Authorities identify tow truck driver killed in Highway 99 crash
The well-known driver was helping a person with a flat tire when he was struck by another car.
By Gene Haagenson
Tuesday, May 16, 2017 05:14PM
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A well-known tow truck driver was killed Monday night on Highway 99 while helping a stranded motorist.
The tow truck driver was identified as 58-year-old Baudelio Perez, also known as Angelo and the owner of Angelo's Towing.
He was towing a car that had a flat tire at the Highway 41/Highway 99 interchange when he was struck and killed.
The accident happened just before 10 p.m. when Perez was about to tow a Cadillac with a flat tire when another vehicle slammed into him.
"That vehicle struck the broken-down vehicle which was on the rear of the tow truck as well as the driver of the tow truck who was working to load that vehicle," Jeffrey Cipolla with the CHP explained.
Angelo was killed at the scene and the driver of the car that hit him stopped and cooperated with authorities.
The CHP says he did not appear to be impaired and said he did not see the tow truck. Owner of Action Towing John DeCicco was close friends with the victim and knows the dangers of the job.
"Tow truck operating on the freeways and roads is very hazardous," he said.
The accident occurred where southbound Highway 41 merges onto Highway 99. The shoulder is narrow with vehicles are moving fast.
This death comes as drivers are being urged to observe "Slow Down And Move Over" week, a time to be alert to those who work the highways.
"People need to slow down and give all the emergency workers on the highway - the highway patrol, police, fire, Caltrans, everybody, construction workers - they need to slow down and move over and let people do their job," DeCicco said.
Perez leaves behind a wife and three children.
"It's a tragic incident," Cipolla said. "We work with these tow truck drivers day-in and day-out, and we know just how dangerous it is to be on the side of the freeway, and they are out there risking their lives to help people as well. We absolutely can relate to the heartbreak of this gentleman and his family."
As Alma Thornton surveys the growing memorial in front of the Johnson family home in Tamina, she says she’s moved beyond words.
“It’s a lot of stuff. A lot of love. A lot of love. My God,” she said. “My heart goes out to April. I love her. God, Jesus knows I love her.”
Thornton, like so many others who visited, says she still can’t believe what happened in the house on Friday. An early morning fire destroyed the home where the Johnson family was sleeping, killing three children and sending four other family members to the hospital.
“It happens to the strongest ones,” Thornton said. “God gives the hardest, most difficult tasks to his strongest angels.”
Johnson family cousin Stephanie Davis says Bobby Johnson, a pastor at Thergood Memorial Church of God in Christ in Willis, and his family are relying on God right now.
“They are very strong in their faith,” Davis said. “They believe, with the support of the community and their church family, they know they will triumph over this tragedy.”
Davis said Johnson and his wife, Carrie, who went to the hospital, are out now. However, their son Jarvis and 10-year-old grandson Adrian are still being treated.
“It’s a joy to see Adrian smile and welcome everybody into his room,” Davis said. “We appreciate that. We appreciate that he has a very uplifted spirit and is doing well in the midst of his tragedy.”
A memorial and benefit for the Johnson family is planned for 7 p.m. Friday at the City Cathedral Church’s Woodlands campus.
A GoFundMe page set up to cover some of the family’s medical and funeral expenses topped $60,000 as of Monday afternoon.
The community can also make donations at the following locations:
Memorial Hermann The Woodlands
Hospital Scheduling Office
9250 Pinecroft Drive
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Houser Elementary School
27370 Oak Ridge School Road
Conroe, Texas 77385
Monday - Friday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
As the family starts its physical and emotional healing process, Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office investigators are trying to figure out what started the fire that caused those wounds.
“Any time you have a structure that’s this significantly burned, it adds to the complexity of trying to determine the cause of the fire,” said assistant fire marshal Kevin Bates.
On Monday, his team met with other agencies to combine notes and, hopefully, determine the cause soon.
“We’re still gathering information to try to put pieces together for our investigation,” he said.
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas --
A house fire took the lives of three young children and critically injured several family members, Montgomery County fire officials confirm.
There were eight people in the home, located on Tamina Road, when it went up in flames before 4 a.m. Friday. Most of them were sleeping on the second floor.
Family members said homeowner Bobby Johnson broke out an upstairs window and got half of the victims out.
“It sounds like they risked it all. They risked everything. Just the same as the officer and the firefighters in this situation, to be as badly injured as they are in this condition,” Jones said.
The flames were too great for Jones to reach his three grandchildren still trapped in their bedroom on the other side of the second floor – the place where the fire started.
“It’s the worst thing a firefighter can face,” said Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams. “The kids are in there, you know the building’s collapsing, and you know he’s not going to be able to save them.”
As the fire raged, police officers from Shenandoah and Oak Ridge North arrived on the scene and tried to help family members rescue the children trapped inside.
They tried to climb the stairs to the second floor but were driven back by smoke and flames.
"One child got out, there were three others inside," one of the officers is heard saying on a bodycam.
By DAKE KANG, Associated Press
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A couple and their five children died Monday in an early morning house fire.
A relative identified those killed as 35-year-old Dennis Huggins, 38-year-old Angela Boggs, 14-year-old Jered Boggs, 6-year-old Daisia Huggins, 5-year-old Kylle Huggins, 3-year-old Alivia Huggins and 11-month-old Cameron Huggins. The family dog also was killed.
Dennis Huggins 20-year-old son, Tyennys Huggins, said he tried to contact family members to say he would be stopping by Monday and became alarmed when he couldn't reach anyone. He then received a call from a cousin about the fire.
"I just saw my dad last night, and I feel like I'm going to see him tomorrow," he said. "I feel like I'm going to see him later on."
Firefighters found the two-story home in Akron, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Cleveland, engulfed in flames when they arrived shortly before 3 a.m. Monday. The house sat at the top of a winding street in a neighborhood of mostly two-story clapboard houses.
The Akron Fire Department is working with the state fire marshal's office and local police to determine how the fire started, fire Chief Clarence Tucker said. A fire marshal's official said investigators used a dog while collecting evidence but wouldn't say what that evidence was.
The fire occurred a block from a home where a man and a woman died in an April 2016 fire investigated as a potential arson, but there was no indication the fires were related.
Tucker said it couldn't be determined whether the home had working smoke detectors because of the damage Monday. Tyennys Huggins said it did.
He said his father was an electrician and his father's girlfriend was a longtime dialysis technician. The home was titled in both of their names, county records show.
Dennis Huggins' brother, 45-year-old Tony Huggins, stood near the fire-ravaged home Monday evening with his wife, Damonica Huggins, fighting back tears. He said his brother and Angela Boggs loved their children very much, describing her as "very sweet, soft-spoken and gentle."
"It's just a tough loss right now," Tony Huggins said. "That was my baby brother. I practically raised him."
Tyennys Huggins said he stopped by the family's home nearly every day and helped his father renovate it. He described his father as "amazing."
"He's my favorite person on the planet, my best friend," Huggins said. "I'm forever gonna miss him."
Mayor Daniel Horrigan extended his sympathies to victims' families.
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AKRON, Ohio -- Five children and two adults were killed Monday in an Akron house fire, police said.
The fire, which equaled the deadliest in the city's history, broke out at a home on Fultz Avenue near East Avenue.
Father Dennis Huggins, 35, and Angela Boggs, 38, were killed along with their children: Cameron Huggins, 1; Alivia Huggins, 3; Kylle Huggins, 5; Daisia Huggins, 6; and Jered Boggs, 14. A family dog also died in the fire.
All were found upstairs and several in a bedroom, according to Akron fire department spokeswoman Lt. Serjie Lash.
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Seven people also died in a 1994 fire in Akron, officials said.
The fire broke out about 2:45 a.m. Monday at the home where the family lived.
Akron Fire Chief Clarence Tucker said his investigators, the Ohio Fire Marshal's Office and police are trying to determine the cause.
"A fire that is this severe, you can never rule out the possibility of arson," Tucker said. "But we have investigators here trying to determine the cause."
Ohio Fire Marshal investigator Robert Sharp said he could not elaborate on the evidence his five investigators collected.
He said they will test items from the home to see if they give any clues as to what caused the fire.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan called the fire "tragic" and pledged to help the victims' family members as well as the community heal from the deadly fire.
"My family, the Akron Fire Department, and the entire Akron community, are profoundly saddened by this devastating incident and this tragic loss of life," Horrigan said in a statement. "My deepest sympathies and prayers are with the family and loved ones of those who perished, and we pray for strength and healing in the difficult days to come. We will see to it that the victims' families are supported in this time of great sorrow and need."
Two neighbors called 911 to report the fire. One caller said flames were shooting from the home. Another described it as being "almost burnt up" several minutes later.
She said she heard explosion-like sounds.
"It just keeps popping," she told the dispatcher.
The fire ripped through the home and left the interior charred. Parts of the exterior were also severely burned.
The extensive water and fire damage made it initially unsafe for investigators to go into the home. A special response team arrived at the scene about 9:30 a.m. to help make it safe to enter the home and they were able to get inside about two hours later.
Akron Police Chief James Nice and Chief Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Brad Gessner were also at the scene.
Thomas said there is no indication that the fire is connected to an April 2016 fire that killed two people-- Lindell Lewis, 66, and Gloria Hart, 65 -- about two blocks away. That fire was ruled an arson and no arrests have been made in the case.
Lewis' brother, Willie Lewis, drove to the scene on Monday.
"It's heinous," Lewis said. "We're hoping that something may come up. Maybe this fire will bring something up. We're hoping for better results for this fire than ours."
After an autopsy, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office established
the cause of death as accidental by traumatic asphyxia, or, suffocation
due to crushing, a spokeswoman said Monday.
CHICAGO (CBS) — A maintenance worker was killed when he was pinned underneath a large lawn mower Saturday afternoon at a north suburban country club, the second such incident in the suburbs in just over a week.
Richard L. Bowden, 62, was riding a commercial mower on the property of Green Acres Country Club at 916 Dundee Rd. He was cutting grass along an incline on an embankment when the mower tipped over and pinned him underneath, according to a statement from the Village of Northbrook.
Bowden, a Deerfield resident, was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:53 p.m., according to the village and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was a contract employee of a landscaper company.
An autopsy Sunday found he died of traumatic asphyxia when he was pinned under the mower, and blunt force injuries were listed as a contributing factor, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.
“On behalf of the Village of Northbrook, we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Richard L. Bowden,” according to the statement.
His death remains under investigation by the village.
Just eight days earlier, a water department plant worker was killed when he was pinned under water by a mower in northwest suburban Hanover Park.
On May 5, 50-year-old Steven Daley was injured while working at the Hanover Park Wastewater Treatment Plant at 5600 Glenbrook Blvd., according to the Village of Hanover Park.
An autopsy found Daley drowned after being pinned under water by a lawn mower, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.
Daley, a Streamwood resident, was a 19-year employee and worked as a water treatment operator in the sewer maintenance division of the Hanover Park Public Works Department.
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A 62-year-old Deerfield man was killed after falling from a riding mower at Green Acres Country Club Saturday.
By Jonah Meadows (Patch Staff) - May 16, 2017 10:05 am ET
NORTHBROOK, IL — A lawn worker at a country club died after being pinned below a riding mower Saturday afternoon.
Richard L. Bowden, 62, mowed lawns at Green Acres Country Club in Northbrook. He was cutting grass along an incline on an embankment when the large mower tipped over, trapping him underneath. He was pronounced dead at 2:53 p.m., according to a statement from the Village of Northbrook. Bowden's death was ruled an accident due to traumatic asphyxia and blunt force injuries from falling from and being pinned under a riding mower, according to results of a Sunday autopsy from the Cook County Medical Examiner.
Bowden, of Deerfield, was a contract worker for a landscaping company hired by Green Acres. His death remains under investigation by the village, according to the statement.
“On behalf of the Village of Northbrook, we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Richard L. Bowden,” the statement said.
According to an obituary submitted by his family:
Rick was an avid outdoorsman and was always up earlier than you. For the past 38 years he enjoyed maintaining the grass for a game he couldn't play. His endless knowledge, extraordinary work ethic and larger than life sense of humor was admired by all and is sincerely missed by family.
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Obituary for Rick "Bood" Bowden
Rick “Bood” Bowden, 62, of Deerfield, IL passed away on May 13, 2017.
Beloved husband of Tammy nee Largo; loving father of Kimberly Lynn Raney and papa to Robert (Bubba); loving son to Janet and the late Richard Bowden; dear brother to James (Bean), Bruce, and Joe; and fond uncle to Loren, Katie, and Sean.
Rick was an avid outdoorsman and was always up earlier than you. For the past 38 years he enjoyed maintaining the grass for a game he couldn't play.
His endless knowledge, extraordinary work ethic and larger than life sense of humor was admired by all and is sincerely missed by family. A celebration of Rick’s life will be held on Monday, May 22, 2017 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm at Buffo's, 431 Sheridan Rd, Highwood, IL 60040. The family asks everyone to please bring a photo/article/memory of Rick with your name written on it. The items will be made into a scrapbook for his grandson. For more funeral info or directions please call Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home at (847) 831-4260.
HOUSTON, TEXAS -
One male worker is dead after a work-related accident at an auto shop in northwest Harris County.
A worker died Tuesday afternoon at Richey Collision at 12221 Veterans Memorial Drive. Officials say the man hooked up nitrogen gas instead of oxygen in a paint booth and died after inhaling the fumes.
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Auto shop worker dies after breathing nitrogen gas
By Mike Glenn
Published 7:58 pm, Tuesday, May 16, 2017
HOUSTON, TEXAS -
An employee at a northwest Harris County body shop died Tuesday in what authorities are calling a workplace accident.
A coworker found the man's body shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday night inside the enclosed paint booth at Richey Collision, 12221 Veterans Memorial, Harris County sheriff's deputies said.
The employee, who has not been identified, was wearing an oxygen mask while painting at the body shop. For some reason, he unhooked from the oxygen and stepped away, authorities said.
But when he returned to the paint booth, deputies said the man apparently hooked his line into the nitrogen supply rather than oxygen. He lost consciousness and died at the scene, officials said.
Sheriff's officials said they believe the man's death was an accident. The incident will be reported to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, officials said.
