Kenneth William Carpentier, 64 Sheryl Lynn Carpentier, 65, and Kimberly Marie Gunderson, 48, were killed after a reckless SUV thief, 18-year-old Dayquan Jayru Hodge, rammed their truck in Minneapolis, MN as he was being pursued by police

 Kenneth William Carpentier (64) and Sheryl Lynn Carpentier (65). Both were killed when police say the stolen SUV rammed into their truck

Sheryl Lynn Carpentier (65), was killed by the SUV thief

In the truck with the Carpentier’s was their friend, Kimberly Marie Gunderson (48), who also died

  IT IS ENOUGH!  POLICE PURSUITS FOR STOLEN PROPERTY MUST STOP.  INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE.

3 Dead After Early Morning Crash Involving Stolen SUV In Minneapolis
By Jeff WagnerSeptember 23, 2018 at 5:58 pm

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WCCO) — 

Two families are grieving Sunday night after three people were killed in a crash in Minneapolis – hit by a driver who police say was in a stolen car.

“Total devastation. This just hit us like a ton of bricks,” AnnDee and Natasha Gunderson said.

These two women went to the scene Sunday morning to pay respects to their cousin who died. The crash happened right outside Matt’s Bar.

Investigators say it all began as police started to tail a stolen SUV. What followed was a brief pursuit – then the crash at the intersection of 35th Street and Cedar Avenue. The two vehicles involved ended up on the sidewalk – up against the traffic light post right outside the entrance to Matt’s Bar.


(credit: Carpentier Family)

Family members sent us this picture of Kenneth William (64) and Sheryl Lynn Carpentier (65). Both were killed when police say the stolen SUV rammed into them.

In the truck with the Carpentier’s was their friend, Kimberly Marie Gunderson (48), who also died. Investigators say troopers tried to pull over the stolen SUV, but the driver took off. They stopped their pursuit after about four blocks – but the SUV kept going – eventually crashing into Carpentier’s truck.



Gunderson’s cousins visited the scene this morning and were heartbroken.

“Just paying our condolences you know. Had to bring her flowers. Just sad, wanted to see what happened here you know. I don’t know, I’m at a loss for words,” AnnDee and Natasha Gunderson said.

The driver of the SUV is identified as 18-year-old Dayquan Jayru Hodge of Minneapolis. Investigators say he is at Hennepin County Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

They say four other teenagers were in the SUV with him – no word on if they were hurt.

A GoFundMe has been created to help both families with expenses.

September 23, 2018, Kenny and Sheryl Carpentier and Kim Gunderson, were tragically killed in a car accident at 35th and Cedar in Minneapolis. All we know we loss three beautiful people, caring, and loving to a senseless tragedy. Please take a moment to tell people you love and care for them. Life is a gift and it can all change in an instant. Please keep the family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.  

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The driver of the SUV is identified as 18-year-old Dayquan Jayru Hodge of Minneapolis.
 

Mom of unlicensed teen who killed 3 in Mpls. crash says she didn't know he'd be driving
The teen's mother said she had "no idea" what her son was doing the night he fled capture, caused deadly wreck.

By Paul Walsh Star Tribune
September 24, 2018


The teenager who fled from state troopers in an SUV and caused a crash in south Minneapolis that killed three people in another vehicle has never had a driver's license and was serving probation for theft, his mother said Monday.

Dayquan Hodge, 18, remained hospitalized Monday at Hennepin County Medical Center with what the State Patrol said were life-threatening injuries sustained after he raced down Cedar Avenue and broadsided a pickup truck at E. 35th Street about 1:20 a.m. Sunday. He was listed in fair condition.

Four other teenagers in the vehicle with Hodge also were injured.

Kotrisha S. Brown, of Minneapolis, told the Star Tribune that her son was driving an SUV owned by his friend's mother. When the vehicle was reported stolen, the State Patrol launched a brief ground pursuit that was called off several blocks before the collision.

Brown said she had "no idea" what her son was doing that night, other than that he had left her home in the SUV with his friend.

"I didn't know he would be driving," she said of her son.




Kenny and Sheryl Carpentier, shown in a photo from social media, were both killed in a car crash by a driver fleeing law enforcement early Sunday morning, September 23, 2018 on Cedar Ave. S. in Minneapolis.



After being turned away Sunday from HCMC by security, Brown said she was allowed Monday to speak with her son.

"He's not taking what he did lightly," Brown said. "He feels really bad for the lives he has destroyed. He is willing to take responsibility for the part he played."

She said her son and the friend were at her home earlier in the evening and found it odd that the SUV was parked around the corner. The friend explained to her, Brown continued, that "his mom lets him drive it all the time."

Brown said that Hodge had a troubled background. She said he was convicted of theft when he was 16 and under child protection supervision for a time until a little more than a year ago.

The State Patrol was withholding the medical conditions and identities of the teens because "they may be charged," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson. Potential offenses range from curfew violations for the 13- and 14-year-old, Nielson said, to more serious counts for the two 16-year-olds and Hodge.

Brown said she had heard that one of the four injured teens was not doing well.

'Wasn't worth three lives'

Killed in the crash were Kimberly M. Gunderson, 48, of Minneapolis; and Kenneth and Sheryl Carpentier, 64 and 65 respectively, a married couple who split their time between the Twin Cities and Arizona.

The three were returning from an informal reunion on westbound 35th Street when the SUV, driving south on Cedar, hit the pickup. The impact left the mangled vehicles just outside the front door of Matt's Bar and Grill, a popular burger and drinking spot.

The patrol had pursued the SUV for about four blocks over roughly 30 seconds before easing off shortly before the crash.

Nielson said the patrol is working to determine whether agency policy was followed in the pursuit.

"This wasn't worth three lives," said Gunderson's cousin, Natasha Gunderson.

Joe Tamburino, a Minneapolis criminal defense attorney who serves on various business and neighborhood organizations, said he wants more emphasis placed on the young driver's actions rather than the propriety of the patrol's brief pursuit before the collision.

"Instead of calling out the criminal conduct of the 18-year old-driver — how he not only caused the death of three people, placed the general public at risk, and put four juvenile passengers at risk — there's no discussion of where the parents of these kids were," Tamburino said.

Brown said that she's thinking of the three people killed and their loved ones, as well as her son.

"My heart goes out to everyone who was affected by this accident," she said.

A worker died after falling into an asphalt machine Saturday in East Miami-Dade, Florida at the General Asphalt Company location

Worker dead after falling into asphalt machine in Miami-Dade


By Monique O. Madan

mmadan@miamiherald.com

September 22, 2018


An industrial worker is dead after falling into an asphalt machine Saturday in West Miami-Dade, at the location of the General Asphalt Company, reports say.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene at around 10:46 a.m. The call was initially for an “extreme fall’ near Northwest 72nd Avenue and 58th Street, fire rescue spokeswoman Lt. Kirsten Miller told the Miami Herald.

WSVN reported that detectives are still unsure how the worker fell into the machine. Miami-Dade police did not immediately respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment.




General Asphalt has two manufacturing facilities dedicated to the production of hot mix, warm mix, and cold patch mix. Our East Dade facility, is located at 4850 N.W. 72 Ave, in Miami, Florida.

This facility is a batch/drum combo plant that can manufacture approximately 200 tons of asphalt per hour. The facility also crushes milled asphalt and recycles the material by utilizing it as a component in some of the asphalt mixes.This facility provides retail asphalt sales to paving companies, contractors, and local municipalities. The 4 storage silos provides the Company flexibility to pre-manufacture customer requested asphalt mix for the following day, so our customers can efficiently utilize their hauling fleet.



Our West Dade site is located at 17200 N.W. 122 Ave also in Miami, FL. This facicility is a drum mix plant with a production capacity of approximately 300 tons per hour. The Company’s investment in two separate facilities creates manufacturing redundancy in order to minimize any interruption in the flow of asphalt required meet our client’s paving schedule.


General Asphalt is the leading provider of airport runway construction and one of the largest Heavy Highway and Civil contractors in South Florida. We can satisfy the needs of the most complex projects including but not limited to milling, earthwork, lighting, sandblasting, concrete, thermoplastic, striping, etc. Through our broad based network of subcontractors we are able to manage all aspects of a project to ensure its completion well within the mandated time frames and budgets. General Asphalt has received many awards throughout the years for its standards of EXCELLENCE!

General Asphalt’s state of the art of paving equipment and dump trucks, ensure that our customer’s demands are met with the highest level of service and quality. General Asphalt constantly strives to meet and exceed the paving requirements of the project.

The Penderlea Fire Department, in Pender County, NC washed dead fish off of Interstate 40 that were brought there by Hurricane Florence

Pender County fire department washes out stranded fish on I-40


September 23, 2018


By Deborah Strange, Digital journalist

The Penderlea Fire Department, in Pender County, washed dead fish off of Interstate 40 this weekend.

Well, we can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience!

Edited to add: This is on a stretch of I40 in Pender County North Carolina near Wallace. Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded.

Posted by Penderlea Fire Department on Saturday, September 22, 2018

The fish had gotten on the interstate during flooding from Hurricane Florence, the department posted on Facebook. Once the floodwaters receded, the fish were stranded and died.

The section of I-40 was near Wallace, the department said.

"Mother" nature has no mercy for the living species on this planet.  Humans, animals, plants all are dispensable at will.

Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, were traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed after speeding driver Kritzia Lopez, 27, failed to negotiate the curve on the northbound entrance ramp and created a multi-vehicle crash

 Their backseat passenger Mirta Estupinan, 67, was badly injured

 Their backseat passenger Mirta Estupinan, 67, was badly injured

 Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, was traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed near Southwest 88th Street.

 Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, was traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed near Southwest 88th Street.

 Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, was traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed near Southwest 88th Street.

Kritzia Lopez, 27, was driving a Honda Civic when she failed to negotiate the curve on the northbound entrance ramp. Her car collided with a Tropic Oil Co. truck, which then slammed into the Impala and a Ford van.


Authorities identify victims of fatal crash involving fuel truck
Crash shut down part of Florida's Turnpike for several hours
By Tim Swift - Local10.com Digital Editor 

September 23, 2018


KENDALL, Fla. - 

Authorities have released the names of the victims of a fatal multi-car crash involving a fuel truck along Florida's Turnpike late Friday.

Lt. Alejandro Camacho, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol, said Rene Hernandez, 68, and Natalia Landin, 67, was traveling in a Chevy Impala when they were killed near Southwest 88th Street. Their backseat passenger Mirta Estupinan, 67, was badly injured, Camacho said.

Camacho said speeding driver Kritzia Lopez, 27, was driving a Honda Civic when she failed to negotiate the curve on the northbound entrance ramp. Her car collided with a Tropic Oil Co. truck, which then slammed into the Impala and a Ford van.

Lopez was seriously hurt, as were the driver of the van, 32-year-old Roel Castro, and his 41-year-old passenger, Eduardo Castellanos. The driver of the fuel truck, 48-year-old Farian Abraham, and his passenger, 56-year-old Jesus Crespo, were also injured.

Two other people suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

A hazardous materials team was dispatched to the scene to contain the fuel leaking from the truck. The crash shut down a portion of the turnpike in both directions for several hours, causing traffic delays.
===================================


SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - 

At least two people were killed and several others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving a Tropic Oil Company oil tanker truck on the Florida Turnpike in Kendall, causing all lanes to shut down.

Rescue crews responded to the scene involving a four-vehicle collision near the Southwest 88th Street exit, around 8:30 p.m., Friday.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, three of the four vehicles involved, including the tractor-trailer, were heading northbound. One of the vehicles attempted to merge when it caused a chain-reaction crash.

Officials said the impact was so severe that it sent all of the vehicles through the median. Three vehicles went through the guardrail and ended up on the southbound lanes.

Officials said at least two people have died and several others were transported to a nearby hospital as a result of the crash. At least one victim is listed in critical condition.

Crews were treating the collision as a hazmat situation after oil from the tanker truck began spilling onto the highway.

“Obviously, fuel being spilled on the highway is extremely dangerous, and just because of that we would have to shut down the road,” said FHP Lt. Alejandro Camacho. “Combining the two, obviously we need to take every precaution as possible.”



New: Police activity in Miami-Dade on Floridas Turnpike north at Exit 20 Kendall Dr, off-ramp closed, all lanes…https://t.co/bVsVmqbHmN

— Florida's Turnpike (@fl511_turnpike) September 22, 2018

All lanes were previously blocked as crews worked the scene. The on-ramp was also closed off.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area and seek an alternate route.

The turnpike has since reopened with all lanes having been cleared, Saturday morning.

Authorities are still working to determine what caused the collision.

Drunk/drugged truck driver Freddie Jackson, Jr., of Harvey, 55, was arrested after he crashed his 2007 Freightliner truck concrete construction barriers and the guardrail, which ruptured his fuel tank and burned his truck on I-10 in Louisiana

55-year-old Freddie Jackson, Jr., of Harvey, was driving westbound on the interstate in a 2007 Freightliner truck when his truck hit the concrete construction barriers and the guardrail, which ruptured his fuel tank.

Courtesy of Louisiana State Police



Louisiana State police arrested a man for DWI following a fiery crash that closed I-10 West in Ascension Parish for several hours this morning.

According to a spokesperson for Troop A, 55-year-old Freddie Jackson, Jr., of Harvey, was driving westbound on the interstate in a 2007 Freightliner truck when his truck hit the concrete construction barriers and the guardrail, which ruptured his fuel tank.

Troopers say Jackson continued driving until his truck caught on fire.


The driver allegedly showed multiple signs of impairment during his interaction with troopers.

Jackson sustained minor injuries from the crash and was taken to the hospital.

As they continued their investigation, troopers then determined he was impaired, according to a state police spokesperson.

Jackson was arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail for DWI 1st offense and careless operation.

A toxicology sample was also taken from the driver and submitted for analysis.

Hurricane Florence Pollution Task Force Issues Guidance for Removal of Sunken Vessels

Hurricane Florence Pollution Task Force Issues Guidance for Removal of Sunken Vessels 

September 22, 2018 


GOLDSBORO, N.C. – 

The partner agencies of the Emergency Support Function #10 (ESF #10) have specific guidance for vessel owners who wish to remove their boats damaged by Hurricane Florence from local waterways.

A sunken or displaced vessel is a hazard to the environment. The removal of these vessels can hasten the recovery and maintain the resilience of native marine plants and animals.

The Coast Guard and other federal and state agencies have partnered under the authority of ESF #10 to assist the State of North Carolina in the assessment and removal of these vessels.

Vessel owners are encouraged to hire a salvage company to recover their vessel since it is the safest method possible for the vessel and the environment. If vessel owners choose to remove their own vessels, the ESF #10 task force encourages owners to follow these best practices for the safety of the environment:

• Removal operations must take place during daylight hours.
• Perform site visits and work from waterways, paved surfaces or existing roadways whenever possible to minimize impacts to sensitive habitats.
• Select vehicles and equipment that are least likely to disturb soils and sediments and keep loading to a minimum to reduce ground pressure on unpaved surfaces.
• At the conclusion of operations, remove all equipment and materials.
• Do not block major egress points in channels, passes and bays during assessment and/or recovery operations.
• Vessels should anchor in bare sand bottom areas during in-water response operations when possible.
• When operating motor vessels over seagrass, coral and hard bottom areas, care should be taken to avoid propeller scarring or washing.
• Use floating lines for anchoring and vessel removal operations to prevent line sweeping of coral, seagrass and seabeds.
• If a vessel will be towed, the selected extraction path should ensure that no additional groundings or damage to sensitive habitats will take place as a result of the recovery.
• Incidental dredging and/or filling associated with removal may require approval from North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and/or Army Corps of Engineers.
• Marine debris removal activities should be conducted at sufficient tide and water depths to minimize any risk to sensitive habitats, including coral reefs and seagrasses.
• Minimize ground-disturbing activities to as small an area as feasible to complete the task.
• Watch for and avoid collisions with sea turtles, dolphins, sturgeon, whales or other animals. Immediately stop operating mechanical construction equipment, including vessels, if a protected or Endangered Species Act-listed species is observed within a 50-ft. radius of equipment, and resume after the species has departed the area of its own volition.

The State of North Carolina and the Coast Guard assume no responsibility for the safety of the salvage operations. This responsibility rests solely with the vessel owners/operators.
If a boat owner takes no action and the vessel remains a threat to the environment, any oil and hazardous substances will be removed from the vessel and then a determination will be made at that time as to proper mitigation. The determination will be based upon the vessel’s location and applicable state laws.

The ESF #10 provides a coordinated Federal response to actual or potential oil and hazardous material releases. The ESF #10 for Hurricane Florence continues to assess and remove hazards in the wake of the storm.

The Coast Guard and other federal and state partners are conducting assessments of damaged and sunken vessels in the areas most affected by Hurricane Florence. These assessments assist in providing an overarching image to the unified command of the effects of the storm, allowing for the effective placement of assets, expediting the response process.

Anyone witnessing an oil spill, chemical release or maritime security incident should call the National Response Center hotline at 1-800-424-8802. To report violations of wildlife law or wildlife injuries, call 1-800-622-7137.

water current freed the vessel Defiance and barge Ashtabula, a 720-foot integrated tug and barge, from the clay bottom in Round Island Passage in the Straits of Mackinac

By Tanda Gmiter

tgmiter@mlive.com

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE FROM U.S. COAST GUARD:

"At 4:31 a.m. this morning, water current freed the vessel Defiance and barge Ashtabula, a 720-foot integrated tug and barge, from the clay bottom in Round Island Passage in the Straits of Mackinac.

"The vessel has not reported any injuries, pollution, or flooding and is transiting to conduct further damage assessments. The Coast Guard conducted an overflight with a pollution responder on Friday evening and did not identify any signs of pollution. Another overflight is planned for this morning."

STRAITS OF MACKINAC, MI - 

A tug-barge combination vessel ran aground in the Round Island Passage amid strong winds Friday afternoon, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard to create a safety zone around it to keep other ships away from it.

The vessel that ran aground is the 720-foot Defiance and barge Ashtabula. It got hung up just before 3 p.m. in the Straits of Mackinac, between Mackinac Island and Round Island.

"The vessel departed Cedarville, Michigan and was transiting to its next port of call in Buffington, Indiana when it ran aground. The cause of the grounding is under investigation," the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie is handling the response. No injuries, pollution or flooding have been reported.

The Defiance is carrying 97,918 gallons of diesel fuel and more than 2,900 tons of stone, the military said.

"The vessel is taking precautionary measures to assess any damage," the Coast Guard said.

The safety zone surrounding the ship prevents any vessel over 100 gross tons from going through the Round Island Passage. It also keeps any vessel from coming within 200 yards of the tug/barge combo.

Though built in Great Lakes shipyards in 1982, the tug and barge worked largely on a circuit between Tampa Bay and the Lower Mississippi River, according BoatNerd.com. They were created to work together as a self-unloading bulk carrier. The combo returned to Great Lakes routes in 2012. 

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



Tug with barge aground, Great Lakes
Erofey Schkvarkin News 

September 22, 2018 7:18 am



Pusher tug DEFIANCE pushing 220-meter barge ASHTABULA, ran aground at around 1850 UTC Sep 21 in Mackinac Strait between Mackinac and Round islands, which is connecting Great Lakes Huron and Michigan, said Great Lakes and Seaway Shipping News. 

Tug ran aground in stormy weather conditions, with wind gusting to 64 mph, added the edition. Tug departed Cedarville, Mich., and was transiting to its next port of call in Buffington, Ind., barge loaded with stone. 

As of 0700 UTC Sep 22, tug and barge were still aground, no tugs spotted nearby, probably waiting weather improvement to start refloating. Coast Guard has established a safety zone prohibiting the transit of vessels over 100 gross tons through Round Island Passage and prohibiting all vessels from navigating within 200 yards of the Ashtabula/Defiance. No leak reported.

Pusher tug DEFIANCE, IMO 8109761, GT 871, built 1982, flag USA, manager GRAND RIVER NAVIGATION CO INC.






================================
 


The tug Defiance (US 646729) and barge Ashtabula (US 626730) were specifically designed to operate together as a self-unloading bulk carrier and have spent their entire career doing so. The pair were originally built for subsidiaries of Beker Industries of Greenwich, Connecticut. Beker Industries was a conglomerate primarily in the business of phosphate mining and distribution from mines near Tampa Bay in Florida. After a long career on the ocean, the pair have returned to the Lakes where they were built.

The barge was launched as hull 728 on April 22, 1982 by Bay Shipbuilding of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It was christened . The namesake is assumed to be Erol Y. Beker, the founder and president of Beker Industries and Beker Phosphate Corporation.

The tug was constructed by the Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin and launched as construction number 8271. It was delivered to Sturgeon Bay one day after the barge was launched, on April 23, 1982. The tug was christened April T. Beker. The assumed namesake is April Beker, wife of Erol Y. Beker. The tug is equipped with a second elevated pilot house and is powered by two EMD 20 cylinder 645-E7B engines which produce a total of 7200 horsepower.

Drug-impaired driver Vincent Rienzie Jr., 27, killed cyclist, 56-year-old Stephen Salzman, as he was driving westbound on Route 25 in Middle Island when he veered out of his lane and struck the cyclist and a telephone pole.

 Drug-impaired driver Vincent Rienzie Jr., 27, killed cyclist, 56-year-old Stephen Salzman

Yet another Italian trash druggie commits a crime.  Hopefully he stays in jail for a long time this time around

Police: Driver was impaired by drugs when he hit cyclist on Long Island
 
Saturday, September 22, 2018


MIDDLE ISLAND, Suffolk County -- 

Police say a 27-year-old man has been arrested for driving while impaired by drugs after he struck and killed a bicycle rider on Long Island.

Suffolk County police say Vincent Rienzie Jr. was driving westbound on Route 25 in Middle Island early Saturday morning when he veered out of his lane and struck a cyclist and a telephone pole.

The cyclist, 56-year-old Stephen Salzman, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rienzie was arrested on a charge of driving while impaired by drugs. No information on an attorney for Rienzie was available.

Rienzie was scheduled for arraignment Sunday. He was taken to a hospital Saturday for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

 The cyclist, 56-year-old Stephen Salzman, was pronounced dead at the scene.