Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Teen Survives Deadly Plane Crash

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MORONI, Comoros — A Yemeni jetliner carrying 153 people crashed in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday as it came in for a landing on the island nation of Comoros. Yemeni officials said a teenage girl survived.

The crash came two years after aviation officials reported faults with the plane, an Airbus 310 flying the last leg of a journey from Paris and Marseille to Comoros, with a stop in Yemen to change planes. Most of the passengers were from Comoros, a former French colony. Sixty-six on board were French nationals.

Khaled el-Kaei, the head of Yemenia airline’s public relations office, said a 14-year-old girl survived the crash. And Yemen’s embassy in Washington issued a statement saying a young girl survived and was taken to a hospital. It also said five bodies were recovered.

There were earlier reports that a 5-year-old boy survived. El-Kaei said that was not known and the airline had lost contact with its office in Comoros because of bad weather.

Yemeni civil aviation deputy chief Mohammed Abdul Qader said the flight data recorder had not been found and it was too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. But he said the wind was 40 miles per hour (61 kph) as the plane was landing in the middle of the night.

“The weather was very bad,” he said, adding the windy conditions hampered rescue efforts.

Child Pornography Lands Former Pastor in Prison

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A former Royse City minister was sentenced Monday to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in March to possessing and sending child pornography from his computer to others via the Internet.

Steve Richardson, 36, former pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Royse City east of Dallas, was sentenced in Dallas by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who ordered him to serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender, according to federal prosecutors.

Richardson, who is no longer a minister, has been in federal custody since his Sept. 24 arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who seized a computer containing images of child pornography from his church office, said Acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks.

He admitted possessing an external hard drive that contained more than 600 images of child pornography. The arrest came after an undercover investigation by a federal agent who communicated with Richardson over Google Hello, an Internet service that enables users to share photos via their computers.

Richardson, who used the identity "cowboyspades," admitted that he logged into his Google "Hello" account on Dec. 20, 2007, and sent an image of a minor. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography and one count of transporting and shipping child pornography. He faced a maximum of 20 years on the transporting charge, 10 years on the possession charge and a $250,000 fine on each charge.

United Methodist officials suspended Richardson from his clerical duties after his arrest. He later surrendered his credentials after the Board of Ordained Ministry of the denominaton's North Texas Conference placed him on involuntary leave Dec. 1, according to Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe.

Child Molestation in Texas

GRAPEVINE -- Police appealed for help Tuesday to identify a man accused of fondling young girls at Cinemark Tinseltown Grapevine on at least four occasions.

Authorities released photographs of the man Tuesday morning from surveillance cameras at the theater, 911 Texas W. Texas 114.

Investigators believe the man may be responsible for four different incidents, possibly six, starting in December.

In the most recent case, the man is accused of fondling the breast and buttocks of a 14-year-old girl as he sat beside her about 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the theater.

The photographs released Tuesday morning came from the incident on Saturday as the man stood in front of a concession counter.

“He ran out of the door before she could tell anyone,” Grapevine Lt. Todd Dearing said Tuesday.

Investigators believe the man has targeted girls between the ages of 8 to 18 years of age.

In each case, the girls were sitting near their parents in a theater, Dearing said Tuesday.

In a few reports, Dearing said that when the man thought he was going to be “caught”, he “took a phone call” and left the theater.

Police have reports of other incidents starting with an 18-year-old at midnight on Dec. 29, an 8-year-old at 9 p.m. on Jan. 24 and a 10-year-old at 7:15 p.m. on April 19.

The suspect has escalated his contact from brushing up and touching the arms and legs of victims to fondling, police said.

Witnesses have described him as a white man about 45 to 50-years-old, a thin build with salt-and pepper hair. He has a hooked nose.

Anyone with information should contact Grapevine police at 817-410-3200.

1.67 Billion Dollar Verdict in East Texas

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. federal jury returned a $1.67 billion verdict against Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) in a patent suit brought by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) related to arthritis treatments, the drug companies said on Monday.

An Abbott spokesman said the company would appeal the verdict delivered in Marshall, Texas.

The case involves Humira, Abbott's newer blockbuster drug that blocks tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, and which competes with Johnson & Johnson's older blockbuster medication Remicade.

The company said in a statement it was pleased with the ruling, which showed its patent was "both valid and infringed." Remicade sales were $1.03 billion in Johnson & Johnson's first quarter.

Abbott spokesman Scott Stoffel told Reuters: "We're disappointed at this verdict, and we are confident in the merits of our case and that we will prevail on appeal."

Humira is a fully-human antibody, meaning it does not have any mouse components, Stoffel said. Remicade, on the other hand, is partly made from mouse DNA.

"Only when Humira was nearing its approval in 2002 did J&J amend the patent at issue in this litigation to claim it had discovered fully-human antibodies in 1994," Stoffel said.

"J&J acknowledged at trial that it did not start working on a fully human antibody until 1997 -- two years after Abbott discovered Humira and one year after Abbott filed its patent applications for Humira."

A spokeswoman for the Johnson & Johnson unit involved in the case, Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc, would not comment beyond the brief statement.

Schering-Plough Corp (SGP.N) has the overseas rights to Remicade. Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) aims to buy Schering-Plough later this year, and to inherit those rights.

Johnson & Johnson, however, is battling Merck before an arbitrator, claiming it will gain overseas market rights to Remicade if Merck completes its acquisition of Schering-Plough.

Both Merck and Schering-Plough were not immediately available to comment on the implications of the jury's verdict.

Drunk Driver Car Wreck Damages House

A woman was accused late Monday of driving while intoxicated after she smashed her vehicle into a home in southwest Arlington, an arrest report states.

A passenger in the car was reportedly injured. The condition and location to which the passenger was taken were unavailable early Tuesday morning.

Angela Lachaun Breedlove is being held in the Arlington jail on $1,000 bail Tuesday morning.

Breedlove wrecked her car into a home in the 4000 block of Southern Charm Court shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday night, the arrest report states.

The residential neighborhood is located just south of West Pleasant Ridge Road and West Poly Webb Road.

Monday, June 29, 2009

One Dead in Houston Car Wreck Harris County Car Crash

One person died in a single-vehicle, roll-over wreck in northwest Houston over the weekend.

Investigators said a Chevrolet pickup was traveling southbound in the 11900 block of Hempstead at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control about 3 a.m. Sunday.

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The truck flipped several times.

A passenger, whose name has not been released, was killed.

The driver, whose name also was not released, was injured and taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Frisco Family Suffers

Oklahoma Truck Wreck Semi Death Wrongful Killed

Shelby Hayes of Frisco died early Sunday morning, spelling the end to three generations of her family.

Her son, her husband and her mother were killed Friday when a tractor-trailer plowed into a line of vehicles stopped because of an earlier crash on Interstate 44 in northeastern Oklahoma.

The 35-year-old stay-at-home mom was trapped in the family's vehicle on the Oklahoma turnpike for two hours and never regained consciousness at a Missouri hospital.

"Two complete families got wiped out," said Robin Bellemore, who lives across the street from Shelby Hayes and her husband, Scott, both of whom were only children. Shelby's mother, Cindy Olson, was widowed and lived in the Denton County town of Crossroads.

"Life is never fair," Bellemore said.

Shelby Hayes didn't get the chance to mourn the loss of her only son, Ethan. The vivacious 7-year-old lit up the neighborhood where his family lived on the corner of a cul-de-sac in Frisco.

She didn't get the chance to mourn her husband of 16 years, who had plans for a better life. Scott Hayes, 38, worked at SuperTarget on Eldorado Parkway in Frisco and was studying computers at ITT Technical Institute.

And she didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her mother, Cindy Olson, 55, who worked in Plano as a relocation specialist and doted on her extended family.

With Shelby Hayes' passing, the death toll from Friday's wreck stood at 10. A family from Oklahoma City and a Phoenix couple were also killed. The couple's 12-year-old daughter was listed in serious condition at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Her condition was upgraded Sunday from critical.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating the crash for possible criminal charges, which is routine after any fatality. The cause is unclear. Police say they don't think 76-year-old Donald Creed tried to stop his tractor-trailer.

An initial highway patrol report said Creed's vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed for traffic conditions. The speed limit is 75 mph.

Wanda Hayes of Garland, Scott's mother, traveled to Joplin, Mo., to be with Shelby "and make arrangements to get my boys home" when she heard about the crash.

"I'm feeling very ... I don't know how I feel right now. I'm angry at how the accident occurred," she said Sunday.

When their car was hit, Olson and the Hayes family were headed to Missouri for the funeral of Shelby Hayes' great-grandfather, who died Tuesday at the age of 102.

"Like most of us, they were just going about enjoying life and probably didn't think about it," said Charles Randall of Garland, who reconnected with Scott Hayes, his childhood friend, only a few months ago. Both graduated from South Garland High School.

"He was a hard, hard worker," Randall said. "He was planning for his future. He will be sorely missed."

Shelby Hayes graduated from Naaman Forest High School in Garland. She loved all things Twilight, loved animals and had dreams of traveling the world, according to friend Sadie Carey, who grew up in Garland with the couple and now lives in Dallas.

"They had been in love since she was in high school, and it made me think better of the world [that] they were married and together so long when others have given up," said Carey, who was a bridesmaid at their wedding in the early 1990s.

Shelby and Scott Hayes would drop everything to help a friend, Carey said. And their world revolved around Ethan. He attended kindergarten at Gunstream Elementary two years ago, according to Frisco ISD officials. Friends said Shelby Hayes had been homeschooling Ethan this past year.

He was the total opposite of his parents, Bellemore said. Where they were quiet, Ethan was the chatterbox.

"It will be strange ... not to see Ethan, Shelby and Scott and say hi when they come back from the grocery store," their neighbor said. "Things happen, but this just seemed like it could have been prevented."

Olson was an inventory specialist at ExcellerateHRO, a joint venture between Towers Perrin and EDS, according to her friend, Mary Abernathy. Olson also held a real estate broker's license.

"She was the consummate relocation professional that helped many transferees make that difficult move from one location to another," Abernathy said in an e-mail. "She was an excellent negotiator when it came to selling the homes we had in inventory and was a delight to work with. I'm proud to call her my friend."

Cremation is planned for the Hayes family. Their remains will be transported to Garland, where a memorial service will be planned later.

Olson's uncle plans to have her cremated remains spread over her own mother's grave in Joplin.

Carmen Foster said she will miss Olson, her next-door neighbor for the past two years. The pair would often chat at the mailbox at the end of the day and over the back fence they shared as they tended to their yards.

"We always talked about gardens because she was so good at it," said Foster, who was still in disbelief Sunday over her friend's death.

"That could have been me," she said. "It could be anyone, anytime, anyplace."

Oklahoma Wreck Kills 10

The death toll from a chain-reaction accident on an Oklahoma turnpike Friday rose to 10 with the death of a North Texas woman.

Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo., said Sunday that Shelby Hayes, 35, of Frisco had died. She had been in critical condition with head and other injuries.

Two others with her, Randall Hayes, 38, and Ethan Hayes, 7, were killed.

Some victims were trapped in the wreckage for up to nine hours after a tractor-trailer slammed into cars that had stopped on the highway because of a previous accident.

Among other victims were Cynthia Olson, 55, of Crossroads and Oral Hooks, 69, Earlene Hooks, 63, Antonio Hooks, 42, and Dione Hooks, 41, all of Oklahoma City.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, Donald Creed, 76, of Willard, Mo., was reported in good condition in a Missouri hospital with head and other injuries.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says a routine criminal investigation is under way.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Texas Ranger Dead at 94

Lewis Rigler of Gainesville, Texas had died. He was a Texas Ranger. He was 94.

Fort Worth Car Wreck Kills Man

A Fort Worth man died early Friday after he was involved in a single-vehicle rollover wreck on the city's east side, according to reports.

Theodore English, 32, was identified by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.

It was Fort Worth's 25th fatal wreck thus far in 2009, said Sgt. Rodney Bangs, supervisor of the traffic investigation unit.

Officers were called at 2:15 a.m. to the scene of the wreck in the westbound lanes of Interstate 30. The area just west of the intersection with Cooks Lane, Bangs said. English was traveling alone in a 2000 Jeep Cherokee, Bangs said.

"According to a witness, the Jeep was traveling very fast and then veered off the roadway and rolled in the grassy area north of the roadway," Bangs said. "It does not appear that the injured driver was wearing his seat belt."

Bangs added, however, that "there were no signs of alcohol involved in this accident."

English was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Bangs said.

He died there at 6:50 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office.

"This is fatal wreck number 25 for the year," Bangs said. "However, we are still down 24 percent compared to this time last year."

There were 33 Fort Worth traffic fatalities as of June 25, 2008, Bangs said.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Car Wreck Death in Pasadena (Houston) Harris County

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A motorist died in a wreck that also sent a passenger to the hospital, Pasadena authorities said.

The driver apparently lost control shortly after 4:30 p.m. today while trying to enter eastbound State Highway 225 at Richey, Pasadena police said.

The car skidded on the wet pavement and was struck by a passing 18-wheel truck. The driver, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A passenger in the car was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in unknown condition by Life Flight helicopter.

The accident and the police investigation has blocked all eastbound traffic along State Highway 225 at Richey.

Grass Fire in Parker County causes Damages

Dry grass and weed cuttings fueled a grass fire that spread into a heavily-wooded area Tuesday consuming approximately 15 acres and threatening several nearby homes.

The fire occurred a short distance west of where Franko Switch Road intersects with Old Authon Road in northwest Parker County.

At approximately 1 p.m., the fire was intentionally started in the center of a vacant pasture, according to Yancee Plowman, 22, who takes care of the property reportedly owned by his grandparents.

“We cut and raked the pasture and we were trying to burn the weeds,” Plowman said, claiming he notified fire officials beforehand.

Firefighters from several agencies responded, including Cool-Garner, Greenwood, Weatherford and the Parker County Fire Marshal’s Office.

The blaze was extinguished as it spread to within 100 yards of the Curtis residence, threatening livestock outside the home.

Dorothy Catuogno, 79, saturated the ground outside her home with a garden hose.

“I know what fire can do out here,” she said.

Catuongo’s granddaughter, Stephanie Bickett, 20, lives nearby. As the fire approached, Bickett released two donkeys from a pen and prepared to leave the residence with her grandmother.

“It was moving very fast,” she said. “We probably would have been OK for a few more minutes, but then it might have been a good idea to leave.”

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Northwest Houston Wreck Leaves One Dead

Houston Car Wreck - Houston Wrongful Death

At least one person died in traffic accident on U.S. 290 early this morning.

The two-car accident, which involved an 18-wheeler, occurred about 3 a.m. on the westbound frontage road of the Northwest Freeway near Windfern, officials said.

The crash is blocking three lanes as police investigate the accident.

Also, a vehicle fire is snarling traffic on Interstate 45 just south of downtown this morning.

The fire erupted in what appears to be a bus headed southbound on the Gulf Freeway near U.S. 59 about 5:45 a.m.

The mishap is blocking all southbound lanes but one, backing up traffic beyond downtown on the Pierce Elevated.

No other information was immediately available from either scene.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Burleson Car Wreck Kills Woman

Car Wreck Tarrant County Johnson County

A Burleson woman died early Monday evening in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer about five miles south of Cleburne, a highway patrol trooper said.

Megan Porter, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck on Farm Road 1434 said Trooper Dub Gillum, a spokesman for Texas Department of Public Safety.

Gillum, who also investigated the wreck, said troopers were called at 7:20 p.m. to the head-on collision.

Porter, driving a 2008 Chrysler Sebring, was northbound on the farm road when she entered a curve "at an unsafe speed," Gillum said.

The car skidded left into the northbound lane where it collided with a 2000 International tractor-trailer rig driven by Juan Castaneda of Cleburne, Gillum said.

The rig came to rest in a ditch and the car was found in the roadway facing south, Gillum said. Porter did wear a seatbelt, he added.

Gillum also noted that he did not expect any charges would be filed.

Motorcyclist Dies After Fall From Bridge

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ARLINGTON -- An Arlington man died Monday after he was ejected from his motorcycle and fell from the Texas 360 overpass bridge onto Interstate 20, police said.

Douglas D. Trimm, 41, had driven his motorcycle from I-20 northbound onto the overpass about 2 p.m. when “for an unknown reason” he lost control and was ejected, said Tiara Ellis Richard, an Arlington police spokeswoman.

Trimm fell into the westbound lanes of the interstate, she said. His motorcycle continued down the overpass before coming to a stop in the grassy median.

Paramedics took Trimm to Methodist Medical Center in Dallas where he died at about 3 p.m., she said.

It was Arlington’s 18th traffic fatality this year

Monday, June 22, 2009

Allegations of Sexual Molestation in Bedford

BEDFORD -- A piano teacher repeatedly molested his young female students while they played the pianos at his Bedford home, according to arrest warrant affidavits released Monday by Bedford police.

Five young girls -- two of them sisters -- have reported being fondled and groped by the teacher in an upstairs room where he taught piano lessons, the affidavits state.

But Leland Glenn Miller, 65, denied any wrongdoing, saying he hugged his students and that he may have bumped them in the wrong place, according to the affidavits.

A Tarrant County grand jury indicted Miller earlier this month on seven cases of indecency with a child, two cases of sex abuse of a child continuous and one case of aggravated sexual abuse of child under 17.

Miller remained free Monday after posting $275,000 bail after his arrest a few weeks ago.

Miller and his attorney, Martin Miller of Bedford, could not be reached Monday.

But Leland Miller stated that he hugged his students to establish a rapport with them, according to the affidavit.

“During the hug, maybe I bumped her or rubbed her. Maybe I rubbed against her if I hugged her,” Leland Miller told a Bedford detective in November 2008, the affidavits state.

Police began an investigation in October after one of

Serious Injuries in Arlington Texas Motorcycle Wreck

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ARLINGTON -- Traffic was moving again before 3:30 p.m. Monday after the westbound lanes of Interstate 20 were closed because of a crash involving a motorcycle that went off a bridge and onto the lanes of the highway.

The motorcyclist was seriously injured when the vehicle went off a bridge on Texas 360 and landed on the Interstate highway below, a police spokeswoman said.

The driver was transported by helicopter ambulance, but there was no condition available on the motorcyclist.

Police temporarily closed the westbound lanes of I-20 while investigators and cleanup crews worked at the scene.

The accident was reported shortly before 2 p.m. on the westbound lanes of the interstate near Texas 360.

Teen Dies in Fort Worth Hotel Pool

From the Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH — Dave Huff of Southlake wasn’t worried Saturday afternoon when his 16-year-old stepson took off with friends for a swim and dinner at the Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

After all, 6-foot-tall Winston Ward was an excellent swimmer, there would be other adults, and the pool was only 4 feet, 6 inches at the deepest.

But Saturday evening, Ward, a junior at Carroll Senior High School, drowned in the hotel swimming pool after hitting his head doing a somersault, Huff said Sunday. His death was ruled an accident, the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office said Sunday.

"He wasn’t in the water for very long," Huff said Sunday as the family made funeral preparations.

Police officers were dispatched about 7:20 p.m. Saturday to the pool deck on the third floor of the Omni Hotel in the 1300 block of Houston Street in connection with a drowning, according to authorities.

Huff said his stepson, his girlfriend and other friends had gone to the Omni Hotel to visit his girlfriend’s father. "Another family was at the pool with their 5-year-old, and he [Ward] started playing with him," Huff said Sunday. "The boy’s father and mother are right there by the pool."

Details about how long Ward went unnoticed after he hit his head were not available Sunday from authorities, but Huff said it was only for a few minutes.

"The boy’s father jumped right in when he saw him [Ward] at the bottom of the pool," Huff said. Huff noted that the little boy’s father is a firefighter, and the boy’s mother is an emergency medical technician.

Officials with the Fort Worth Fire Department performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the teen but were unable to revive him, a firefighter has said.

On Sunday, the pool was closed, a hotel official said. "It will be closed until further notice," Omni Hotel spokesman Larry Auth said Sunday.

Auth said there are no lifeguards at the hotel pool.

"There’s staff around it all the time," Auth said Sunday. He described the incident as a "horrible accident for the family and the hotel."

"The grief of the family is unspeakable," his mother, Holly Ward, said Sunday. "Winston was loving, compassionate and brought a smile to everyone’s face. Winston had so many talents and abilities and was best known for his sense of humor. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him."

Houston Businessman Dies

DOUGHERTY, Texas -- A Houston businessman and his wife died when their small plane crashed in a cotton field in Floyd County, near Doughtery (DAHR'-tee).

The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the victims as the pilot, 53-year-old Rainer Aberer (RY'-ner AH'-ber-er), and 56-year-old Sharen Lee Severson (SEE'-ver-son).

Omicron Electronics business manager Sandra Whitney on Monday told The Associated Press that Aberer founded the company, based in Klaus, Austria.

The wreckage of the Cessna 182 was discovered Saturday afternoon by a farmer.

National Transportation Safety Board official Jennifer Rodi said the plane crashed Thursday night while en route to Plainview. Aberer had contacted the Plainview/Hale County Airport for landing information during thunderstorms.

The cause of the crash is sought.

I-35 Car Crash Leads to Critical Injuries

From the Statesman

Monday, June 22, 2009, 07:36 AM

Austin police said this morning that a woman is in critical condition after the car she was a passenger in crashed into a wall of northbound Interstate 35 near 46th Street about 2:30 a.m. All lanes are now open, police said. The roadway had been closed while crews investigated the crash.

The woman was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with critical injuries, Sgt. Richard Stresing said. It is unclear whether the man driving the car received any injuries, Stresing said.

Police are still on the scene investigating the crash

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Tragic Car Wreck Causes Death and Injury

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ANGOLA, Ind. — Officials say a tour bus carrying a semi-professional football team from Canada crashed into a sport utility vehicle in northeastern Indiana. One person is dead.

Angola Fire Department spokesman T.R. Hagerty says one person in the SUV was killed and 14 other people were injured in the crash reported about 11:40 a.m. EDT. Sunday.

Hagerty says the bus was carrying the London Silverbacks of London, Ontario. He says its passengers suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious but none appeared life-threatening.

Twelve people were taken to an Angola hospital with minor injuries and two others were airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital with serious injuries.

Hagerty says the crash occurred about 40 miles north of Fort Wayne.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Toddler Drowns in Spring, Texas Pool

Swimming Pool Accident Lawyer

A 2-year-old boy died after falling into a backyard pool in the Spring area early Wednesday afternoon.

The child’s mother found her son floating in the pool at their home at the 3400 Block of Marywood at about 12:30 p.m., a Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.

She tried to do CPR and an ambulance took her son to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials are treating the drowning as an accident, the spokesman said.

This is the 16th child drowning in the Houston metro area and the 48th statewide this year, according to Child Protective Services.

Thirteen drownings have happened in Harris County, all of them in backyard pools, said agency spokeswoman Estella Olguin.

"You have to designate a child watcher to keep track of children," Olguin said. "It’s easy for a child to quickly slip under the water."

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Boating Accident in Travis County

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From the Statesman:

After searching for nearly an hour, county officials found a man and a woman whose boat had crashed on Lake Travis about 2:10 a.m.

Several witnesses called just before midnight to report a 22-foot boat that crashed into an island that was created by low water on the lake.

Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services responded to the water rescue near Emerald Point Marina off Hiline Road. Officials said the small island was across from Carlos and Charlie’s restaurant.

An adult man who had back and ankle pain was transported by ambulance to University Medical Center Brackenridge, and a woman refused treatment, officials said.

Other agencies that assisted in the rescue were Hudson Bend Fire Department, Austin Police Department Air One and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Airline Who Lost Child Issues Apology

Injury to child lawyer - Injury to child attorney

BOSTON -- Continental Airlines is apologizing for sending a 10-year-old Massachusetts girl flying unaccompanied to the wrong destination, setting off a panic among her family.

Jonathan Kamens says he put his daughter, Miriam, on a Cleveland-bound flight at Logan Airport in Boston on Sunday to visit her grandparents.

He tells WBZ-TV that shortly after the plane landed in Ohio, his father-in-law called saying she had not arrived.

Kamens says for 45 minutes no one could tell him where his daughter was. She was finally located unharmed in Newark, N.J.

Kamens says the number of people who failed to do their jobs is "mindboggling."

The airline said in a statement the error was caused by "miscommunication among staff."

Monday, June 15, 2009

Fort Worth Car Wreck Kills Two

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FORT WORTH — Two people were killed early Saturday while driving toward downtown Fort Worth when their car struck a guardrail and rolled down a hill, police said.

A sport utility vehicle was traveling northbound in the 1800 block of U.S. 287, when it struck a guardrail and rolled into the median between 287 and Lancaster Avenue.

The 25-year-old male passenger was ejected. The 22-year-old female driver was found dead inside the vehicle, strapped in with her seat belt.

Police could not say Saturday whether excessive speed or alcohol played a role in the accident, although a container possibly containing alcohol was found at the scene.

The names of the victims had not been released Saturday.

AMAN BATHEJA, 817-390-7695

Monday, June 8, 2009

Houston Car Wreck Kills Teen

from the Houston Chronicle

A 17-year-old girl died and three other people were injured in a wreck Sunday night in northwest Houston.

Police said the one-car crash occurred in the 6600 block of Carver about 8:30 p.m.

The victim was driving a blue Chevrolet Impala southbound on Carver when she lost control of the speeding car and it careened into a ditch, hit a concrete drainage pipe and flipped over, investigators said.

The driver, who has not been identified, was dead at the scene and her passengers, who also have not been identified, were taken to local hospitals. Their injuries and conditions were not known.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Weatherford Car Wreck Causes Injuries

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From the Weatherford Democrat:

A mother and her two children were taken by ambulance to Metroplex hospitals in serious condition, while a third child in critical condition was transported by helicopter, following a car accident outside the city fire department’s headquarters Thursday.

The collision occurred at approximately 11 a.m. at the intersection of South Alamo and West Oak Streets, within 50 feet of Weatherford Fire Station No. 1.

According to a preliminary investigation, which included at least one witness statement, a Subaru Legacy driven by a 27-year-old female was traveling north on S. Alamo.Police believe the woman failed to heed a stop sign, pulling directly in front of a 17-year-old male driving a Dodge quad cab pickup west on W. Oak Street.

Emergency personnel used special tools to remove the passenger side door of the station wagon and extricate an 8-year-old girl trapped near the front seat. CareFlight Air Ambulance transported the girl to Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Two other juvenile females, 6 and 8, were located in the rear of the Subaru. Both were treated at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

The driver of the pickup reportedly suffered minor injuries but was released at the scene.

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Police reported all the occupants of the station wagon, who are related, were in stable condition at 2 p.m.

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No car seats were visible inside the vehicle.

Seth M. Anderson; Seth Anderson Attorney

Fort Worth Residents Killed in Missouri

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STOTTS CITY, Mo. -- Two Fort Worth residents are dead and seven others from Fort Worth were injured in a crash on Interstate 44 in southwest Missouri early Thursday.

Anna Leal, 31, and Jaime Rodriguez Sr., were pronounced dead at the scene by Lawrence County Coroner Scott Larkin about 6:45 a.m., according to Missouri State Highway Patrol officials.

Sandra Lupercio, 26; four members of the Nunez family, Jacqueline, 5, Luis E., 31, and Luis R., 10, and David; and Brian and Jaime Rodriguez Jr., were all taken to Saint John's Hospital in Joplin with injuries that were classified as moderate, according to a report from the highway patrol.

The report said the crash happened around 5:30 a.m. about three miles west of Stotts City when the driver of a sports utility vehicle ran into the median and overcorrected. The vehicle rolled several times, ejecting two passengers.

Stotts City is about 40 miles west of Springfield, Mo.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Pearland Car Wreck Wrongful Death

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A woman died this afternoon in Pearland when she crashed into an oncoming vehicle, sending the other driver to the hospital, officials said.

The woman, 59, was in the 4500 block of northbound Main Street about 4:20 p.m. when her Pontiac sedan suddenly veered into oncoming traffic, Pearland police said.

The woman was killed when her Pontiac struck a Chevrolet pickup truck head-on, police said.

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The driver of the pickup was taken to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital with minor injuries, police said.

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Police said the woman appeared to have been speeding but don’t know why her car went into the southbound lanes.

Pearland officers have blocked north and southbound traffic on Main Street while they continue their investigation into the fatal crash.

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Deadly Car Wreck Houston-Pasadena

Officials said that the three-car wreck occurred about 8:15 p.m. at Bay Area Boulevard and Red Bluff, said Vance Mitchell, Pasadena Police Department spokesman.

Chronicle news partner KHOU-TV reported that authorities said an 18-year-old woman sitting in the passenger seat of a Honda Civic was killed when it was broadsided by a pickup truck. The pickup had the green light and was traveling at high speed.

The male driver of the Civic was taken to a hospital by ambulance and is listed in stable condition. A female in the back seat was hospitalized in critical condition.

The driver of the pickup sustained minor injuries.

The identities of those involved in the wreck were not released.

Teacher Faces Sexual Assault Charges

From the Star-Telegram:

GRAPEVINE -- A daycare teacher surrendered to police Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued for him on suspicion that he fondled one of his young students, police said Thursday.

Police and CPS officials plan to interview other parents and children at the Primrose School of Hall Johnson, 2300 Hall Johnson Road.

Authorities identified the teacher as Vincent Alexander Woods, 32, of Euless. He was free Thursday morning after posting $10,000 bail.

Woods, who is married, could not be reached Thursday.

Woods is expected to be charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, Grapevine police Sgt. Kim Smith said Thursday.

If convicted, Woods faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“We’ve had one child make an outcry,” Smith said.

The unidentified 3-year-old girl made the outcry to her parents on May 28, police said.

“Her parents told investigators that their daughter had not made statements like that before,” Smith said.

After the girl talked to a forensic investigator, police interviewed Woods, Smith said.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit released on Thursday, the girl told the investigator that Woods put his hands down her pants on several occasions during nap time.

The affidavit stated that Woods told police in an interview that it happened one time, about three to four weeks ago during nap time.

Woods has been suspended from the school and had been one of the girl’s teachers, authorities said.

School officials released a statement about the incident, saying, “As our highest priority is always the health, safety and well-being of the children at our school, we take this matter very seriously and are cooperating fully with local officials in their investigation.”

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Two Dead in North Dallas Tollway Car Wreck

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From the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

A woman driving the wrong way on Dallas North Tollway Monday night died in a head-on collision that also killed the driver of the other vehicle, according to reports.

The Dallas County medical examiner's office identified the drivers as Jenny Hall, 28, of Dallas and Carl Lotspeich, 25, of Addison.

There have now been three tollway fatalities in as many months.

In April, a Plano man died in a head-on collision on the Dallas tollway, moments after he was seen driving in the wrong direction, officials said.

Check back for more details about the latest wreck.

Stephens, Anderson & Cummings, LLP handles car wrecks, car accidents, and wrongful death cases.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Carbon Monoxide Possible Cause of Wrongful Deaths

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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Wrongful Death - Stephens, Anderson, & Cummings LLP

From DallasNews.com

A 62-year-old woman, her boyfriend and her adult son have been found dead this afternoon in a Grand Prairie motel room, police said.

There are no signs of foul play, and police say it appears they may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Three dogs were also found deceased in the room.

An area of the Kensington Motor Lodge and Apartments near the scene has been evacuated because of gas-like fumes.

A concerned relative found the victims and called police about 2:40 p.m. Identities of the people have not been released. Police said the boyfriend is 48-years-old and the son is 30.

Stephens, Anderson & Cummings handles wrongful death claims in Texas.

Motorcycle Accident Leaves one Dead

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From the Star Telegram:

HURST -- A Hurst woman died Sunday afternoon from injuries she suffered in a motorcycle accident in the city, police said Monday.

The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the victim as Henny Row, 52, who was pronounced dead at Texas Health Fort Worth hospital shortly after the accident.

No one else was injured.

The accident happened about 3:45 p.m. Sunday at 1000 Hurstview Drive.

Row was driving her 2002 Suzuki when she failed to make a turn and hit a curb, according to preliminary police reports.

The report did not indicate if Row was wearing a helmet.

Two Teens Die in Collision in Grand Prairie

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From www.star-telegram.com

Two teenagers were killed Sunday evening after their pickup truck collided with another vehicle, went out of control and landed upside down in a creek bed in west Grand Prairie, police said..

Both teens, a male driver and female passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Their names were unavailable Monday morning because police wanted to make sure their relatives had been notified.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 2007 Ford Focus, was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center where she was treated for minor injuries and released. She has been identified as Crystal Rayfield, 21, of Arlington.

Police said the pickup and the car collided about 7 p.m. as both were traveling westbound in the 2300 block of West Pioneer Parkway, near the Tarrant-Dallas County line.

Both vehicles lost control before the pickup left the road and landed upside down in a creek bed.

The crash is still under investigation, police said.

The teens' deaths bring to six the number of Grand Prairie fatalities this year.

Monroe Man Dies on Motorcycle

From the Shreveport Times

WEST MONROE — A 24-year-old West Monroe man died after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a telephone pole in West Monroe.
Ouachita parish sheriff's deputies say Tony R. Flowers was pronounced dead at 2:33 a.m. Sunday at Glenwood Regional Medical Center.
Flowers reportedly died of severe internal injuries. Officials reported that he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Pedestrian Killed in Metarie, Louisiana

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METAIRIE LOUISIANA — State police say a pedestrian was struck by two vehicles and killed as he was walking along Interstate 10 eastbound near the Bonnabel overpass in Metairie.

The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m. today.