Flooding caused by heavy rains contributed to the derailment of a Union Pacific train, off the I-10 frontage road between Twin Peaks and Marana Roads north of Tucson, AZ

Train derails in Tucson near Interstate 10
Arizona Republic 

July 10, 2018


Flooding caused by heavy rains apparently contributed to the derailment, off the I-10 frontage road between Twin Peaks and Marana Roads. Northwest Fire Department

A Union Pacific train derailed north of Tucson near Interstate 10 on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Flooding caused by heavy rains contributed to the derailment, which occurred on the east side of the I-10 frontage road between Twin Peaks and Marana roads, according to posts on Twitter by the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District.

The crash closed the frontage road, but I-10 remained open, although the Arizona Department of Transportation said backups were starting to occur on the interstate in the area late in the afternoon.

Northwest Fire District officials posted video of the derailment on Twitter. They added they had been responding to swift-water rescue calls in the area after the heavy storm.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that 20 cars were derailed, according to fire officials, who added that the cleanup could take 24 to 48 hours.

Heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died while battling the Ferguson Fire after his bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite.

Heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died while battling the Ferguson Fire after his bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite.

Heavy equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died while battling the Ferguson Fire after his bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite.

A wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park has killed a man who was helping to fight it. Cal Fire says Braden Varney, 36, of Mariposa, California, died while battling the Ferguson Fire Saturday. Varney was a heavy equipment operator whose bulldozer rolled over in steep terrain west of Yosemite. So far the fire has burned over four-thousand acres and is only two-percent contained. It’s threatening over a hundred buildings in the area. It’s also shut down State Route 140, which is a key route into the National Park. Governor Brown has ordered the flags at the capitol flown at half-mast today.

From the scene of the fire, firefighters have been successful in continuing to protect structures along the Main Fork of the Merced River.

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect in Clearing House; Mariposa Pines; Cedar Lodge/Savage’s Trading Post and Sweetwater Ridge

A Pre-evacuation Advisory has been issued for Yosemite West and along the Jerseydale Road to Scott Road and Scott Road to Bear Clover are under Fire Advisement. Residents should be prepared to evacuate should conditions change.

Hwy 140 is closed from 1.9 miles east of Midpines to the Cedar Lodge area MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.

Ferguson Fire

Ferguson Fire Incident Information:
Last Updated:	July 16, 2018 6:07 am
Date/Time Started:	July 13, 2018 10:35 pm
Administrative Unit:	USFS Sierra National Forest
County:	Mariposa County
Location:	Highway 140 and Hite Cove, near El Portal
Acres Burned - Containment:	*** This is not a CAL FIRE incident. Click the link for more information.
Long/Lat:	-119.88581/37.6549

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MARIPOSA (AP) — A wildfire that killed a California firefighter grew quickly and forced the closure of a key route into Yosemite National Park as crews contended with sweltering conditions Sunday, authorities said.



The blaze that broke out Friday scorched more than 6 square miles of dry brush along steep, remote hillsides on the park’s western edge. It was burning largely out of control, and officials shut off electricity to many areas, including Yosemite Valley, as a safety precaution.


Guests were ordered to leave Yosemite Cedar Lodge Saturday afternoon as flames crept up slopes and the air became thick with smoke.

“You can’t see anything, it’s so smoky outside. It’s crazy,” said front desk clerk Spencer Arebalo, one of a handful of employees who stayed behind at the popular hotel inside the park.

He said it was surreal to see the property empty at the height of tourist season.

“We’re counting on being closed at least one more day,” Arebalo said.


The Ferguson Fire grew substantially on Saturday after a Cal Fire heavy equipment operator lost his life. (CBS)

Evacuations were also ordered in rural communities just outside the park, and people in nearby lodges and motels were told to be ready to leave if flames approach. A stretch of State Route 140 into Yosemite was closed, and motorists were urged to find alternate routes.

Spiking temperatures and inaccessible terrain was making it difficult for crews to slow the flames, U.S. Forest Service fire Capt. Mike Seymour said.


Braden Varney (Facebook via Cal Fire)

Heavy fire equipment operator Braden Varney, 36, died early Saturday on the fire line, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Varney was driving a bulldozer to create a gap in vegetation to keep the flames from extending into a nearby community, according to fire chief Nancy Koerperich.

The wildfire is one of several burning across the state and among 56 large blazes that are active in the U.S., most in the American West, a region that is struggling with drought and heat.

A blaze near the California-Oregon border that killed a 72-year-old resident and injured three firefighters was almost entirely contained after burning more than 60 square miles of dry brush.

Crews got full control over a stubborn fire that scorched 142 square miles of brush and destroyed 20 structures in Yolo and Napa counties. Investigators said an electric livestock fence that was improperly installed sparked the flames.

In the fire near Yosemite, investigators were trying to find out more details about Varney’s death Saturday, but they believe he was working his way out of the fire area when he was killed, Koerperich said.

“This certainly is going to be devastating to his family and those of us who call him family here with Cal Fire,” she said.

Varney had worked for Cal Fire for 10 years. His father also worked as a Cal Fire heavy equipment operator. He is survived by his wife, Jessica; daughter Malhea, 5; and son Nolan, 3.

Gov. Jerry Brown ordered flags at the California Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor “a man who dedicated his life to protecting his fellow Californians.”

Teen driver Benjamin Junkin, 19 was killed and two others were injured when a car was unable to stop due the failure of the brakes and emergency brakes on a steep hill in Ellwood City, PA and crashed into a tree and rolled over.

The Ellwood City man killed in a one-car accident on Saturday night has been identified as Benjamin Junkin, 19.

The Ellwood City man killed in a one-car accident on Saturday night has been identified as Benjamin Junkin, 19.

Ellwood City police reported that Junkin’s brakes apparently failed on Wampum Avenue at Bridge Street. His car went airborne, went over a hill, struck a couple of trees and rolled. Junkin was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The two passengers in the car, Kaileah Vellone, 21, of 616 Todd Ave., Ellwood City, who was Junkin’s fiancee, and Haley Vellone, 17, of 790 Seventh St., West Pittsburg, suffered minor injuries and were treated at Ellwood City Hospital and released.

Officers said that neither Junkin nor his passengers were wearing seat belts.

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ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. -

One person was killed and two others were hurt when a car was unable to stop on a steep hill in Ellwood City and crashed into a tree.

The crash happened just after 8 p.m. Saturday on Bridge Street.

According to police, the driver reported issues with the car's brakes. He was trying to make it from New Castle to Ellwood City. A second vehicle was following the one that crashed.

Police said the driver of the crashed vehicle was using the emergency brake but it also failed.  

"The emergency brake apparently give out coming down bridge street near the old Saint Agatha School," said Wayne Parsons, of the Ellwood City Police Department. "He {came} down through Orchard Avenue, past Hazel Avenue, across State Route 65, across First Street, and across Wampum Avenue, through a parking lot, like a driveway, then over embankment."

Two women were able to escape the crashed vehicle. They were taken to the hospital, treated and released. The driver died. His name has not been released.

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Brake Failure Causes Crash, Killing One Teen

 
Posted By: EllwoodCity.org Staff July 9, 2018


According to published reports and a video, a one vehicle crash late Saturday night resulted in the fatality of a Union teenager after brake failure left his car helplessly careening down Bridge Street.

The accident happened around 9:45 p.m. on Wampum Avenue at Bridge Street. According to reports, police said the driver had been trying to use his hand brake to stop the vehicle, but that also failed. His vehicle went over the embankment, striking at least two trees and rolling over, although it did not end up in the Connoquenessing Creek below.

The emergency brake apparently gave out coming down Bridge Street near the old Saint Agatha School.” said Wayne Parsons, of the Ellwood City Police Department in a WPXI video report. “He came down through Orchard Avenue, past Hazel Avenue, across State Route 65, across First Street, and across Wampum Avenue, through a parking lot, then over the embankment.”

Two women were able to escape the crashed vehicle. They were taken to the hospital, treated, and released.

Ellwood City fire and police were on the scene along with North Sewickley, Franklin Township and Wampum fire departments.


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Life Legacy


Benjamin I. Junkin, 19, of Union Twp. passed away Saturday evening July 7, 2018, in Ellwood City, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Ben was born February 15, 1999, in New Castle, the son of Megan G. Junkin and Christopher W.L. Weir.

He attended St. Vitus Parochial School, Union Area High School and graduated from the Lawrence Co. Career and Technical Center in 2017.

Ben was a member of St. Mary’s Church, Mary, Mother of Hope Parish, where he served as an altar server for nine years. He loved kids and loved being the Easter Bunny at the church’s annual Easterfest.

A gifted artist and performer, he participated in many of the performing arts programs at Union High School, including: playing in both the Marching and Jazz Bands, singing in the School Choir, and acting in both the Drama Club and school plays. Ben was also a member of Student Council, the Robotics Club, and the Track and Field Team.

When not in school, he performed with the Mahoning Valley Chorale and enjoyed writing and recording his own music. He also enjoyed playing lacrosse and participated in Soapbox Derby racing for years as a child.

An outdoorsman, Ben was a former member of the Boy Scouts of America and always looked forward to hunting, camping and fishing.

Gerald Obah, 29, killed, 3 others injured after Aleh Sheipak, 50, a drunken wrong-way driver, slammed his 2011 Volkawagen SUV into a livery vehicle on the Belt Parkway

The 27-year-old victim, identified as Gerald Obah of Murray Hill, Manhattan, was pronounced dead at the scene

The 27-year-old victim, identified as Gerald Obah of Murray Hill, Manhattan, was pronounced dead at the scene

The brother of the man killed in a horrific wrong-way crash on the Belt Parkway Thursday blasted the drunken driver who plowed head-on into the car his sibling was riding as a passenger in.

“It’s very tough. I’m more angry about it because of the circumstances. This is truly awful,” Eugene Obah, 29, brother of 27-year-old Gerald Obah, told The Post by phone hours after the wreck.

“The driver was heading the wrong way,” Eugene said. “I hope whoever this guy is, is punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

Motorist Aleh Sheipak, 50, was driving a 2011 Volkawagen SUV eastbound in the westbound lane near the Verrazano Bridge at around 1:55 a.m. when he collided with a livery vehicle, police said.

The Uber-affiliated Honda Accord was driven by a 20-year-old man and carrying Gerald Obah in the backseat and a 29-year-old woman in the front passenger seat.

Obah, of Murray Hill, was pronounced dead at the scene.

His brother said that Obah may have been coming from JFK Airport after a flight from California and suspects that the second passenger in the car was a friend.

“My brother was truly a good guy. He was not afraid to speak his mind about anything and I will certainly miss that about him,” the devastated sibling said.

Eugene said that Obah previously lived in Ellicott City, Maryland and attended Syracuse University before moving to the Big Apple in 2012. Modal TriggerThe Uber-affiliated Honda Accord was severely damaged in the Brooklyn crash.Seth Gottfried

“Out of all my younger siblings, he was truly a New Yorker, in terms of enjoying the city,” Eugene said, adding, “He will truly be missed – not just by the family, but by everyone who knew him. The world is poorer without him.”

Obah was a dancer who was affiliated with DanceWorks New York City, his brother said.

“He was very much involved out in front and he really enjoyed it,” Eugene said.

Lisa Mara, the owner DanceWorks New York City, said in a statement: “All of us at DanceWorks New York City are heartbroken. Gerald was a pillar in our dance community. He was friends with everyone and all of us are feeling a huge void in our dance family today.”

“Anyone who attended one of our shows left knowing who Gerald Obah was…he was the type of dancer that left it all out there on the stage. We’re mourning the loss and want to send our love to his family,” Mara said.

According to Obah’s LinkedIn page, he worked as a manager for a media agency called Spark Foundry.

Sheipak — who had a blood-alcohol level of .21 percent, nearly three times the legal limit – was arrested and charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault, DWI and DWAI, cops said.

The three survivors of the crash, including Sheipak, were hospitalized in stable condition following the collision.

“This is very tough,” Eugene said. “This is not the type of thing you want to wake up to, but we’re hanging in there.”

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A drunken wrong-way driver slammed into a livery vehicle early Thursday on the Belt Parkway, killing one man and leaving three others hospitalized, police said.

The collision occurred at around 1:55 a.m. when a 50-year-old man driving a 2011 Volkswagen SUV eastbound in the westbound lane near the Verrazano Bridge plowed into a 2018 Honda Accord driven by a 20-year-old man and carrying a 29-year-old woman in the front passenger seat and a man, 27, in the backseat, cops said.

The wreck left both cars completely mangled and the black Uber-affiliated Honda with TLC plates, up over the lane median.

The 27-year-old victim, identified as Gerald Obah of Murray Hill, Manhattan, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The wrong-way driver, identified as Aleh Sheipak, was initially taken to Maimonides Medical Center.

Sheipak, a Brooklyn resident, was later charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault, DWI and DWAI, police said.

Emergency responders also rushed the driver of the Honda to Maimonides Medical Center, while the female passenger in the front seat was taken to NYU Langone Hospital.

The livery driver suffered a leg fracture, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

The three who survived the gruesome collision were in stable condition, police said.

“I was coming down off the bridge, saw the guy coming the wrong way. He hit the car, and it went 20 feet in the air, turned and landed hard on the rail there,” said a witness, Jack Aboutboul, of Sheepshead Bay, who then called 911.

Aboutboul said he and another motorist ran over to help. “We were trying to get the doors open. We tried to open the door and see if we could get anyone out,” he said. “The only door we could open was the back door, and once we got the door open we realized he was probably gone. He had blood all over his face, and he didn’t have a pulse. His feet were stuck underneath. We couldn’t get him out.”

Aboutboul added, “We saw through the airbags that there was a woman in the front seat, she was bleeding out and holding her neck.”

He said that Sheipak “looked like he was drunk.”

It was not immediately clear whether the livery driver was on the clock at the time of the crash.

An Uber spokeswoman said that the cabbie was not working for Uber at the time of the collision, but said a livery driver can be affiliated with an Uber base and do trips with any other app.

Alvin Sadler, 49, a city contractor with Results Staffing, was killed after a Dallas, Texas trash truck collided with a parked private waste company's vehicle near the entrance of the McCommas Bluff Landfill in Southeast Oak Cliff.

Vigil held for man killed in Dallas sanitation truck crash


By: FOX4News.com Staff

Southeast Oak Cliff, Texas

 July 14 2018


Friends, family and strangers attended a Saturday night vigil for a man killed in a sanitation truck crash.

Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the driver of a city sanitation truck to crash into a parked trash truck. There were two passengers in the city truck. One was in critical condition, the other died.

Saturday night’s vigil was an intimate gathering for Alvin Sadler, held just feed from where the 49-year-old City of Dallas sanitation worker died Thursday.

Ashley Bell was on her way to meet her husband for lunch that morning when she came up on the crash near the entrance of the McCommas Bluff Landfill in Southeast Oak Cliff.

“I don’t have no words any words at all. It’s just unbelievable. I just really couldn't believe it,” she said.

According to Dallas Police, the city sanitation truck was headed eastbound on Simpson Stuart road, toward the dump, when for reasons unknown, the driver crashed into a parked commercial trash truck.

Sadler was killed, the other passenger in the city truck was critically injured.

Desmond Watts drives the route regularly and says it can be dangerous.

“It's a little chaotic as you can see there's no real indications on the road it's just one big street. This trucks take up a lot of space so if you're not careful you can definitely get hurt,” he said.

Ashley Bell didn’t know Sadler, but her husband works in the same city department. She felt the need to come out to the vigil to say a prayer for his family.

“This man he went to work and he didn’t get to make it back home to his family,” she said.

The driver of the parked truck was not injured. Bell says the city worker who was critically injured will have to have his legs amputated. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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A city contractor was killed Thursday after a Dallas trash truck collided with a private waste company's vehicle, city officials said.

The crash happened at 10 a.m. on Simpson Stuart Road near the McCommas Bluff Landfill in southeast Oak Cliff.

Gwen Schuler, a spokeswoman for the city, said the driver of the city's truck and one other person were taken to a hospital with undisclosed injuries.

The sanitation workers were contracted from Results Staffing, a Dallas-based agency.

None of the people involved have been identified, as the incident remains under investigation.

Results Staffing could not be reached for comment.