring to his baptism earlier this year by Rev. Richard Shamblin at Pilgrim Grove Missionary Baptist Church. "I've seen an improvement in his attitude, he's been more responsible."


"Oh yeah, he's made a change. They've been coming to church, I baptized him," added Shamblin, whose church is preparing to assist the family.
Cox and four others were arrested in May 2017 in connection with five burglaries in Lowndes County between April 17 and May 9.

Serenity had just been born March 28.


He was 21 at the time and had no prior record other than a misdemeanor traffic ticket.
He now has a court date pending Aug. 29 in Lowndes County Circuit Court. Smith says she plans to asking for a continuance, given the circumstances, unless her client directs her otherwise.


"He just seems to be a good person who might have made some bad choices in the past. He's been very trust worthy with me, very attentive, very prompt in keeping me informed of every detail," Smith concluded.


Funeral arrangements for the mother and daughter have not yet been completed. Carter's Mortuary in West Point will be in charge.
===========================




By: 
DTL Staff
Staff Writer
Overloaded extension cords may have sparked a late-night apartment fire that claimed the life of a pregnant 24-year-old mother who was trying to save her 1-year-old daughter.
Clay County Coroner Alvin Carter identified the victims as Shayla C. Swain and her daughter, Serenity Cox. The infant had only recently been released from LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis after trachea surgery and was on a breathing machine.
According to witnesses and firefighters, the little girl was in her crib and the mother was found next to it on the second floor of Unit 32 at 23 Layne Drive in West Point.
It was the west end unit in a four-unit building.
Carter could not confirm whether Shayla was pregnant, but others at the complex said she was five months along.
The child's father, Stefon Cox, and the couple's other child, 2-year-old Trinity, escaped the blaze, which was reported to West Point firefighters just moments after midnight Tuesday night, according to Fire Chief Ken Wilbourne.
Investigators from the state Fire Marshal's office spent several hours going through the remains of the apartment Wednesday morning. At one point, they took a distraught Cox through the unit to ask questions and identify some of the items charred by the blaze that burned through the roof.
The roof then collapsed partially into the three other units in the building. The heat from the fire melted the grill on Swain's Ford Firestar minivan parked in front of their unit and the front of a Buick Rainier parked next to it that belonged to their neighbors.
A bystander pointed out  how a "Fight Breast Cancer" sticker on the back of Swain's car was an ironic reminder that "we shouldn't take anything for granted." 
According to Wilbourne, the fire apparently started in a rear room on the first floor.
"Right now we are leaning toward accidental, but we don't know that for sure yet. We still are looking at some things," Wilbourne said, noting Cox was able to identify some charred items and where they were plugged in.
Swain and Cox had been asleep in that room at some point and the children upstairs, Wilbourne said of the scenario investigators still are piecing together.
Cox told firefighters he woke up to heavy smoke and broke out the sliding glass back door that led to a deck. He ran around to the front of the apartment and found his wife there holding the 2-year-old.
He took that child and Swain ran back into the burning unit to try to save the other child.
West Point police officers were the first on the scene and arrived to find the apartment fully involved upstairs and downstairs, Wilbourne said. Firefighters arrived moments later to the same scene.
"There was nothing anyone could have done," the chief described, shaking his head as investigators sorted through the debris and nearby residents looked on.
Firefighters described the apartment as being "filled with belongings."
That and the 1970s-era wood paneling on the walls gave the flames "plenty of fuel" once they got started.
Cox was treated at North Mississippi Medical Center for cuts and scrapes and the child for smoke inhalation.
"They were a sweet young family," said Rev. Richard Shamblin, of Pilgrim Grove Missionary Baptist Church where he had recently christened Trinity and baptized Stefon. 
Shamblin spent much of the morning at the hospital and at the complex trying to help other families and connect them to the American Red Cross, which was providing needed items for the families.
The units are owned by Mike Henson and his son, Richard, at Henson Construction.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to these families, it is such a tragedy," Mike Henson said as he and his son stood in the parking lot seeing what they could do to assist fire investigators and the other families in the building. Crews were securing the building Wednesday afternoon to prevent looters.
The Hensons also were trying to get other tenants into different units if they wanted.
The three other units in the building received smoke and water damage and some fire damage when the burning roof collapsed.
Carla Foster and James Watts lived in the two apartments at the other end of the building and neither were at home. Foster was at a friend's and Watts was at work and learned of the fire when he was called to make sure he wasn't inside his unit.
Tarrance Petty and his girlfriend, Jessica Rias, and their 9-month-old baby boy lived in the apartment adjacent to Unit 32.
"She woke up to go to the bathroom and smelled the smoke and heard someone screaming. She woke me up and I smelled bad smoke. She told me to get the baby, that the apartment was on fire," said Petty.
"I grabbed the baby and we ran downstairs and out. I went back in ours to see if there was anything I could save real quick. Smoke was all through the house," he described.
"I saw him, he was outside, bleeding, he was bloody, he had one baby, there were flames everywhere downstairs in their apartment. The mother had gone back in," Petty said of Cox.
An explosion convinced him not to go back into his own unit.
"It was a loud boom, a big boom, really big," he described.
Firefighters say it likely was one of the oxygen canisters used for Serenity's treatment. One was found exploded near the front door of the unit.
"They were good people, they always waved," Petty said of his neighbors.
This is a developing story. The Daily Times Leader will have updates as they come available.

Male driver Francisco Jaquez, 59, and his son died, three others injured after his car caught fire in a two-car crash at the intersection between Fox Road onto Louisburg Road in Raleigh, NC Sunday morning.

Male driver Francisco Jaquez, 59, and his son died in the fiery T-bone collision




RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - 


The two people killed in a fiery crash on Louisburg Road in Raleigh on Sunday morning have been identified as a 59-year-old man and a boy, according to police.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m. Sunday in the 5200 block of Louisburg Road, near Fox Road.

Authorities say the driver of a car that caught fire was pronounced deceased at the crash scene. The driver was identified as Francisco Jaquez, of Raleigh. The passenger was a juvenile. Police did not release the boy's age or name.

Three people in the vehicle that hit Jaquez's car were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

According to police, the vehicle being driven by Jaquez pulled out from a stop on Fox Road onto Louisburg Road and directly into the path of another vehicle, which was being driven by a 21-year-old man. The second vehicle slammed into the driver's side of Jaquez's car at approximately 50 mph. Jaquez's car immediately caught on fire after impact and both he and the boy inside were unable to get out and both died at the scene, a police report shows.

Police originally said that only one person, Jaquez, had died in the crash, but later corrected the information to say that a boy in his car had also died.

Inbound lanes of Louisburg Road were closed between Fox Road and Sweet Shade Trail, near Spring Forest Road.

The road was open and the scene was clear by 5 p.m.



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

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - 

Authorities now say that two people died in a car that caught fire in a two-car crash on Louisburg Road in Raleigh Sunday morning.


The crash happened just before 11 a.m. Sunday in the 5200 block of Louisburg Road, near Fox Road.

Authorities say the driver of a car that caught fire was pronounced deceased at the crash scene.
 
Later Sunday afternoon, Raleigh police announced that a second body was found in the car that burned.

Three people in the second vehicle were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The car that caught fire appeared to be a Chrysler 300 while the other car was a silver Volkswagen sedan.


Inbound lanes of Louisburg Road were closed between Fox Road and Sweet Shade Trail, near Spring Forest Road.

The road was open and the scene was clear by 5 p.m.

No other information has been released.


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



Neighbors complain about Raleigh intersection where 2 died in fiery crash

By: Zak Dahlheimer


Updated: Aug 06, 2018 06:21 AM EDT
 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) - Donna and Lowery Perry described what they saw down the street from their home at the intersection of Louisburg Road and Fox Road Sunday morning.

"There was a trail of flames to like the middle of the intersection," Donna Perry said. "The back end of the car was like a big ball of fire."

Both saw a two-car crash in which one car caught fire at the intersection, killing two people and sending three others to the hospital.

Raleigh police say that the driver of the car that caught fire was pronounced dead at the crash scene.

Later Sunday afternoon, Raleigh police announced that a second body was found in the car that burned.

Three people in the second vehicle were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"You just hear the boom," Lowery Perry said of the crash that was reported around 11 a.m.

While the cause of this crash remains unknown, the Perrys said crashes are familiar and too close to home.

"We don't go out unless we're going with the flow of traffic," Donna Perry said. "Then you'd have to be careful, because the people coming over that hill down there, they're not going the speed limit. They're way over the speed limit."

The same goes for Bob Martins, who lives on the other side of where the crash happened.

"My concern is, and my complaint is, every day the same. An accident every day," Martins said.

Residents CBS 17 talked with said they'd like to see a traffic light installed at the intersection, which they believe will make it safer for the community.

"It shouldn't have come to this," Martins said. "Taking a life before they do something."

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be hosting a public meeting Tuesday to talk proposed intersection improvements at Fox Road and Louisburg Road.

The meeting was planned before the crash.

The meeting is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Matthews Baptist Church at 5410 Louisburg Road in Raleigh.