2 young Jewish women from Brooklyn, NY were killed, 2 injured after they were T-boned by a semi-truck at the intersection of State Routes 77 and 377 in Arizona. The female Jewish driver, Ms. Raizel Morgenstern, was trying to make a left turn and she failed to see the truck to her left.

AUGUST 10, 2015

Holbrook , AZ - 

Arizona police have confirmed the deaths of two young women from Brooklyn last night in a horrific collision at the intersection of State Routes 77 and 377. 

Lieutenant Jack Arend of the Holbrook Police Department said 26 year old Hindy Spira and 24 year old Raizel Morgenstern were both pronounced dead at the scene after their rental car was hit by a tractor trailer. 

Two other women, identified as Suri Mayerowitz and Miriam Meyer, were injured in the crash. Meyer, daughter of Misaskim’s Yanky Meyer, was flown to Flagstaff Medical Center while Mayerowitz was originally transported to the Little Colorado Medical Center in Winslow and then taken to Flagstaff Medical Center for non-medical reasons. Both are expected to survive.

The accident took place yesterday at 4:46 PM in Holbrook.  Morgenstern, who was driving a rented blue Jeep Cherokee was heading east on State Route 377, came to a stop at the intersection of State Route 77 and then proceeded into the intersection directly into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer. 

“She didn’t see the truck coming,” Arend told VIN News. “She pulled out to make a left turn and he wasn’t able to stop in time.”  It appears that she was hit at the driver side by the truck that was going from north to south on Route 77.  She perhaps did not look at her left quite so carefully.

The truck, a Kenwirth tractor trailer typically used to haul dirt, was empty at the time but Arend estimated the weight of the vehicle at approximately 32,000 pounds. 

“It hit almost dead center of the driver’s door, but it crumpled it dead center,” said Arend. “That vehicle didn’t look like a Jeep Cherokee when we got there.”

Both Spira and Morgenstern were seated in the front seat of the car at the time of the crash. 

The Jewish women had spent Shabbos in Los Angeles with Rochie Engel, a friend who relocated from Brooklyn to California. Mrs. Engel said that she had helped the women plan their trip. 

“I could not have asked for better friends,” said Mrs. Engel. “So smart, great personality. Funny. They would help in any way so gracefully and graciously. They had the kindest, purest hearts and souls.” 

According to Mrs. Engel, Spira and Mayerowitz were both graduates of Tomer Dvorah in Borough Park. Morgenstern was a graduate of Bais Bracha while Meyer graduated from Bais Yaakov of Borough Park. 

Arend said that the group had rented the vehicle in Los Angeles on August 5th and were due to return it this past Sunday. The women kept the car longer and were coming to Holbrook to visit the Petrified Forest National Park located east of Holbrook when the crash took place. 

Police released this video of the accident

Sun glare does not appear to have played any role in the fatal collision, according to Arend who said that a heavy rain had just passed through the area and that weather was overcast with some sprinkles when the accident occurred.

Volunteers from Misaskim Los Angeles drove through the night, making the eight hour trip to Holbrook. One member is staying with Meyer and Mayerowitz in Flagstaff, while the other two continued on to Holbrook, spending over three hours cleaning the accident scene. 

Sruly Garfinkel, president of Misaskim Los Angeles, said that based on volunteers’ reports, Meyer and Mayerowitz are fortunate to have escaped with their lives. 

“They told me that if you looked at the car you would have expected the situation to be much worse,” said Garfinkel. 

Two Misaskim members are currently at the morgue and will remain there until family members arrive to escort Spira and Morgenstern home for burial. 

“I understand that Spira has two brothers that are on the way and that a private plane will be taking them back to New York,” said Garfinkel. 

The Levya of Hinda Spira Bas R yitzchok will be held tonight at Shomeri Hadas at 10 PM. The Aron will go thereafter to new square bais hachim. 

//---------------------------///

By Mike Waterhouse

Updated 2 hrs 20 mins ago

HOLBROOK, Ariz. (WABC) -- 

A vacation turned tragic for four women from Brooklyn involved in a serious car crash in Arizona that left two dead.

The crash happened Monday in Holbrook, Arizona, at the intersection of State Route 377 and State Route 77.

Police said the women were heading down State Route 377 in Holbrook in their rented Jeep Cherokee when they collided with a tractor trailer at the intersection of State Route 77.

The driver of the Jeep, 24-year-old Raizel Morgenstern, and her front passenger, 26-year-old Hindy Spira, died at the scene.

Two women in the back seat, Suri Mayerowitz and Miriam Meyer, were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The four women are from Borough Park in Brooklyn.

The website onlysimchas.com reports the injured women suffered serious injuries, and that all four were on vacation together. The site also said Meyer's father is Rabbi Yanky Meyer with the Misaskim Organization, and has been working with the other families overnight.

The site also said a private jet has been

arranged to fly the women who died home to New York for the funerals.

Here is the info from that web page; 

Two women from Boro Park were killed when the car they were traveling in collided with a tractor trailer. The accident occurred on 26 Menachem Av on Monday night in Arizona. [THE FOLLOWING PICTURE BELOW WAS TAKEN ON THE TRIP. ALL FOUR WOMEN WERE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH]

Two other Jewish women involved in the accident sustained serious injuries. The four women were on vacation when a vehicle veered from the opposite lane and crashed into them, after they were trying to make a left turn.   Perhaps the Jewish female driver of the rental car is at fault here.  We will see what the investigation says.

The names of the victims z”l are Hindy Spira and Raizel Morgenstern. Two other girls, identified as Suri Mayerowitz and Miriam Meyer, were also injured in the crash. 

One occupant of the vehicle is Miriam bas Gittel , who has multiple fractures – including a spinal fracture. She is the daughter of Rabbi Yanky (Jack) Meyer, the founder of the Misaskim Organization. The other occupant who also is in need of teffilos is Faiga Sarah bas Bracha Chaya. Please be Mispallel for them as they need Rachamei Shomayim. 

Misaskim has been working though the night with the families in Boro Park. A private jet has been arranged to fly the deceased to NY for the funerals. 

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. The girls who were sitting in the front seat of the vehicle, were the two occupants who were killed.

Deputies from the Arizona police are combing the wreckage and should have a more comprehensive report as the day progresses. 

Boruch Dayan HaEmmes

A video announcement was posted to YouTube:

Tractor-trailer crashes into Ontario Northland train at North Bay crossing. Truck driver charged.

CBC News 

Posted: August 11, 2015 












A 45-year-old truck driver from Marlbank, Ont. has been charged with failing to stop at a railway crossing and careless driving, after a crash involving a train in North Bay today. 


North Bay OPP report the crash happened at about 5:15 a.m. on the North Bay Bypass near Seymour Street. 


The highway was closed for slightly more than 1.5 hours as officers, emergency personnel and vehicle removal teams dealt with the scene. 


The tractor trailer was fully loaded with gasoline, police said. But while the tractor portion of the unit was heavily damaged, the trailers were not damaged and the fuel remained intact. 


The 46-car Ontario Northland train — pulled by three engine cars — had one of its engine units damaged. The train did not derail and its crew was not hurt. 


Police said the truck driver has been charged with failing to stop at a railway crossing, careless driving, as well as failing to properly maintain his log book. 


The company he was working for, J. Verbruggen Trucking Ltd from Napanee, On., has also been charged for allowing Dunn to operate their vehicle without properly maintaining his log book. 

A worker at an Auburn-area, California ranch died Saturday when the ATV he was riding overturned on top of him.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015

AUBURN, CALIFORNIA

A worker at an Auburn-area ranch died Saturday when the ATV he was riding overturned on top of him.

The crash took place on a Rincon Way ranch, just north of the Placer-Nevada county line.

The rider, who was identified as a male adult ranch worker, died at the crash scene under the weight of the 531-pound, Polaris 33 quad-runner.

The man was riding down a steep roadway when, for unknown reasons, he made an unsafe turning movement, causing the ATV to overturn. He was ejected onto the ground and the ATV overturned on top of him, causing fatal injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Greg Tassone said.

No one was with the rider at the time of the crash in the rural Auburn area, near the Bear River and north of Placer County’s Rio Oso Road.

Others on the ranch noticed the man’s absence and mounted a search on the property that eventually led to discovery of the body. Time of death was about 11:15 a.m. Tassone said.

Lifefleet LLC, an emergency medical transport company, faces more than $235K in fines for 14 health violations after OSHA inspection

U.S. Department of Labor

August 11, 2015

Emergency medical transport company ignores health precautions,
ambulance workers unprotected from risks of infection and disease.

Lifefleet LLC faces more than $235K in fines for 14 health violations after OSHA inspection

NORTH LIMA, Ohio - 

Emergency ambulance workers must concern themselves first with the needs of the people who depend on them. Employees working at a North Lima medical transport company also had to worry about the dangers of infection and disease because their employer failed to protect them.

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found that Lifefleet LLC did not properly protect employees who transport patients from exposure to blood and other bodily fluids. Exposure may lead to serious diseases, such as hepatitis or human immunodeficiency.

OSHA cited Lifefleet on July 31 for four willful, seven serious and three other-than-serious health violations after a complaint prompted a February 2015 inspection. Proposed penalties total $235,800.

“Workers risking exposure to bloodborne pathogens must have clean clothing, personal protective equipment and be medically evaluated when an exposure occurs,” said Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland. “Failing to protect workers from pathogens that can cause life-threatening diseases is unacceptable. As a medical service provider, Lifefleet should be setting the standard in employee protection - not ignoring it.”

Inspectors found Lifefleet did not protect workers from bloodborne pathogens by:

• Failing to clean, launder or dispose of personal protective equipment and clothing at no cost to employees.
• Not ensuring medical evaluations and procedures, including blood tests, were made available quickly to employees after an exposure.
• Not providing employees with the results of postexposure evaluation tests.
• Failing to train workers on health hazards and precautions to prevent exposure.

OSHA determined that Lifefleet did not require employees to use gloves and facemasks when contacting infectious materials. The company failed to train workers about hazardous workplace chemicals, and did not review and update the exposure control plan annually. It also failed to establish and maintain a sharps injury log.

Inspectors also found the company exposed workers to slip and fall hazards from standing water in the ambulance bay and obstructed exit routes,
To view current citations, visit http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Lifefleet_LLC_1040096_0731_15.pdf*

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

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency’s Cleveland Area Office at 216-447-4194,
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 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.

Kehrer Brothers and Joseph Kehrer face $1,792,000 in penalties for willfully exposing at least eight workers to asbestos. Companies ignored danger of asbestos at Okawville, Illinois renovation project

Illinois construction companies, manager face nearly $2M in fines
for exposing workers to known asbestos hazards

Companies ignored danger of asbestos at Okawville renovation project

OKAWVILLE, Ill. — 

As they did the hard work of removing floor tiles, insulation and other materials at what was once an elementary school, employees of two Illinois companies were unaware that they were exposed to deadly asbestos fibers.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found that Joseph Kehrer, Kehrer Brothers Construction and a Kehrer-affiliated company, D7 Roofing, which employed some of the workers, violated numerous OSHA health standards related to the dangers of asbestos. 

Kehrer Brothers and Joseph Kehrer face $1,792,000 in penalties for willfully exposing at least eight workers to asbestos. OSHA inspectors determined that Kehrer and supervisors of the Albers, Illinois-based company told employees to remove asbestos-containing materials during renovation of the former Okawville school. OSHA also placed Kehrer Brothers in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Many of the workers came to the U.S. to work for Kehrer under the provisions of the H-2B visa program that allows companies to hire foreign workers temporarily. The investigation also found the Kehrer management threatened some workers with termination if they spoke with OSHA inspectors.

"Kehrer Brothers Construction brought non-English speaking workers to the U.S. and knowingly exposed them to asbestos," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Kehrer also threatened to fire his employees if they spoke with our investigators. This is outrageous, illegal behavior. We at OSHA will do everything in our power to ensure this employer stops endangering his employees."

On Aug. 10, OSHA cited Kehrer and Kehrer Brothers for 16 egregious, nine willful and six serious violations. OSHA inspectors also found that Kehrer and the companies failed to warn employees, some of whom spoke only Spanish, of the danger — even though they were aware of the asbestos hazard. They also failed to ensure that workers used appropriate work methods and respirators, and to train them about the hazards of working around asbestos. 

Asbestos exposure occurs when workers cut and sand asbestos-containing building materials, releasing asbestos fibers that can be inhaled without proper protection. Asbestos can cause lung disease and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or stomach that is nearly always fatal. Asbestos fibers also remain on clothing and transfer to other surfaces such as upholstery and carpets, creating a danger of secondary exposure for others. 

In its citations, OSHA alleges that Kehrer and Kehrer Brothers Construction failed to:

• Provide basic personal protective equipment such as hard hats, eyewear and protective clothing.
• Create a decontamination area for employees to remove work clothing before leaving the worksite.
• Use appropriate work methods to minimize asbestos exposure, such as removing tiles intact and using wet methods to keep asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.

OSHA also cited D7 Roofing for one serious and two willful violations. The willful violations were for not training the workers or informing them about the presence of asbestos-containing material. The serious violation was for failing to conduct inspections as required by law. Proposed penalties total $147,000. 

Following its investigation, OSHA made referrals to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Kehrer Brothers Construction has an extensive prior history with OSHA and has been inspected 11 times since 2007. At the time of the 2015 inspection, Kehrer Brothers Construction and D7 had workers' compensation insurance through American Zurich Insurance Co. 

Current citations on Kehrer Brothers are available here, while citations issued to D7 Roofing are available here.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Fairview Heights office at 618-632-8612.
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 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.