LAKE CITY -- A 77-year-old Lake City man was killed Monday in a two-car accident on Route 5 near the intersection of Nursery Road in Girard Township, state police said.
Otto S. "Luke" Warner was pronounced dead at Hamot Medical Center at 10:53 a.m. He was not wearing a seat belt, police said.
State police at Girard said the accident happened at 9:49 a.m. as Warner's 1995 Buick Century was at a stop sign on Culbertson Drive.
Police said Julie E. Brown, 32, of Lake City, was westbound on Route 5 in a 1995 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight when she swerved to avoid a westbound car that had stopped to turn left onto Nursery Road. Police said Brown lost control of her car and hit Warner's car on the driver's side.
Brown's car struck a tree after hitting Warner's car, police said, adding that Brown was not wearing a seat belt.A Lake City Volunteer Fire Department ambulance drove Brown to Hamot Medical Center, where she was listed in fair condition Monday night.
-GoErie.com, Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Deaf man killed by train
A deaf Erie man was accidentally struck and killed by a train, one day after his 19th birthday.
Police said a train struck and killed Devon Chambers at 2:04 p.m. Friday while he was walking home along CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks east near 16th and Myrtle streets.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said Chambers, of East 11th Street, was killed instantly by the train that was moving at 30 mph.
Cook said the death was accidental because it appeared Chambers did not hear the train approaching.
He could not hear the train, his family said, because he was deaf."I'm sure he didn't hear the horn from the train. I'm thinking maybe he thought he could cross the tracks without any problem," said Carlotta Freeman, Chambers' cousin and family spokeswoman. "We have busy streets over here. He knows to slow down and pay attention.
"She said Chambers' birthday was Thursday. Because of conflicting events, the birthday party and cookout was rescheduled for Friday afternoon at Chambers' home."We wanted to have all the family together," Freeman said.
She said police notified Chambers' mother, Nicki Chambers, at her place of employment about her son's death. Nicki Chambers declined to comment Friday evening.
Freeman described her cousin as fun-loving, an avid basketball player and a huge fan of hanging out at the Trinity Center, 462 W. 18th St.
She said the Chambers family recently moved to their home on the west side. It was Devon Chambers' nephews who told him about a shortcut over the railroad tracks to the Trinity Center, which is where he was coming from Friday.
Attempts to reach an official at the Trinity Center were unsuccessful.
Freeman said the birthday party was going to be the last major celebration for the family before Chambers returned to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Pittsburgh later this month.
Erie police detectives are investigating the details of the case.
Police said a train struck and killed Devon Chambers at 2:04 p.m. Friday while he was walking home along CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks east near 16th and Myrtle streets.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook said Chambers, of East 11th Street, was killed instantly by the train that was moving at 30 mph.
Cook said the death was accidental because it appeared Chambers did not hear the train approaching.
He could not hear the train, his family said, because he was deaf."I'm sure he didn't hear the horn from the train. I'm thinking maybe he thought he could cross the tracks without any problem," said Carlotta Freeman, Chambers' cousin and family spokeswoman. "We have busy streets over here. He knows to slow down and pay attention.
"She said Chambers' birthday was Thursday. Because of conflicting events, the birthday party and cookout was rescheduled for Friday afternoon at Chambers' home."We wanted to have all the family together," Freeman said.
She said police notified Chambers' mother, Nicki Chambers, at her place of employment about her son's death. Nicki Chambers declined to comment Friday evening.
Freeman described her cousin as fun-loving, an avid basketball player and a huge fan of hanging out at the Trinity Center, 462 W. 18th St.
She said the Chambers family recently moved to their home on the west side. It was Devon Chambers' nephews who told him about a shortcut over the railroad tracks to the Trinity Center, which is where he was coming from Friday.
Attempts to reach an official at the Trinity Center were unsuccessful.
Freeman said the birthday party was going to be the last major celebration for the family before Chambers returned to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Pittsburgh later this month.
Erie police detectives are investigating the details of the case.
Driver charged in I-90 crash
A paralyzed Erie man who police say caused a fatal two-vehicle accident on Interstate 90 in July now faces charges that he was drunk at the time.
Paul Staub, 44, faces 10 charges in all, including two drunken-driving charges.
Staub's blood-alcohol content at the time was 0.8 percent, the lowest amount classified as driving under the influence, State Police Trooper Eric McGuire said.
Staub also faces two misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and six summary charges for traffic violations, including speeding, failing to signal a turn and reckless driving.
Staub, who was paralyzed from the chest down after falling 13 feet at a work site in 1993, was driving with adaptive controls that allowed him to operate the vehicle with his hands alone.
His preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 27. Police charged Staub on Thursday.The two-vehicle accident happened at about 4 p.m. on July 17 just east of the Wesleyville exit in Harborcreek Township.
A passenger in the other vehicle, Larry W. Wood, 60, of Germantown, Tenn., was killed in the accident.The driver, Preston M. Pennybacker, 51, of Lowell, Ind., was seriously injured.
McGuire said Staub was driving to a friend's house in the eastbound lane of I-90 when he swerved his van into the side of Pennybacker's tractor-trailer cab.
Police said both vehicles traveled into the median. Staub's van hit a crossover, police said, became airborne and struck the guide rail on the far side of the westbound lanes. The van rolled down an embankment and came to rest against trees about 40 yards away, police said.
Staub was thrown from the vehicle, McGuire said.Witnesses said that Pennybacker's rig began to jackknife, went into the median, struck an embankment and rolled before stopping. Pennybacker was wearing his seat belt, but Wood was moving from the back of the cabin to the passenger's seat and was standing when the rig was struck, McGuire said.
-GoErie.com, Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Paul Staub, 44, faces 10 charges in all, including two drunken-driving charges.
Staub's blood-alcohol content at the time was 0.8 percent, the lowest amount classified as driving under the influence, State Police Trooper Eric McGuire said.
Staub also faces two misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and six summary charges for traffic violations, including speeding, failing to signal a turn and reckless driving.
Staub, who was paralyzed from the chest down after falling 13 feet at a work site in 1993, was driving with adaptive controls that allowed him to operate the vehicle with his hands alone.
His preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 27. Police charged Staub on Thursday.The two-vehicle accident happened at about 4 p.m. on July 17 just east of the Wesleyville exit in Harborcreek Township.
A passenger in the other vehicle, Larry W. Wood, 60, of Germantown, Tenn., was killed in the accident.The driver, Preston M. Pennybacker, 51, of Lowell, Ind., was seriously injured.
McGuire said Staub was driving to a friend's house in the eastbound lane of I-90 when he swerved his van into the side of Pennybacker's tractor-trailer cab.
Police said both vehicles traveled into the median. Staub's van hit a crossover, police said, became airborne and struck the guide rail on the far side of the westbound lanes. The van rolled down an embankment and came to rest against trees about 40 yards away, police said.
Staub was thrown from the vehicle, McGuire said.Witnesses said that Pennybacker's rig began to jackknife, went into the median, struck an embankment and rolled before stopping. Pennybacker was wearing his seat belt, but Wood was moving from the back of the cabin to the passenger's seat and was standing when the rig was struck, McGuire said.
-GoErie.com, Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Crash kills student
An Erie student on his way to fall classes at Pennsylvania State University died Sunday when the sport utility vehicle in which he was riding — a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a friend — crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer.
Nicholas P. Caccavo, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene, on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County. His friend, 19-year-old Shawn P. Browne, was taken to Altoona Hospital, where he was in fair condition Monday night. Both teens were 2006 graduates of Northwestern Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy. They were to be sophomores at Penn State.
Caccavo was an engineering major, said Erie schools Superintendent Jim Barker, a close friend of the Caccavo family.
Caccavo and Browne were driving to University Park. Classes begin Aug. 27.
At about 3:05 p.m. Sunday, in Graham Township, Clearfield County, a tractor-trailer slowed for traffic, state police said. Browne did not notice, police said. His Jeep struck the back of the rig and then rolled.
Both teens were wearing seat belts, police said. The truck’s driver, Robert Murphy, of Iowa, was not injured.
-GoErie.com, Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Nicholas P. Caccavo, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene, on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County. His friend, 19-year-old Shawn P. Browne, was taken to Altoona Hospital, where he was in fair condition Monday night. Both teens were 2006 graduates of Northwestern Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy. They were to be sophomores at Penn State.
Caccavo was an engineering major, said Erie schools Superintendent Jim Barker, a close friend of the Caccavo family.
Caccavo and Browne were driving to University Park. Classes begin Aug. 27.
At about 3:05 p.m. Sunday, in Graham Township, Clearfield County, a tractor-trailer slowed for traffic, state police said. Browne did not notice, police said. His Jeep struck the back of the rig and then rolled.
Both teens were wearing seat belts, police said. The truck’s driver, Robert Murphy, of Iowa, was not injured.
-GoErie.com, Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Doctor sued in autistic boy's chelation death
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The parents of a 5-year-old autistic boy who died after receiving a chemical treatment sued the doctor who administered it for wrongful death.
Mawra and Rufai Nadama, who live in Great Britain, accused Dr. Roy Kerry of causing their son, Tariq, to die of cardiac arrest at Kerry's office immediately after the boy received chelation therapy on Aug. 23, 2005.
Chelation removes heavy metals from the body and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for acute heavy-metal poisoning that has been confirmed by blood tests.
Some people who believe autism is caused by a mercury-containing preservative once used in vaccines say chelation may also help autistic children.
Kerry, of Greenville, did not immediately return a message left at his office Monday.
The Nadamas are also suing ApotheCure Inc., of Dallas, which they contend supplied the chelation solution but allegedly did not provide appropriate warnings and instructions about its use.
-GoErie.com, Monday, July 9th, 2007
Mawra and Rufai Nadama, who live in Great Britain, accused Dr. Roy Kerry of causing their son, Tariq, to die of cardiac arrest at Kerry's office immediately after the boy received chelation therapy on Aug. 23, 2005.
Chelation removes heavy metals from the body and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for acute heavy-metal poisoning that has been confirmed by blood tests.
Some people who believe autism is caused by a mercury-containing preservative once used in vaccines say chelation may also help autistic children.
Kerry, of Greenville, did not immediately return a message left at his office Monday.
The Nadamas are also suing ApotheCure Inc., of Dallas, which they contend supplied the chelation solution but allegedly did not provide appropriate warnings and instructions about its use.
-GoErie.com, Monday, July 9th, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Van rolls into Conn. pond, killing 3
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A woman chased her minivan as it rolled down a steep hill and jumped in before it sank into a pond Wednesday, killing her and two children inside and leaving a third child in critical condition, authorities said.
The woman, who was the mother of at least one of the children, had gotten out of the van, then noticed it was rolling away and jumped back in before it went into the water, Police Chief Bryan Norwood said.
The van rolled about 60 or 70 yards into Bunnell's Pond at Beardsley Park, where many people had gathered to celebrate the holiday.
The victims were trapped inside in 15 to 20 feet of water for 20 to 25 minutes before members of the Bridgeport police scuba team were able to pull them out. Rescuers tried to revive them before they were taken to local hospitals.
Fire Battalion Chief Ismael Pomales said the woman apparently got out of the van to ask directions to a Fourth of July barbecue, but police would not confirm that Wednesday night.
"It's horrible," Pomales said. "We've had children die before. That's probably one of the toughest things for any rescue person to deal with."
Their names were not immediately released because officials were notifying relatives.
All three children were under 7 years old, officials said. Bridgeport Hospital spokesman John Cappiello confirmed that two of the children died.
A third was sent to Yale-New Haven Hospital. Hospital officials said the surviving child, a 6-year-old boy, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
The woman was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where she also died, Pomales said.
People nearby tried unsuccessfully to stop the van, Pomales said. Fire personnel could not reach the people inside the vehicle. The Bridgeport Police Department's scuba team arrived a few minutes later and removed the victims from the van.
Beardsley Park was closed while emergency crews worked but later reopened.
-USAtoday.com, Thursday, July 5th, 2007
The woman, who was the mother of at least one of the children, had gotten out of the van, then noticed it was rolling away and jumped back in before it went into the water, Police Chief Bryan Norwood said.
The van rolled about 60 or 70 yards into Bunnell's Pond at Beardsley Park, where many people had gathered to celebrate the holiday.
The victims were trapped inside in 15 to 20 feet of water for 20 to 25 minutes before members of the Bridgeport police scuba team were able to pull them out. Rescuers tried to revive them before they were taken to local hospitals.
Fire Battalion Chief Ismael Pomales said the woman apparently got out of the van to ask directions to a Fourth of July barbecue, but police would not confirm that Wednesday night.
"It's horrible," Pomales said. "We've had children die before. That's probably one of the toughest things for any rescue person to deal with."
Their names were not immediately released because officials were notifying relatives.
All three children were under 7 years old, officials said. Bridgeport Hospital spokesman John Cappiello confirmed that two of the children died.
A third was sent to Yale-New Haven Hospital. Hospital officials said the surviving child, a 6-year-old boy, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
The woman was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where she also died, Pomales said.
People nearby tried unsuccessfully to stop the van, Pomales said. Fire personnel could not reach the people inside the vehicle. The Bridgeport Police Department's scuba team arrived a few minutes later and removed the victims from the van.
Beardsley Park was closed while emergency crews worked but later reopened.
-USAtoday.com, Thursday, July 5th, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Female worker killed on N.Y. park ride
RYE, N.Y. (AP) — A safety precaution put in place for a thrill ride after a fatal accident five years ago wasn't being followed when a worker was killed on the same ride, an amusement park official acknowledged Saturday.
Gabriela Garin, 21, died Friday night after she was thrown from the Mind Scrambler at Rye Playland, a National Historic Landmark on Long Island Sound about 25 miles north of midtown Manhattan.
The single mother had made her first visit to the park when she was a youngster and spent the last seven years working there.
"She grew up in this place, and this place took her away from us," said her weeping sister, Ruby Garin. "She used to come here when she was 3 years old. It wasn't her fault."
The ride was immediately shut down for the rest of the summer. Two other rides at the park — Power Surge and Go-Karts — that are owned by the same company also will close indefinitely while its safety procedures are inspected, said park spokesman Peter Tartaglia.
In 2004, a 7-year-old girl wiggled free of the restraining bar on one of the Mind Scrambler's cars, knelt on the seat and fell to her death soon after the ride started, according to investigators.
The park was not cited for any violations or required to make improvements to the ride after the child's death, although officials announced plans to add seat belts, more lighting and a second attendant at the Mind Scrambler.
No second attendant was on duty in the booth when Garin died, Tartaglia said.
Her sisters described Garin as a responsible, hard-working mother who was devoted to her child and careful on the job.
"This is a savvy young lady, bright, who was working here since she was 14 years old," Spano said. "She knows this ride like the back of her hand."
She was employed by S & L Amusements, the company that owned the Mind Scrambler.
Company officials did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment Saturday.
It was the fourth death in as many years at the county-owned Playland, which opened in 1928 and was the amusement park featured in the 1988 Tom Hanks film "Big."
-USAtoday.com, Saturday, June 30th, 2007
Gabriela Garin, 21, died Friday night after she was thrown from the Mind Scrambler at Rye Playland, a National Historic Landmark on Long Island Sound about 25 miles north of midtown Manhattan.
The single mother had made her first visit to the park when she was a youngster and spent the last seven years working there.
"She grew up in this place, and this place took her away from us," said her weeping sister, Ruby Garin. "She used to come here when she was 3 years old. It wasn't her fault."
The ride was immediately shut down for the rest of the summer. Two other rides at the park — Power Surge and Go-Karts — that are owned by the same company also will close indefinitely while its safety procedures are inspected, said park spokesman Peter Tartaglia.
In 2004, a 7-year-old girl wiggled free of the restraining bar on one of the Mind Scrambler's cars, knelt on the seat and fell to her death soon after the ride started, according to investigators.
The park was not cited for any violations or required to make improvements to the ride after the child's death, although officials announced plans to add seat belts, more lighting and a second attendant at the Mind Scrambler.
No second attendant was on duty in the booth when Garin died, Tartaglia said.
Her sisters described Garin as a responsible, hard-working mother who was devoted to her child and careful on the job.
"This is a savvy young lady, bright, who was working here since she was 14 years old," Spano said. "She knows this ride like the back of her hand."
She was employed by S & L Amusements, the company that owned the Mind Scrambler.
Company officials did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment Saturday.
It was the fourth death in as many years at the county-owned Playland, which opened in 1928 and was the amusement park featured in the 1988 Tom Hanks film "Big."
-USAtoday.com, Saturday, June 30th, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Witnesses question drag racing on city street
SELMER, Tenn. -- One day after a drag-racing car careened into a crowd and killed six people, witnesses questioned why the driver was allowed to speed down a multilane highway with no guard rails, lined on both sides by hundreds of spectators.
"It ain't really safe to do anything with drag cars on a city street," said 19-year-old Garett Moore, who said he was about 15 feet away from the wreck, but was uninjured. "They shouldn't have done it."
Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said Sunday the six killed were in their teens or early 20s. The accident injured at least 18 others, including a 5-year-old boy, who were taken to hospitals in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The crash happened Saturday during an "exhibition burnout" -- when a drag racer spins his tires to make them heat up and smoke -- at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.Amateur video of the crash, broadcast on WMC-TV in Memphis, showed the car's engine revving loudly before the vehicle sped down a highway. After a few hundred feet, the smoking car skidded off the road in front of a drive-in restaurant.
Authorities identified the driver as pro drag racer Troy Warren Critchley, an Australian who is now based in Wylie, Texas. He suffered minor injuries and was taken by car to a nearby hospital for treatment, authorities said.
There were no criminal charges against Critchley, Browning said.
There was a guard rail along at least part of the highway, but not along the stretch where the crash occurred.
Nick Staples, of Columbus, Miss., said he was standing 20 feet from where the car plowed into the audience."There should have been guard rails," Staples said. "But even if there had been, it wouldn't have mattered."
The Highway Patrol said Raven Griswell, 15, of Finger; and Sean Michael Driskill, 22, of Adamsville, died at the scene. Four others -- Brook L. Pope, 20, of Selmer; Scarlett Replogle, 15, of Selmer; Kimberly A. Barfield, 17, of Adamsville; and Nicole Griswell, 19, of Selmer, all died later in area hospitals.
The AMS Pro Modified Series, which sponsors professional drag races, issued a news release saying the driver, a veteran of more than 20 years in drag racing, was performing a burnout when road conditions caused the car to go out of control. The Highway Patrol said it had no information about road conditions.
Moore, the 19-year-old witness, said before the crash there had been a parade of cars -- everything from antique cars to modern dragsters. But he thought the show was over.
"I was about to head across the street, and I saw him barreling toward us."
Other dragsters in the parade had been spinning their tires and then accelerating quickly, but everyone else put on the breaks before going past the guard rails, Moore said.
"This is definitely not the kind of road you should be drag racing on," Moore said, noting that most public roads have an arc, or hump, that lets rain run off more quickly. "This isn't a flat open surface like you have at a race track.
Authorities closed the festival after the crash. About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event.
Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 annually for charities that help children in need, according to its Web site.
A statement posted on the Web site Sunday offered an apology to the victims and their families: "The loss is deep within our hearts and we will carry the scars of each loss forever. "The charity was formed in 1990, two years after founder Larry Price's son, Chad, suffered a severe head injury in a bicycle accident. Price promised that if his son was saved from lifelong injuries, he would spend the rest of his life raising funds for disabled children, according to the Web site.
-GoErie.com, Monday June 18th, 2007
"It ain't really safe to do anything with drag cars on a city street," said 19-year-old Garett Moore, who said he was about 15 feet away from the wreck, but was uninjured. "They shouldn't have done it."
Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Browning said Sunday the six killed were in their teens or early 20s. The accident injured at least 18 others, including a 5-year-old boy, who were taken to hospitals in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The crash happened Saturday during an "exhibition burnout" -- when a drag racer spins his tires to make them heat up and smoke -- at the Cars for Kids charity event in Selmer, located about 80 miles east of Memphis.Amateur video of the crash, broadcast on WMC-TV in Memphis, showed the car's engine revving loudly before the vehicle sped down a highway. After a few hundred feet, the smoking car skidded off the road in front of a drive-in restaurant.
Authorities identified the driver as pro drag racer Troy Warren Critchley, an Australian who is now based in Wylie, Texas. He suffered minor injuries and was taken by car to a nearby hospital for treatment, authorities said.
There were no criminal charges against Critchley, Browning said.
There was a guard rail along at least part of the highway, but not along the stretch where the crash occurred.
Nick Staples, of Columbus, Miss., said he was standing 20 feet from where the car plowed into the audience."There should have been guard rails," Staples said. "But even if there had been, it wouldn't have mattered."
The Highway Patrol said Raven Griswell, 15, of Finger; and Sean Michael Driskill, 22, of Adamsville, died at the scene. Four others -- Brook L. Pope, 20, of Selmer; Scarlett Replogle, 15, of Selmer; Kimberly A. Barfield, 17, of Adamsville; and Nicole Griswell, 19, of Selmer, all died later in area hospitals.
The AMS Pro Modified Series, which sponsors professional drag races, issued a news release saying the driver, a veteran of more than 20 years in drag racing, was performing a burnout when road conditions caused the car to go out of control. The Highway Patrol said it had no information about road conditions.
Moore, the 19-year-old witness, said before the crash there had been a parade of cars -- everything from antique cars to modern dragsters. But he thought the show was over.
"I was about to head across the street, and I saw him barreling toward us."
Other dragsters in the parade had been spinning their tires and then accelerating quickly, but everyone else put on the breaks before going past the guard rails, Moore said.
"This is definitely not the kind of road you should be drag racing on," Moore said, noting that most public roads have an arc, or hump, that lets rain run off more quickly. "This isn't a flat open surface like you have at a race track.
Authorities closed the festival after the crash. About 40,000 to 60,000 people were expected to attend the weekend event.
Cars for Kids holds several events throughout the nation and raises close to $200,000 annually for charities that help children in need, according to its Web site.
A statement posted on the Web site Sunday offered an apology to the victims and their families: "The loss is deep within our hearts and we will carry the scars of each loss forever. "The charity was formed in 1990, two years after founder Larry Price's son, Chad, suffered a severe head injury in a bicycle accident. Price promised that if his son was saved from lifelong injuries, he would spend the rest of his life raising funds for disabled children, according to the Web site.
-GoErie.com, Monday June 18th, 2007
Crash kills 1 and leaves another in serious condition
The accident happened about 11 a.m. in Cussewago Township, Crawford County, when Robert Reynolds, 43, of Meadville, was traveling west in his Dodge Stratus on North Mosiertown Road.
Police said he went through a stop sign at the Route 98 intersection and was hit broadside by a Cadillac DeVille driven by Richard Vanberun, 55, also of Meadville.Reynolds was pronounced dead at the scene by Crawford County Coroner Patrick McHenry due to multiple blunt-force trauma.
Reynolds' passenger, Katrina Smith, 45, of Meadville, was flown to Hamot Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition Sunday night.
Vanberun, his wife, Renata, 26, and 4-year-old son, were treated at Meadville Medical Center for minor injuries.
Police said he went through a stop sign at the Route 98 intersection and was hit broadside by a Cadillac DeVille driven by Richard Vanberun, 55, also of Meadville.Reynolds was pronounced dead at the scene by Crawford County Coroner Patrick McHenry due to multiple blunt-force trauma.
Reynolds' passenger, Katrina Smith, 45, of Meadville, was flown to Hamot Medical Center, where she was listed in serious condition Sunday night.
Vanberun, his wife, Renata, 26, and 4-year-old son, were treated at Meadville Medical Center for minor injuries.
Friday, June 15, 2007
9 workers sent plunging into water after bridge accident; 1 dead
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) _ A column under construction collapsed on a new bridge Thursday, sending nine workers plunging into the Bay of St. Louis. One worker died and another was missing.
Eight workers were taken to area hospitals following the accident on the U.S. 90 bridge, a two-mile span that was built to replace one that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and partially opened to traffic last month.
Alger Pennamn, 51, of Jackson, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. The others were in stable condition, according to hospital officials.Workers were pouring concrete on the north side of the bridge when a column form failed and fell, according to Lisa Siegel, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation."The whole column went into the water," she said.
The Coast Guard dispatched two rescue helicopters and a 25-foot boat to join the search for the missing worker, said Petty Officer Tom Atkeson. Officials suspected the worker was trapped under debris in the water.
The workers involved in the accident were employed by Granite Archer Western, the contractor in charge of building the new bridge. Company spokesman Dan Galvin wouldn't release any additional information about the missing or injured workers.
The $267 million bridge, which connects Bay St. Louis with Pass Christian to the east, is scheduled to be completed in November.
- GoErie.com, Friday, June 15th, 2007
Eight workers were taken to area hospitals following the accident on the U.S. 90 bridge, a two-mile span that was built to replace one that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and partially opened to traffic last month.
Alger Pennamn, 51, of Jackson, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, said Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove. The others were in stable condition, according to hospital officials.Workers were pouring concrete on the north side of the bridge when a column form failed and fell, according to Lisa Siegel, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation."The whole column went into the water," she said.
The Coast Guard dispatched two rescue helicopters and a 25-foot boat to join the search for the missing worker, said Petty Officer Tom Atkeson. Officials suspected the worker was trapped under debris in the water.
The workers involved in the accident were employed by Granite Archer Western, the contractor in charge of building the new bridge. Company spokesman Dan Galvin wouldn't release any additional information about the missing or injured workers.
The $267 million bridge, which connects Bay St. Louis with Pass Christian to the east, is scheduled to be completed in November.
- GoErie.com, Friday, June 15th, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Pa. trucker charged with manslaughter in fiery, fatal crash
MURRYSVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- A trucker who caused a fiery crash that killed a woman last month was driving too fast and couldn't stop for backed-up traffic in a construction zone, police said.
Thomas Allan McElhoes, 47, of Laceyville, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle, reckless endangerment and several traffic citations in the April 30 crash that killed Nancy Anne Baker, 44, of New Alexandria.
McElhoes caused the chain-reaction crash, which involved eight vehicles, when he rear-ended Baker's on Route 22, police said. McElhoes was driving 50 mph in a 40 mph construction zone and told investigators he did not see the stopped traffic because he was looking in his rearview mirror, according to a criminal complaint.
McElhoes' home phone is unlisted and it's not clear if he has an attorney. Police got a warrant for his arrest and said they were working on having McElhoes surrender to face the charges.
-GoErie.com, Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
Thomas Allan McElhoes, 47, of Laceyville, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle, reckless endangerment and several traffic citations in the April 30 crash that killed Nancy Anne Baker, 44, of New Alexandria.
McElhoes caused the chain-reaction crash, which involved eight vehicles, when he rear-ended Baker's on Route 22, police said. McElhoes was driving 50 mph in a 40 mph construction zone and told investigators he did not see the stopped traffic because he was looking in his rearview mirror, according to a criminal complaint.
McElhoes' home phone is unlisted and it's not clear if he has an attorney. Police got a warrant for his arrest and said they were working on having McElhoes surrender to face the charges.
-GoErie.com, Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
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