Attorney Blog

Helicopter crashes onto golf course in Las Colinas

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Four people escaped serious injuries Sunday when a helicopter crashed on an Irving golf course, according to a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. on the golf course at the Las Colinas Country Club, in the 4400 block of North O'Connor Road.
The report stated that the helicopter owned by Lana Air of Mead, Okla., went down after the engine quit. The only damage was to the tail boom.
The helicopter is a 1977 Bell 206B and is registered as a corporate aircraft, according to the FAA website.
FAA officials are investigating the incident.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/22/3678464/helicopter-crashes-onto-golf-course.html#storylink=cpy

What to do if you, family member or someone you know is involved in a semi truck or commercial truck accident?

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

If you, family member or someone you know is involve with a semi truck or commercial truck, you should seek medical attention immediately if needed. Never leave the scene of the accident, or admit fault if this can be avoided. If there has been a serious injury, family members are welcome to call, we will coordinate investigators, or legal resources, and anything else needed.

If possible, the victim of a passenger vehicle involved in a semi truck accident should take photographs of the crash site, along with other the vehicles, that might have been involved.

Never sign anything under pressure, and never make a statement to the other party, or their insurer without an attorney present. Also, do not sell or dispose of the vehicle that was involved in the crash. Be sure to collect and preserve all evidence, and collect the contact numbers of any witnesses-if possible

Crash flips school bus in Central Texas, injuring 32

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

TEMPLE -- A tractor-trailer clipped a school bus full of students Tuesday, flipping the bus onto its side and sending 32 people -- 29 of them children -- to a Central Texas hospital.
A 9-year-old boy was ejected through the escape hatch in the bus roof, and the bus driver was knocked unconscious, police said.
The wreck occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Farm Road 93 on the southeastern outskirts of Temple, about 60 miles northeast of Austin.
The truck apparently ran a stop sign and hit the Academy school district bus, trooper Harpin Myers of the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Conditions were foggy, but it was unclear whether that was a factor, Myers said.
Three of the 29 children were hospitalized, one in critical condition, and 26 were discharged, said Katherine Voss, a spokeswoman for the Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple.
Academy schools Superintendent Kevin Sprinkles said the three children were expected to recover, although "they all face a long road."
The bus driver was also listed in critical condition, but both of the other adults, including the truck driver, were treated and released, Voss said.
Sprinkles said the bus was carrying about 38 children from all grade levels and was on its way to drop students off at the first of three schools when the crash happened.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/17/3667121/crash-flips-school-bus-in-central.html#storylink=cpy

Teen hit by car in far north Tarrant, taken to JPS

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

A teen-ager was seriously injured this morning after he was hit by a vehicle on a street in an unincorporated area of far north Tarrant County, a Tarrant County official said.
The 18-year-old was taken by helicopter ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.
The accident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. in the 9300 block of Ray White Road, near Wall-Price Road.
The driver of the vehicle was a 39-year-old woman. She stopped after the accident.
Tarrant County Sheriff Department spokesman Terry Grisham said that investigators were on the scene, trying to determine what had happened.
The teen was a student at Keller Central High School, which is less than a half-mile from the accident scene.
Some teachers witnessed the accident and stayed with the student until the ambulance arrived.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/17/3664997/teen-hit-by-car-in-far-north-tarrant.html#storylink=cpy

Parker County wreck kills 2 teens

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two Parker County teenagers were killed and two were seriously injured in a fiery crash early Thursday near Springtown.Joshua James Brown, 18, of Weatherford and Alex Christian, 14, of Aledo were killed when the Dodge pickup they were in veered off a road, crashed into a house and burst into flames. Authorities said they believe that Brown was driving.

Halston "Hoss" McCue, 15, and Madelyne Mitchell, 13, both of Weatherford, were burned in the crash and remained in hospitals Thursday.The pickup and the house were destroyed by the fire. Three people who were inside the house escaped injury, authorities said.McCue was taken by helicopter ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Mitchell was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Hospital officials did not release any information on their conditions.The wreck occurred about 12:05 a.m. Thursday when the driver of the pickup, which was eastbound on Midway Road, lost control and veered off the road, hitting several concrete posts and community mailboxes before crashing into the house in the 100 block of Hyde Away Lane, said Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Lonny Haschel."We're looking at speed being a factor in the crash," Haschel said Thursday.McCue's friend Garrett Gaines said McCue told him that Brown lost control of the truck when he swerved to miss another car."That's why they ran off the road," Gaines said. "He didn't say how fast they were going."Eric Vinson, chief of Parker County Emergency Services District No. 1, said a firefighter who lives across the street was the first to arrive at the site.Vinson said three victims were outside the pickup when Capt. Walt Moore of Station 51 in La Junta arrived."He started treating the victims," Vinson said. "All but one was out of the vehicle. The driver was still in the vehicle. It's possible that the passengers got out on their own. I don't know."Vinson said firefighters from La Junta and Springtown put out the fire by 2:30 a.m.Facebook pages were filled with prayers for the teens who survived and condolences for the two who died.

Superman Santa Pulls Man From Burning Truck

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

With five days until Christmas, you’d think Santa would be up north, feeding the reindeer and making sure the sleigh was up to speed.

Instead, he was spotted on Interstate 635 in Dallas County, Texas yesterday, pulling a man out of a burning truck. He then directed traffic around the burning wreckage of the two-car collision.

Margie Culberson, who witnessed this superman Santa, told ABC affiliate WFAA-TV: ”It must have just happened,” while taking photos with her iPhone. “It was a fireball and a lot of black smoke.”

In typical Santa fashion, the police have no record of the superman Santa. He was discovered by WFAA-TV to be Brad Luddeke, a former volunteer firefighter from Arlington, Texas.

Luddeke was on his way to deliver toys to families in need, dressed in a Santa costume, which he does annually.

As timing would have it, Luddeke reached the car crash in time. ”As soon as I grabbed his jacket and pulled him away, I said, ‘Your car’s on fire,’” Luddeke told WFAA. “We turned to leave, and I guess the battery exploded. And that’s when everything went up.”

Luddeke is no stranger to the tragedy and loss that can occur with car accidents; he lost his teenage son seven years ago in a single-vehicle accident. This tragedy changed his life and altered his future. He knows how it only takes one person at the right time to save someone, and that kindness and love are what this season is all about.

But what about Christmas gifts, feeding the reindeer, and checking the sleigh?

“Santa won’t be late this year kids,” Luddeke told WFFA. “Santa was just helping out when needed.”

Just make sure you leave him a few extra cookies this year.

Teen fatally shot after Arlington crash loved to help others

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON -- Makita Pinion sat in a sport utility vehicle Thursday morning, staring across the intersection where her brother Clarence "C.J." Robinson was fatally shot Wednesday, a young man who just wanted to help out after a bizarre multivehicle wreck.

"He was living over there with a roommate," said Pinion, 22, pointing to a nearby apartment complex. "He was on the way to pick up my son at school. He was walking, and somebody told me C.J. heard one of the babies [in the crash] crying. And he went over to try and help, and the man just shot him in the street."

Arlington police and witnesses say Robinson, 18, was shot by Thomas Lester Harper, 27, who caused the crash at North Collins Street and Brown Boulevard that killed a pickup driver.

After hitting the pickup and other vehicles, Harper's Chevrolet Tahoe came to rest on a curb with his twin toddlers in the back seat. Witnesses say Harper was "ranting and raving" as people, including Robinson, approached the SUV to help.

Seconds later, Robinson lay dead in the street.

"He shot him for no reason at all," Pinion said. "He was a good Samaritan, and got his life taken."

Police said Thursday that Harper likely didn't know his victims. They discounted road rage as an explanation for the rampage.

"We're working several avenues, including toxicology, to determine what may have led the suspect to take these actions," police spokeswoman Tiara Richard said.

Harper remained in the Arlington Jail on Thursday facing charges of murder, intoxication manslaughter and endangering a child. Bail is set at $555,000.

'A good brother'

Pinion said Robinson was the second brother she lost in five days; both were gunshot victims.

She said her other brother was killed in New Orleans, but she declined to elaborate on the details of his death.

A relative from New Orleans who identified herself only as Linda, said family members were missing the funeral in New Orleans because they had to deal with Robinson's death.

"He was a good brother," Pinion said. "He loved to help other people, and this was a prime example of his character."

Arlington school officials said Robinson had attended Lamar High School until October, when he withdrew. Before moving to Arlington, he had attended schools in a New Orleans suburb.

Friends described Robinson as a friendly teen who loved to dance and make people laugh. Former classmates at Lamar were in shock over the news but not surprised that Robinson was trying to help someone.

"If he saw you sad or crying in the hall, he'd stop and pat you on the back or say something funny to try and make you feel better," Lamar student Dia McMillian said.

Friends said he quit school and picked up as many extra shifts as he could at a Potbelly Sandwich Shop to pay for a GED program.

Though he liked football and had other interests, dancing was his passion, friends said.

"The way he danced, it was like he was just always feeling it," said Derrick White, a senior at Lamar.

Co-workers at Potbelly said Robinson often shot videos of his dancing. That didn't bother general manager Kesha Riley, who said he was a hard worker who always made customers and co-workers smile.

"He would often break out into a dance and I'd say, 'Yeah, that's nice, C.J., but did you finish mopping the floors?'" Riley said.

"When we got the news ... it was just crushing. We're all having a hard time here."

Other co-workers said Robinson also helped support others in his family financially.

He had spent some time in Louisiana with his mother this summer before returning to Texas, they said.

Investigation continues

Police continued to investigate the crash and shooting Thursday.

Police said Harper was involved in a crash near Collins and Washington Drive, then continued north on Collins, driving erratically and speeding. Other drivers followed to get a license plate number, police said.

"He left the area where he was involved in the first crash and people just followed him until he crashed the second time," Richard said.

As he approached Brown Boulevard -- witnesses said the Tahoe was going at least 100 mph -- he crashed into a Dodge pickup, killing the driver.

The victim was identified Thursday as Najee Nasir, 42, who lived in an apartment complex less than a half-mile away.

Richard said Nasir had no family in the area.

"He has a friend here who has been working with officers and victims assistance to help contact the family," she said.

Billy Ray Vaughn was one of the witnesses who rushed to the Tahoe to help those inside.

"I went to the SUV to help the kids," he said shortly after the crash. He said he approached the passenger side and saw that "the driver was ranting and raving, half-laughing. I saw him reach up and fire out the driver's window."

A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said.

Harper lived at the Copperstone Apartments in Arlington, about two miles from the crash site. On Thursday, a woman at his apartment confirmed that she was his wife but declined to comment further. Other people going into the apartment also declined to comment.

A neighbor of Harper's, Greg Lawrence, said Harper and his wife seemed to trade off watching the kids. She worked almost every day, he said.

"I saw him coming and going from the apartment," Lawrence said.

He said that on many Saturdays, Harper and his wife had big arguments about raising their kids.

"It was like someone hitting the walls with a lot of cursing," Lawrence said. He said he never saw police officers at the apartment.

Harper's toddlers were taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth with non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday.

'A bad, bad day'

On Thursday, little evidence of the crash and shooting remained at the intersection. There were no impromptu flower memorials for Robinson or Nasir, and only a short piece of yellow caution tape fluttered from a traffic sign.

But those who witnessed the wreck remember.

At the nearby Valero gas station, Zahra Dhubow was on duty when the typical afternoon descended into mayhem.

"It happened around 1:40 or 1:50 p.m.," she said Thursday morning. "I was right here at the counter. I heard the noise. We all looked up and I was like, 'Oh, a bad accident.'"

She described one "big bump" followed by others, then confusion as people tried to figure out what had happened.

"Everyone in the store and at the gas pumps ran over there," she said. "I was in shock. I thought no one could have survived."

Then, Dhubow said, she heard a gunshot, and people began running back to the store.

"We locked the door and I called the police and we shut down," she said. "When I saw the people running back over here, I told myself it was a bad, bad day."

She left the store at 5 p.m., and it remained closed until about 8, she said.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life," Dhubow said. "I wish I could have helped someone, but I couldn't."

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/15/3598773/teen-fatally-shot-after-arlington.html#ixzz1gjk9qJ00

Fort Worth man dies of injuries suffered in Arlington crash

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Fort Worth man died early Thursday, a little more than a day after he was injured in a traffic accident, Arlington police said.

Jose Reyes, 23, died at 1:16 a.m. at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. He suffered multiple blunt force injuries.

Two others were injured in the crash, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of North Cooper Street. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Reyes was driving a Volkswagen Jetta south on Cooper and an Acura was traveling north on the same street, Arlington police reports say.

Reyes turned left toward Road to Six Flags and was hit by the Acura, Arlington police said.

Neither alcohol nor drugs contributed to the accident, according to preliminary reports.

It was the 35th traffic fatality in Arlington this year.

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/12/01/3564253/fort-worth-man-dies-of-injuries.html#ixzz1fKGtXrul

Arlington woman charged with murder in fatal I-35W accident

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH — An Arlington woman who police say caused a fatal accident as she drove the wrong way on a Fort Worth freeway had a blood alcohol level of 0.24, three times the legal limit, lab tests have revealed.

On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Brittany Dawn Burton, 25, with felony murder. If convicted of the first-degree felony, she faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

"As a consequence of her conduct, one person is dead and at least three others barely avoided being killed, one of them being her 6-month-old daughter," said Richard Alpert, an assistant district attorney in Tarrant County.

"We believe such conduct warrants our seeking the charge with the maximum available punishment range that is supported by the law and the facts. That charge is murder."

Under the Texas penal code, a person can be charged with murder if, while committing a felony, he or she performs an act that is "clearly dangerous to human life and causes the death of another person."

Alpert said Burton was committing a felony -- driving while intoxicated with a child in her vehicle -- when she drove a Jeep Liberty the wrong way in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35W late Friday. A police officer said he saw her heading into heavy traffic with her hands behind her head at one point.

One man was killed as vehicles swerved to avoid the Jeep near Rosedale Street.

Jeffery Hogan's pickup collided with a Honda Civic as both vehicles tried to avoid the Liberty, police said. The drivers got out to assess the damage before a van, which had also swerved, crashed into the Civic.

Hogan, 47, was struck and pronounced dead at the scene.

A Fort Worth police officer was eventually able to get Burton to stop. She was arrested and her 6-month-old daughter was turned over to the baby's father.

Burton remained in the Mansfield jail Wednesday awaiting transfer to the Tarrant County Jail.

Alpert said the investigation is continuing and that Burton could still face an additional charge of endangering a child.

Alpert said the case marks the first time, to his knowledge, that prosecutors have sought a felony murder charge against a defendant whose vehicle did not directly strike a vehicle or a victim in the fatal wreck.

"The fact that something's never been done before has never deterred us from seeking the proper charges in the past," he said.

In 2004, prosecutors won a murder conviction for a 25-year-old man who got drunk and drove the wrong way on Airport Freeway, colliding with a Chevy Tahoe and killing the father of twins.

It was the first time in Tarrant County that prosecutors tried and won a murder conviction in a DWI-related fatality.

Typically, a drunken driver who causes a death is charged with intoxication manslaughter, which carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison. But, because Jake Strickland had two prior misdemeanor DWI convictions, prosecutors charged him with murder.

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/30/3561190/arlington-woman-charged-with-murder.html#ixzz1fELSbnsI

Fort Worth teen dies after car strikes home

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth teen has died after a car he was riding in skidded off the road and slammed into a house.

The Tarrant County medical examiner's office says that 17-year-old Christian Hernandez was pronounced dead at 1:34 a.m. Saturday at John Peter Smith Hospital.

Police say Hernandez was riding in the back left passenger seat of a Chevrolet Cobalt when it clipped a minivan, hit a retaining wall, rolled onto its right side, hit a parked car and finally stuck the corner of a garage in north Fort Worth.

The car's three other occupants were not seriously injured. The house's roof collapsed and a woman inside suffered minor injuries.

Police told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (http://bit.ly/sKBFO0) that it had started to rain shortly before the crash.

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/27/3553214/fort-worth-teen-dies-after-car.html#ixzz1f1BP0xgF

Unidentified bicyclist critical after being struck in Euless

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Update: Identified as Anthony Jamal Miles of Dallas

Euless police appealed for help Wednesday to identify a bicyclist who was critically injured Sunday night in a traffic accident a suspected drunken driver on Euless Boulevard.

Authorities released a photograph of the man from his room at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. He remained in critical condition Wednesday morning.

Euless police identified the driver as Bryany Ruth Hildreth, 30, of Euless. She was arrested Sunday night and faces a charge of intoxication assault, said Euless police Capt. Gary Landers.

Hildreth was free Wednesday after posting $10,000 bail shortly after her arrest.

The incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1900 block of W. Euless Boulevard in Euless. The bicyclist was riding a red and black Schwinn mountain bike when he was hit.

He was wearing an Ohio State championship jacket and red Nike tennis shoes.

Euless police described the victim as an African-American man, about 5-foot-10, about 140 to 145 pounds and about 30 to 35 years-old.

Anyone with information should call Euless police at 871-685-1532.

McKinney chiropractor jailed as more victims come forward

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

McKINNEY - McKinney chiropractor David Russell is behind bars, accused of sexually assaulting two young girls.

Police are now aware of two more alleged victims, and that number could grow.

An eight-page arrest warrant affidavit details the sexual assault allegations against Russell.

Russell volunteered his services to the Lovejoy ISD sports teams until last week, when two teenage students he treated at his McKinney office started talking.

According to the court documents, an instructor from the Taylor Dance Studio called police on October 2 to report inappropriate behavior involving Dr. Russell's treatment of two of her female students, ages 13 and 18. That was after that instructor talked to two students.

According to the arrest affidavit, a girl - who was 16 years old at the time - suffered a groin pull. Russell said he needed to touch her internally to massage the groin. The girl told investigators Russell performed the same procedure three more times.

The arrest affidavit said the chiropractor did the same procedure on the younger girl in June.

When detectives confronted Russell about the allegations, he acknowledged that it could have occurred, as documented in the felony warrant:

"Dr. David Russell ... advised that in the commission of being busy that it is very likely that he touched [the girl's genitals] and that it's possible that he would place his hands on the inside of her panties on skin for traction purposes."

A detective then called an instructor at Parker University for chiropractors, where Russell graduated. The instructor told police "there is not a procedure taught that would require a chiropractor hand to touch or rest on labia major."

The instructor told investigators, "students are taught on how to prevent touching of the genitals while soft tissue massages are taking place."

Court documents also detail inappropriate statements the doctor made to his teenage patients, including comments about their bras and breast sizes.

McKinney police say the girls' stories are not isolated and that they know of at least two other victims.

Penn State officials ripped for failings in sex abuse case

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - This state's attorney general and police commissioner excoriated Penn State officials Monday for failing over several years to alert authorities to possible sexual abuse of young boys by a prominent football coach.

They said the university employees who declined to report the incidents to the police put countless more children at risk of being abused by Jerry Sandusky, a longtime assistant coach who has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year span, including during his time at Penn State.

Police commissioner Frank Noonan, who spent more than 30 years with the FBI and the attorney general's office, said the nature of the alleged incidents was unprecedented in his experience.

Even after Sandusky "made admissions about inappropriate contact in the shower room" in 1998 to the Penn State campus police, "nothing happened," Noonan said. "Nothing stopped."

He said janitors witnessed a sex act in the football facility's showers two years later, and still "nothing changed, nothing stopped," because the janitors feared for their jobs and did not report the incident.

Then, in 2002, according to prosecutors, another sex act involving Sandusky and a young boy was witnessed by a Penn State graduate assistant coach, who reported it to coach Joe Paterno - yet the police still were not contacted.

"That's very unusual," Noonan said Monday at a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg, where he and Attorney General Linda Kelly summarized the cases against Sandusky and the university officials.

"I don't think I've ever been associated with a case where that type of eyewitness identification of sex acts took place where the police weren't called. I don't think I've ever seen something like that before."

Through his lawyer, Sandusky has maintained his innocence.

Two Penn State officials charged with perjury in their grand jury testimony and with failing to report the suspected sexual abuse surrendered Monday, a day after they stepped down from their positions.

The officials - athletic director Tim Curley, 57, and Gary Schultz, 62, the vice president of business and finance who oversaw the university police - were not required to enter a plea Monday. They have denied any wrongdoing, and their lawyers are expected to seek to have the charges dismissed.

"I think you have the moral responsibility," Noonan said. "Anyone - not whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building - I think you have a moral responsibility to call us."

Kelly said Paterno had cooperated with investigators and fulfilled his legal obligation to pass the information to a superior when the graduate assistant told him in 2002 about an incident involving Sandusky that he had witnessed in the football facility's showers.

Paterno is not considered a target of the investigation at this point, Kelly said.

After the graduate assistant told Paterno, Curley and Schultz about what he had seen, Curley briefed the university president, according to the grand jury report. No one at the university alerted police or pursued the matter to determine the well-being of the child involved.

Kelly said Monday that the identity of that child remains unknown.

"Those officials and administrators to whom it was reported did not report that incident to law enforcement or to any child protective agency," Kelly said. "Their inaction, likely, allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many, many years."

According to prosecutors, Sandusky preyed on young boys he met through a charity he founded years earlier, The Second Mile, which was designed to help disadvantaged boys. The charity released a statement Monday that said Curley had told the organization's CEO in 2002 about the report from the graduate assistant but that the matter had been reviewed internally and no wrongdoing was found.

"At no time was The Second Mile made aware of the very serious allegations contained in the grand jury report," the statement said.

The grand jury report has no mention of an internal review of the incident by Penn State.

According to prosecutors, Penn State could have halted the abuse in 1998, when Sandusky was an assistant for Paterno.

A mother of an 11-year-old boy whom Sandusky had befriended at his charity reported to the campus police that her son had been touched and held by Sandusky in a shower at the football facility.

Prosecutors said an investigation, which grew to allegations about a second young child being similarly touched by Sandusky in a shower, was carried out by the campus police.

When asked whether Paterno or the university president, Graham Spanier, were aware in 1998 of the investigation, Kelly said, "All I can say was that investigation was handled by Penn State University's police department."

Gerald Lauro investigated the 1998 allegation for child protective services. He said Monday that he did not find enough evidence of sexual assault to determine that the charge was founded.

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Police-Rebuke-Penn-State-Officials-In-Sexual-2257528.php#ixzz1d9rQTVFp

Sexual-assault convict ordered to pay victim $1.75 million

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH -- A 57-year-old Fort Worth man already serving 15 years in prison for the sexual assault of an underage relative has now been ordered to pay his victim $1.75 million in a civil judgment issued Monday.

Rafael Guzman was sentenced to prison in November 2009 after being convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child by threat.

The next month, the victim's mother sued Guzman, on her own and on her daughter's behalf, seeking damages for Guzman's sexually assaulting the girl over four years beginning when she was 10, at his home and at his sister's home.

The lawsuit also named Guzman's sister as a defendant, saying the woman had "actual and/or constructive knowledge of the assaults and allowed them to continue at her home."

After a civil trial that began Oct. 13 in Tarrant County's 67th District Court, the court found that Guzman's sister had no knowledge that her brother was assaulting the girl or using her house for that purpose.

State District Judge Donald J. Cosby did, however, rule Monday that the victim was entitled to $1.75 million from Guzman for past and future medical and counseling services, past and future emotional distress and mental anguish, and exemplary damages.

The victim's mother was awarded $25,000 from Guzman for past medical and counseling services related to the care of her daughter.

Brian Butcher of the Noteboom Law Firm said his clients realize that unless the imprisoned Guzman "wins a lottery," they will never receive the full compensation.

He said the judge, however, ordered Guzman's sister, who has power of attorney for her brother, to hand over money in her possession from Guzman's pension fund.

"However much, it will at least be something the plaintiff gets," Butcher said.

Butcher said the case wasn't just about the money but "about having some vindication through the civil system."

"I think the judgment sends a message that defendants who commit acts of wrongdoing against kids have to be responsible not only in the criminal system but also the civil system," he said.

Euless motorcyclist killed in crash with SUV in Grand Prairie

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

GRAND PRAIRIE -- A Euless motorcyclist was killed this weekend when his bike collided with a sport utility vehicle at an intersection, Grand Prairie police said Sunday.

Two people in the vehicle were hurt in the wreck Saturday evening, but their injuries were not considered life-threatening, police said.

The victim was identified as Steven Washington, 49, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police reported the crash at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Robinson Road and Crossland Boulevard in south Grand Prairie.

Washington was driving a 2007 Yamaha north on Robinson, and a 1997 Mitsubishi Montero was westbound on Crossland. The Montero collided with the motorcycle when the SUV entered the intersection to go south, Grand Prairie police said.

Police identified the driver of the SUV as Chantha Soulachack, 61, of Grand Prairie and a passenger as Khone Soulachack, 59. They were taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

Investigators say they believe that the Montero failed to yield at a stop sign. Alcohol and speeding were not factors, police reports said.

HMOs are back, by focusing on Medicare, Medicaid

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Health maintenance organizations, which stormed into the market in the 1990s before receding in response to regulatory changes, are back, but with a new wrinkle: Instead of wooing employers and their workers, HMOs in Texas are now thriving by focusing on Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

It's likely that Texas HMOs will top 3.5 million members by year's end, the first time membership has been that high since 2002, according to Texas Health Market Review, produced by Allan Baumgarten. And with proposals to expand managed care into Medicaid, the state-federal health program for the poor, HMO membership will grow, he said.

"This state and others are moving more to Medicaid HMOs, with Texas extending them into rural counties in the next few years," Baumgarten said this week. He expects 2 million to 3 million Texans to become eligible for Medicaid under provisions of last year's healthcare overhaul, so for Medicaid HMOs, "the business opportunities are huge."

Serving the Medicaid and Medicare HMO markets has been profitable. According to Baumgarten's analysis, Texas HMOs in 2010 reported $404 million in net profit on $12.4 billion in total revenue. Medicare Advantage plans accounted for about three-fourths of those earnings.

Baumgarten's study also looked at hospital performance in 2009, and both for-profit and nonprofit organizations were doing well financially, although active expansion could be getting ahead of patient growth, he said.

North Texas hospitals had a total of $1.3 billion in net profit in 2009, or 9.1 percent of their net patient revenue, Baumgarten calculates. That margin is about the same as in 2008 and is down from 10 percent in 2007, but both figures are "near the top" of what hospitals generally earn.

Those earnings, or surpluses at nonprofit hospitals, have supported considerable expansion. Baumgarten said North Texas hospitals added enough new beds in 2005-09 to accommodate 12.1 percent more patients, compared with 6.9 growth in the Houston area in that time.

But new capacity outstripped demand in both markets. Baumgarten said inpatient days -- the number of days spent in the hospital by patients admitted for at least 24 hours -- grew by 9.6 percent in North Texas and 4.9 percent in Houston, where inpatient days actually declined in 2009.

"I think there's a risk of overbuilding," Baumgarten said. "New construction has a cost, and somebody's got to pay for that."

While hospitals anticipate steady growth in population and reimbursements to pay for expansion, there are some risks. The recession reduced consumers' use of medical benefits, and high-deductible insurance plans, which employers increasingly offer, "really change patient behavior," he said.

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/27/3479626/hmos-are-back-by-focusing-on-medicare.html#ixzz1c5cu4d37

Trophy Club educator dies in motorcycle accident

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

BEDFORD -- A 27-year-old teacher in the Northwest school district died early Monday when his motorcycle collided with an 18-wheeler on Texas 183.

District spokeswoman Lesley Weaver said Sam Torres was killed as he drove to work at Beck Elementary in Trophy Club, where he taught fifth-grade science and math.

Bedford police were called to the 2500 block of eastbound Airport Freeway about 6:15 a.m., said Lt. Kirk Roberts, a police spokesman.

Roberts said the accident is under investigation.

Weaver said Torres' young age and personality made him popular with students.

"He was very well-liked," Weaver said. "He was a young guy, so the kids related to him."

Torres, who joined the district in August 2008, leaves behind a wife, Nashelly, whom he married in January.

Torres came to the United States from Mexico and put himself through college. Possibly because of his hardships, Weaver said, Torres "was extremely passionate about his job."

"This is how he wanted to dedicate his life," Weaver said.

Northwest officials called parents to tell them what happened, but did not tell the students during classes.

The district wanted parents to have individual conversations with the students.

Weaver said counselors will be available when students return to class today.

"We will go class to class, especially to the fifth-graders he taught math and science," Weaver said.

Principal Deborah McCune said the staff was devastated by the loss of a man "who was the epitome of what an educator should be every day in relationship to the students, the staff and the parents."

"Every child in his class was enriched by his integrity and his character," the principal said. "He had the true heart of a teacher. He saw his job as a blessing and a way to make a difference. He lived what he believed."

Car Flips in Arlington Pond after Accident, Killing 1

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON, Texas - One person died early Friday morning after a collision between two vehicles caused one car to land upside-down in a pond.

The dead man was a passenger in that car, but the driver was able to get out and was taken to the hospital, according to Arlington police public information officer Tiara Ellis Richard.

Richard says it's too early to tell if the two cars were racing, but says the people in both cars knew each other.

The accident happened at 5:30 a.m. in the 4200 block of N. Collins at Mossier Valley Road. Both cars were headed north on Collins and were possibly speeding, police said.

The cars collided and skidded into a field on the side of a road, police said. But the silver car kept going and overturned in the pond.

Richards said a man and a woman in the other car were able to walk away from the accident. Police found them north of the crash site.

The driver of the silver car was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The medical examiner will release the dead victim's name after notifying his family.

Texting, driving can be deadly

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

"Don't text and drive... it's deadly," was the strong message heard by Wilkes Central High School students on Thursday morning.

Presenting the one-hour program were Johnny Mac and Jeanne Brown of Wellman, Texas. Their oldest daughter, Alex, age 16, was killed in a single car accident while she was texting and driving on the way to school in 2009.

The couple established The Remember Alex Brown Foundation to honor their daughter's memory by educating others about the dangers of texting while driving. The couple and their youngest daughter, Katrina, travel the country at their own expense, warning about the dangers of texting while driving.

"We want to make people realize how dangerous cell phones can be... and how valuable each one of you are," said Jeanne Brown. That message was repeated throughout the one-hour assembly.

Nick Bartley, a senior at Alexander High School, invited the family to the area for his senior project on the dangers of texting.

"Your life is far more important than a text from a cell phone...don't do what our daughter did," pleaded Mrs. Brown to the hushed crowd of students in the school's gym.

"You are all here for a purpose, not by accident... please be safe and be able to experience your future," said Mrs. Brown.

Driving while texting is the same as driving drunk. "You are four times as likely to wreck if you are drunk or while using your cell phone," said Mrs. Brown.

She told the WCHS student body that 11 teenagers a day are killed in a car accident because of texting while driving.

"Texting is just not worth it. Your brain is either going to focus on the road or texting... not both," said Mrs. Brown.

Her husband described their oldest daughter as "a good kid who made good choices in the big things, but not in the small things and it took her life."

Brown told students that "teens are more likely to wreck... but I hope it is a fender bender." He acknowledged to students that it was harder from them not to text than adults because they have been doing it so long.

"When I was your age, there weren't any cell phones. I know you get busy and caught up...it's an instinct to pick up the phone and see who has texted.

"But there is nothing in that phone that is more important than you... the reality of texting can be dying," said Brown.

The Browns' youngest daughter, Katrina, poignantly described the day her sister was killed and how it has affected her since.

"I never thought of Alex dying," said Katrina. "She was so full of life... we are supposed to be fighting over who's using the bathroom mirror now, not missing her.

"My oldest sister is dead, because of a text. Don't text and drive. Your influence on people is more important than you think... your family and your school will suffer and be shaken," said Katrina.

"You may think your decision to text will only affect you, but it can just about destroy your family," said Mrs. Brown.

She urged students to sign a pledge, sponsored by The Remember Alex Brown Foundation, to drive safely, not text while driving and to wear a seatbelt. Students were given the pledge after the assembly.

The Browns asked students to tell their parents about the dangers of texting and driving and ask them not to text while driving also.

The Browns urged students to use cell phone applications which can stop text messages while they are driving.

The Phoneguard app uses the phones internal GPS system to determine how fast the phone is moving and it disables the texting, email and keyboard functions of the phone when it detects speeds over 10 mph.

The app can also be set up to notify a parent when a vehicle is moving at an unsafe speed by sending a notification to another device. Another feature is TimeOut mode that determines when a child can send or receive text messages, email and surf the web.

TextTogle is developed with the primary intent of intercepting text messages while driving and immediately replying to the sender with a pre-configured or personalized message. Thirty percent of all profits from the app go to The Remember Alex Brown Foundation.

The Wellmans were surrounded by students following their talk Thursday. The family will also be at schools in Hickory and Taylorville this week. They have been featured on "America's Makeover-Home Edition."

They have also teamed up with former Wilkes resident Allen Finley in an advertising campaign on the dangers of texting while driving. The theme is "Text and Drive Killer Idea." Billboards have been placed in the Hickory area with that theme and bumper stickers are being distributed with that slogan.

Source: http://www.journalpatriot.com/news/article_e18d0836-f10b-11e0-8882-001a4bcf6878.html

Jury awards former workers at Lear's Arlington plant more than $280,000

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Three women who say they were fired by Lear Corp. for filing workers' compensation claims have been awarded more than $280,000 in lost wages and damages by a Tarrant County district court jury.

The workers, who were terminated in October 2009, plan to petition Judge Donald Cosby for an order reinstating them to their jobs.

By a 10-2 verdict, the jury sided with the claims of Phyllis Carolina, Karen Rogers and Ronda Alexander, all of whom said they suffered serious injuries while working at Lear's Arlington plant.

Carolina was awarded $124,666, Alexander, $82,814, and Rogers, $80,000.

"It was a victory for workers in corporate America's war on the middle class," said Jason Smith, a Fort Worth lawyer who represented the women.

Lear, based in suburban Detroit, manufactures seats for the sport utility vehicles produced at General Motors' Arlington assembly plant. Lear spokesman Mel Stevens said he could not comment on "any litigation until it is resolved."

Lear has had a troubled relationship in recent years with workers at the Arlington plant, who are represented by United Auto Workers Local 129. After being shut down for 11 weeks in 2009 while GM was in bankruptcy, the company and union came to a standstill in contract negotiations and the company locked out the workers for several days until the GM plant manager intervened and a settlement was reached.

More recently, Lear has outsourced some work from Arlington to one of its Mexico plants and threatened to move even more work south of the border.

Lear executives, in testimony from depositions presented during the trial, said the Arlington plant had the highest workers' compensation cost of any of its U.S. plants.

"It's a very physical job," said Smith, adding that two of the women had injured their rotator cuffs and the other had injured her neck. "They have a lot of injuries out there. [Lear] could do things better ergonomically."

Maverick Gayden, shop chairman of the union that represents Lear's more than 500 manufacturing workers, called the verdict "very good news."

Gayden said the cost of the penalties could force Lear management to pay more attention to the working conditions and the state of labor relations with its employees at the plant.

Troopers Say Majority Of Child Car Seats Improperly Installed

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

WESLACO - The Texas Department of Public Safety reports most parents get it wrong when they put their child's car seat in place. The state of Texas has put up billboards across the Rio Grande Valley to promote child car seat safety, because studies show three out of four car seats are not securely installed.

A 3-year-old girl died in an auto accident near Los Fresnos while strapped in a car seat Sunday. Investigators don't know yet if the girl's seat was secured in the car at the time of the crash.

Jessica Lopez says her strategy for installing her children's car seats was follow the instructions on the seat and then pray for the best.

Another woman told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the burden falls on the parents. "You know like the accident like you said there's no turning back and a child doesn't know any better. It's the mother's responsibility," she said.

Harlingen police have been checking cars seats at an event this week. They say some seats needed to be replaced, because they had been recalled, while others just wiggled around too much. That is the dilemma parents face while installing the seats. Too tight can be as bad as too loose.

The state has clear guidelines on who must use car safety seats. Children under the age of eight or those under 4 feet 9 inches tall must be in a safety seat.

A worried parent can call local police departments or DPS offices to have a child safety seat check to make sure everything is installed and working properly.

Source: http://www.krgv.com/content/news/story/Troopers-Say-Majority-Of-Child-Car-Seats/48G8oK1iyUyAyI3kK9i2Pw.cspx

Pickup Hits City Work Crew

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

IRVING, Texas - A City of Irving worker and another man are in the hospital after a work crew's equipment was hit by a passing motorist around midnight.

The accident happened as the road crew was picking up cones in the 4900 block of O'Connor Rd.

The crew had a dump truck pulling a trailer. A man driving a pickup truck southbound on O'Connor struck the trailer and knocked the pickup on its side, police say.

The worker was on the other side of the trailer and became trapped when the trailer's load of traffic signs and cones shifted and toppled over him.

The city worker may have a broken arm. The pickup driver was trapped in his vehicle until emergency crews were able to free him. Both men were taken to the hospital.

A blood sample was taken in the emergency room to determine if the pickup driver had been drinking before the accident.

Chuck Noteboom Again Named Among Texas' Top Lawyers

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Dallas - Noted Tarrant County personal injury attorney Chuck Noteboom has earned a place on the 2011 Texas Super Lawyers list, placing him among the best attorneys in Texas for a ninth consecutive year.

Mr. Noteboom has been named among the leading personal injury plaintiff's attorneys in the state each year since the list was first published in 2003, based on his work for those who have suffered catastrophic injuries in motor vehicle accidents, as well as the victims of sexual abuse and assaults.

"I am humbled by the fact that I have been the only personal injury attorney in Northeast Tarrant County to be a part of this listing each of the years it has been released," says Mr. Noteboom, who leads Hurst, Texas-based Noteboom - The Law Firm. "It has always been important to me to practice in an ethical and efficient manner, and I want to thank my peers in the legal community for selecting me to this list again."

Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1983, Mr. Noteboom also is certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is the District Seven chairman of the Texas Bar Foundation and was a Founding Fellow and Chair of the Tarrant County Bar Foundation. He has been named Barrister Emeritus, Order of Barristers, by Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.

He is a former president of the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association and a sustaining member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has been chair of the Warren E. Burger Society of the National Center for State Courts since 1996. He also has served as a director and been a longtime speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars for personal injury attorneys.

The Texas Super Lawyers list appears in both the October 2011 issue of Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers magazine, published by Thomson Reuters Legal Division.

The Texas Super Lawyers listing is based on nominations solicited from more than 70,000 attorneys across Texas. Fewer than 5 percent of the state's attorneys are named in the final list.

Midlothian man dies after multi-vehicle crash in Grand Prairie

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Midlothian man has died from injuries he suffered in a multi-vehicle crash last week at a Grand Prairie intersection, Grand Prairie police said Monday.

The victim was identified as Michael Maruska, 52, who died Friday at Methodist Dallas Medical Center where he was taken by helicopter ambulance shortly after the accident.

It was the 15th traffic fatality in Grand Prairie this year.

The crash occurred about 4:40 p.m. Sept. 6 at Lake Ridge Parkway and Travis Drive in Grand Prairie.

Maruska was riding on a 2010 Honda Gold Wing three-wheel motorcycle that was traveling northbound on Lake Ridge Parkway when a van pulled out in the path of the motorcycle, Grand Prairie police said Monday.

The van, driven by Khoa Nguyen, 20, of Grand Prairie, then collided with a 2011 Chevrolet pickup that had been stopped on the opposite side of the intersection, Grand Prairie police said.

Nguyen was treated for minor injuries, but no information was released on the driver of the pickup.

Grand Prairie police continued on Monday an investigation into the crash.

Texas healthcare system withering under Gov. Perry

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Reporting from San Angelo, Texas -

When Texas went to court last year to block President Obama's healthcare overhaul, Gov. Rick Perry pledged to do everything in his power to "protect our families, taxpayers and medical providers." Texas, he said, could manage its own healthcare.

But in the 11 years the Republican presidential hopeful has been in office, working Texans increasingly have been priced out of private healthcare while the state's safety net has withered, leaving millions of state residents without medical care.

"Texas just hasn't proven it can run a health system," said Dr. C. Bruce Malone III, an orthopedic surgeon and president of the historically conservative Texas Medical Assn.

More than a quarter of Texans lack health insurance, the highest rate in the nation, placing a crushing burden on hospitals and doctors who treat patients unable to pay.

Those costs are passed to the insured. Insurance premiums have risen more quickly in Texas than they have nationally over the last seven years. And when compared with incomes, insurance in Texas is less affordable than in every state but Mississippi, according to the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund.

That has taken a toll, as nearly a third of the state's children did not receive an annual physical and a teeth cleaning in 2007, placing Texas 40th in a state ranking by the fund. Over the last decade, infant mortality rates have risen in Texas while declining nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seniors, despite guaranteed Medicare coverage, also are suffering, as nearly 1 in 5 ends up back in the hospital within a month of being released, one of the highest readmission rates in the country and a leading indicator of systemwide problems.

Similar healthcare dynamics drove Obama's push for a national overhaul. In Texas, however, elected officials have done little to address the growing crisis, local health leaders say.

"The philosophy has been the less public expenditure, the better," said Dr. Kenneth Shine, who heads the University of Texas health system. "And some people will just have to make do."

For those who can get it, medical care in Texas can compete with the best in the nation. The state is home to internationally renowned medical and research centers.

Perry promotes the state as a model for a private-sector healthcare solution. Low taxes and limited government, he and his allies say, lure businesses that can offer private insurance and empower working people to make their own healthcare choices.

"The governor's primary goal is to create an environment that encourages job creation and provides an environment of independence rather than dependence," said spokeswoman Catherine Frazier. "Texas does provide an adequate safety net to those truly in need ... and many individuals simply choose not to purchase healthcare coverage."

Frazier pointed to several initiatives, including medical malpractice limits and a year-old program to subsidize insurance for small businesses. As of August, the program had insured 4,266 people.

But across Texas, health coverage - and health - are eroding even in places where jobs are plentiful.

In San Angelo, a growing city in the cotton and sorghum fields of West Texas not far from where Perry was raised, unemployment is just 7.2%, lower than it is statewide and nationally. But the waiting room at the federally subsidized Esperanza Clinic is filled every day with working people who have no insurance.

Connie Villarreal, who works the night shift at a home for disabled adults, said she scraped enough together to get coverage for her diabetes. But she brought her uninsured 13-year-old daughter to the clinic for a state-mandated physical so she could play soccer this fall.

Buying family coverage wasn't an option, Villarreal said. "It'd be most of my paycheck, so we've been winging it." Villarreal just went to court to force her daughter's father to pick up the tab to get the teenager insurance.

Three-quarters of Esperanza's patients have jobs, said clinic Chief Executive Mike Campbell. But because many businesses don't offer health benefits, demand at the clinic is skyrocketing. Esperanza saw 13,000 patients last year, up from 11,000 the year before. "We are at the breaking point," Campbell said.

At Shannon Medical Center, San Angelo's largest hospital, 30% of patients coming to the ER lack coverage, close to twice the national rate.

And at the San Jacinto Elementary School clinic, exam rooms fill up with the children of working parents who don't have insurance or a regular doctor.

While some of those seeking care are undocumented immigrants, just a sixth of the uninsured in Texas are in the state illegally, according to the nonprofit Center for Public Policy Priorities. "The reality is that is not the big number," said Republican state Rep. John Zerwas.

For years, healthcare leaders here have urged elected officials to act. A 2006 task force of doctors, academic leaders and business executives warned of a "problem of epidemic proportions" that threatened "the economic vitality and health of Texas."

Perry enacted a major overhaul of the medical malpractice system, which helped doctors stay in practice. "We now have much better access to care," said Dr. William Hinchey, past president of the Texas Medical Assn.

But Texas still has among the fewest physicians per capita in the country, according to census data.

This year, the governor and state Legislature slashed funding to train physicians to less than half of what it was a decade ago. Another initiative highlighted by Perry's office to aid community health centers was also cut.

That came atop $800 million in cuts to hospitals and other medical providers that serve poor children, pregnant women and others who rely on Medicaid.

Even before that move, Texas had one of the slimmest Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs in the country, spending less per enrollee than 41 other states and the District of Columbia, according the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

"The question seems to be how little can we fund and still have a system," said Dr. Jane Rider, a past president of the Texas Pediatric Society. "I always thought they would wake up and see, if nothing else, they need a healthy, educated workforce.... Instead, it seems like we're leading the way into a downward spiral."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/health/healthcare/la-na-perry-healthcare-20110908,0,5515472.story

Motorcyclist dies in wreck in Grand Prairie

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

GRAND PRAIRIE - Police are investigating a fatality motorcycle collision that occurred Thursday in which the rider was not wearing a helmet. Modena Dollison, 43, of Waxahachie, was riding a 1992 Harley Davidson motorcycle southbound on Hwy 161 at the Interstate 20 westbound frontage road when a 2007 Dodge pickup turned left in front of her and the vehicles collided, police stated in a news release. Dollison was taken by helicopter ambulance to Methodist Dallas Medical Center where she died from injuries sustained in the wreck. Dollison was not wearing a helmet, police said. Alejandro Pardo, 28, a citizen of Mexico, was driving the truck. Pardo was not injured but was arrested at the scene and charged with manslaughter, police said. Pardo does not have a driver's license. Manuel Lozano, 22, a passenger is Pardo's vehicle, was not injured. The collision is under investigation, police said.

This is the 13th traffic fatality in Grand Prairie this year.

Boy, 10, dies after wreck at Arlington intersection

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON - A 10-year-old Arlington boy died early Friday morning from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle wreck Thursday evening that investigators believe was alcohol-related.

Tavian Sabur was pronounced dead at 4:26 a.m. at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth.

Walter Tendai Chidyausiku, 29, has been arrested on two charges of suspicion of intoxication assault in the case and could face more serious charges because of Tavian's death and pending blood test results, Arlington police officials said.

Arlington police stated in a news release that Tavian was a passenger in a car being driven by his mother when the wreck happened about 6 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Nathan Lowe Road and Petra Drive.

The mother had driven into the intersection, after first stopping at a four-way stop, when her car was struck by a westbound SUV whose driver had not stopped at the intersection, the release states.

Tavian was taken by ambulance to the Medical Center of Arlington and later flown by helicopter to Cook Children's. His death has been ruled a homicide caused by multiple blunt trauma suffered in the wreck, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office.

Tavian's mother was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Chidyausiku, the driver of the SUV, was not seriously injured. He was arrested at the scene of the wreck after officers discovered indications that alcohol was a factor in the collision, the release states.

Hundreds of new Texas laws go into effect Thursday

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Come Thursday, there will be some new laws in town.

No longer will most Texans have to worry about leaving guns in their cars while at work. Drivers won't have to worry about slowing down on some highways at sundown. Teens caught "sexting" face misdemeanor charges -- and attending state-sponsored classes with their parents about the dangers of sending sexually explicit messages and texts.

Those new laws -- along with the state budget, which includes billions of dollars in cuts -- are among the hundreds that go into effect Thursday. More than 1,400 new laws were passed this year, nearly half of which go into effect Sept. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.

"These laws are a lot of small things that might add up to be something big," said Brandon Rottinghaus, assistant political science professor at the University of Houston. "You have a fairly conservative agenda that manifested in the grouping of these laws.

"Collectively, people may feel a trend toward more conservative governing," he said. "Among the bigger things, the general scope of the budget and the major issue -- the need to cut billions of dollars and the way in which it was cut -- shows a distinctly conservative stamp on the Legislature."

A sampling of some of the new laws that go into effect Thursday:

Budget

Facing a multibillion-dollar shortfall, legislators passed a $172.3 billion budget for the next two years that whittled more than $15 billion from state spending in areas such as public schools, higher education and social services. Critics say that cuts went too deep and that bookkeeping maneuvers, such as delaying certain state payments, were used to balance the budget. Supporters say lawmakers passed a conservative budget that answered taxpayer demands to reverse government growth. House Bill 1

'Sexting'

Minors who like sexting -- sending sexually explicit pictures or messages, generally from one cellphone to another -- better watch out. Until now, such cases were dropped or prosecuted under adult pornography laws. Starting Thursday, youths can be charged with a misdemeanor, which can lead to jail time with repeated offenses. Convicts will have to take a state-sponsored class about the dangers of sexting with one of their parents. However, the conviction may be removed from a youth's record at age 18. "Here's the message to parents: Pay attention to this new technology," said state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who carried the bill. "Pay attention to your kids. Know what it is they're doing with regard to text messages, sending images and that sort of thing, and take the time to talk to them." Senate Bill 407

Guns

Under a new law, most employers will no longer be able to prevent employees who legally own guns and ammo from storing them in locked private vehicles parked in company parking lots during business hours. There are a few exceptions, such as school and federal building parking lots. And the law only allows guns and ammunition to be stored in parking lots, garages and other parking areas provided to employees, not inside businesses. SB321

Speed limits

Texas motorists no longer have to worry about slowing down at sundown, now that the state won't have separate speed limits for day and night driving. The black nighttime speed limit signs that required motorists to drive 5 mph slower at night will start coming down Thursday, but officials say it will take months to remove all of them. Officials say uniform speeds during the day and night can cut down on problems such as motorists tailgating and changing lanes to pass -- actions that factor in some accidents. New laws also let transportation officials raise limits to 75 mph in some remote areas, none of which are in Tarrant County. HB1353

'Romeo and Juliet'

This law is intended to spare teenagers and young adults who have consensual sex from being labeled sex offenders. It prevents a young defendant from having to register as a sex offender if he or she had consensual sex with someone age 15 or older and if there is less than a four-year age gap between the couple. SB198

Respectful language

Over time, the term mental retardation will be weeded out of state statutes and usage, as officials say it can be hurtful and offensive to those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. "There is a stigma associated with the r-word," said state Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, who carried the bill. "It costs nothing to adopt verbiage in state statutes to reflect the fact that we recognize individuals and their uniqueness, without using offensive terms to categorize and label these good Texans." HB1481

Homestead exemption

Starting Thursday, Texas homeowners who apply for a homestead exemption on their primary residence must show identification, mainly a driver's license or ID card, and a copy of their vehicle registration receipt. The address on the ID and receipt must match the residence's address. Those without vehicles may submit a notarized affidavit certifying that they don't have a vehicle and a current utility bill that bears the name and address that is on the homestead exemption application. State officials say they hope to cut down on fraudulent exemption claims, such as those by people who own vacation homes in Texas. "Right now, residents of other states can claim the homestead exemption even if they only come to Texas one weekend out of the year," said state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville. HB252

Radioactive waste

Low-level radioactive waste generated in foreign countries will not be shipped to Texas, but similar waste generated in dozens of U.S. states may be shipped to the Waste Control Specialists site in Andrews County, which is owned by Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons. SB1504

Innocence Project

A package of bills proposed by the Innocence Project of Texas will go onto the books. They include: overhauling eyewitness practices by law enforcement; ensuring the testing of DNA evidence that can prove a person's innocence; and creating uniform standards for the collection, retention and storage of biological evidence. Cory Session, brother of Tim Cole of Fort Worth, who died while in prison for a crime he didn't commit, is now the policy director for the Innocence Project and supported these bills. HB215, SB122, SB1616

Driver's ed

Driver's education instructors will have to undergo background checks, and the Texas Education Agency may revoke licenses given to people who have been convicted of certain felonies, such as sex offenses. HB2678

Missing Texans

Statewide Amber Alerts can be used to call attention to missing adults with diagnosed intellectual developmental disabilities, in addition to alerting the public about abducted children. HB1075

Boating

Texas boaters born on or after Sept. 1, 1993, must complete a boater safety education course. This is a new effort by lawmakers to phase in more safety requirements for users of the 600,000 registered boats in the state. Boaters must keep with them a valid ID and documents showing that they passed a boater education course. The new law also says those operating a motorboat with a motor above 15 horsepower must be at least 13 or supervised by someone older than 18 who can legally operate the boat and is on board. HB1395

Rape kits

Law enforcement officers will have to test biological evidence collected from sexual assaults more quickly. They now must give evidence to a crime lab within 30 days of collection for testing or test it themselves. "This bill will give victims of sexual assault some peace of mind, knowing that these evidence kits will not just sit on a shelf collecting dust," said state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, who carried the bill in the Senate. SB1636

Day care

This bill was passed in the memory of Nathan King, who died after day-care workers gave him medication that his parents had not approved. Under this bill, day-care workers need written parental permission to give medicine to a child or face prosecution. HB1615

Domestic violence

Protective orders will now cover not only the human victims but also their pets. Victims have said this is important because they often have to leave pets behind when fleeing violence and their abusers may threaten to kill or injure the pet. SB279

'Noodling'

Texans will be able to use their bare hands to catch catfish, using their fingers as bait, officially legalizing "noodling." State-issued fishing licenses and freshwater fishing stamps are required. HB2189

Loser pays

The goal of creating a "loser pays" system aims to cut down on frivolous lawsuits in Texas, potentially making the court system more affordable for all Texans to use. The bill calls for some plaintiffs who sue and lose to pay not just the court costs, but also the legal fees, of those they are suing. HB274

"Generally, the new laws reflect a conservative point of view," said Allan Saxe, an associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Arlington. "However, the biggest impact was the budget cuts that still were not nearly as profound as some believed they would be a year ago."

Online: governor.state.tx.us/news/bills

Police sergeant suspended, demoted for sexually harassing employees

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth police sergeant has been suspended for 30 days without pay and demoted one rank after an internal investigation found he had inappropriately touched two female colleagues and sent obscene text messages to several others.

D. Yerigan, a 24-year veteran of the department, had requested the suspension and demotion to the rank of corporal/detective in lieu of termination, stating in a letter to Police Chief Jeff Halstead, "I take full responsibility for my actions," according to Civil Service documents obtained by the Star-Telegram Tuesday.

Yerigan, whose suspension went into effect Friday, declined to comment when reached by telephone on Tuesday.

According to a disciplinary letter filed with the Civil Service Commission Monday afternoon, the department began investigating Yerigan after the chief's office received an anonymous letter June 21, citing examples of inappropriate behavior by Yerigan toward several female employees.

During the investigation, several female employees confirmed Yerigan had created a hostile work environment by violating the city's sexual harassment policy, the documents state.

Yerigan is accused of inappropriately touching two female employees on the buttocks and sending "inappropriate, unsolicited, obscene and graphic" text messages to several female employees during a week in March and throughout June.

"Sgt. Yerigan continued the sexual harassment despite being told by the female employees to stop the behavior," states the letter, signed by Halstead.

The documents state that Yerigan also used his city computer to send improper emails to several female employees.

According to the letter, Yerigan admitted to investigators that he violated the sexual harassment policy.

In his request to the chief that he not be fired, Yerigan, who had held the rank of sergeant for six years, stated he has "an exemplary record with no disciplinary action taken against me as a supervisor and I am respected throughout the department."

Presidential Candidate Proudly Declares Support for Denying Victims Compensation

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Texas Governor Rick Perry has joined the presidential race and one of his primary talking points for being qualified for the position is "litigation reform." This is code for "tort reform," which is code for "denying victims injured by negligence adequate compensation."

Most tort reform advocates proclaim the importance of "capping" economic damages so victims can only get a fixed amount of money from a medical malpractice lawsuit, nevermind the extent of the injuries suffered by the vicim. Gov. Perry is not only a major proponent of capping damages, but he also advocates for "loser pay" laws.

"Loser pay" is advertised as a way to ensure people who file "junk lawsuits" are penalized for bringing the unnecessary litigation. In reality, "loser pay" laws are a way to dissuade victims from actually bringing a medical malpractice lawsuit. How? Well, if you're a victim who has racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills or been out of work for a while because of the injury, the prospect of having to pay for the doctor's legal bills if they lose is daunting. Loser pay is against the basic underpinnings of the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial for torts.

What's even more frustrating about Gov. Perry's stance of tort reform is the fact that he inaccurately boasts about the improved "climate" for doctors in Texas after his reckless tort reform laws went into effect. He declares that over 20,000 doctors came to Texas because of the new tort laws. This was proven to be completely false by Politifact.

The truth is that tort reform is not designed to actually improve the health care "climate", since patients are inexorably included in that climate. Tort reform exclusively benefits the health insurance industry and negligent doctors who are willing to do anything to avoid liability. It's time politicians proclaiming their love of tort reform be honest about what it's really all about.

O.D. Wyatt student hospitalized after beating by pair

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - A 15-year-old O.D. Wyatt High School student was critically injured when he was attacked by two other students Thursday afternoon, police said.

According to Fort Worth police, the incident began about 1:15 p.m. Thursday when two teens assaulted the sophomore inside the school's cafeteria. Police did not say what prompted the assault.

The victim ran from the two teens but was eventually caught by the suspects off-campus on East Seminary Drive, where the assault continued, police said.

A Fort Worth school security initiative officer saw the victim lying on the ground unconscious and being repeatedly kicked by the two suspects.

The officer tried to intervene but the suspects failed to comply with his orders. One of the teens then began fighting with the officer while the other continued kicking the victim, police said.

The officer eventually deployed his Taser on both teen suspects. The boys, ages 16 and 15, were then taken into custody in good condition and handed over to juvenile authorities.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Barbara Griffith, a school district spokeswoman, said Friday that "appropriate action has been taken."

"The safety and welfare of our kids are number one and we immediately responded with extra people on duty," Griffith said. "There were no further incidents and apparently no other kids were involved in this."

SUV slams into DSW shoe store in Hurst

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A motorist and customers escaped serious injuries Thursday afternoon when a sports utility vehicle smashed through the entrance of a Hurst shoe store, Hurst police said.

The driver, described as an elderly female, was momentarily trapped in her Toyota Highlander by the debris, but firefighters soon managed to get her out.

The accident occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. at the DSW Shoe Warehouse in the 900 block of Northeast Loop 820 in Hurst.

The SUV went through the entrance of the store, stopping just short of a cashier counter.

Tanker truck filled with fuel overturns in Roanoke, igniting huge fire

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A tanker truck carrying 5,600 gallons of jet fuel is still burning after it crashed at Highway 114 and Litsey Road in Roanoke.

Dark plumes of smoke and fire could be seen rising from the wreck site. Grass on the nearby median was blackened by fire.

The tanker truck was traveling eastbound on Highway 114 when it collided with a Jeep Wrangler, said Lt. Doug Parks of the Roanoke Fire Dept. The fire department received a call at 3:29 p.m and was joined by nine other area fire departments.

Details of the accident are still under investigation, Parks said.

A passenger in the Jeep was transported to an area hospital in unknown condition, he said. The truck and Jeep drivers were unharmed.

Traffic has been shut down on Highway 114, between Interstate 35 and Highway 377 in both directions because of thick smoke.

The fire from the truck spread to the grass in the medians, but it was soon extinguished.

A Northwest school district spokeswoman said most students have been dropped off by school buses or are on their way home. Students who live in the Briarwyck neighborhood are likely still delayed because the only entrance into the area is still closed, said Lesley Weaver, a Northwest spokeswoman.

The fire delayed some buses from arriving to pick up riders at Medlin Middle and Byron Nelson High schools, but those students have all been picked up from campus, Weaver said.

Police checked bus routes in the area to make sure the roadways were not closed or congested. Some students were put on other buses, which ran multiple routes, Weaver said.

Buses with students inside had been diverted to a Walmart parking lot at U.S. 377 and Texas 114 after the fire, but those buses departed after police found another route for them to take, Weaver said.

Today is the first day of classes for the 16,700-student school district, which is based in north Fort Worth and includes parts of Tarrant, Denton and Wise counties.

Two MORE Texas women arrested for 'having sex with underage boys'

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Natalie Deshan Johnson, 32 is accused of bombarding a 13-year-old boy with text messages before taking him to her apartment in Diboll, Texas for sex.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old second-generation schoolteacher Jordan Lane is said to have had an affair with a 14-year-old student.

Johnson is accused of picking up the 13-year-old boy from his grandparents and taking him to her flat where they had sex.

But she was caught out when she allowed the teenager to spend the night at her home and his parents became suspicious.

Police said cell phone records revealed that Johnson had sent her teenage lover over 1,500 text messages and calls.

The illicit affair was revealed when the boy failed to return home to his grandparents after an overnight stay with Johnson.

When the boy was asked by his parents where he stayed he confessed to having sex with Johnson at her flat.

Police interviewed the boy and he admitted to sleeping with Johnson and told them how she would pick him up after he left his grandparents home.

He confessed to having sex four times at Johnson's apartment and three times at a local park.

An examination of cell phone records showed more than 1,500 calls and text messages between his phone and Johnson's phone.

Johnson was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated child abuse.

Investigators said it was unusual for a woman to be attracted to a young child.

With a man having sex with a child it's very heavily frowned upon, but not so much as a female having a sexual relationship with a child,' Angelina County Sheriff's Office Investigator Donald Carroll said.

Carroll said the teen was very confused.

"In this case alone, just hearing this young man talk about how he's messed up in the head over these incidents with her, he's going to have to have counseling and hopefully they can help him get past this, but it did affect him."

In Honey Grove, married schoolteacher Jordan Lane is also facing rape charges after she allegedly slept with a 14-year-old student.

Honey Grove police chief Mark Johnson told KXII: 'It is hard. I mean, you feel like you've been betrayed and we send our kids to school to be educated and this is pretty hard.

Lane is said to be from a prominent local family and is married to one of her colleagues.

The alleged encounters are not thought to have occurred at school.

Lane has been charged with improper relationship with a student and could also face charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Truck Accident shuts down Texas 26

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A tanker truck struck another vehicle on Texas 26 this morning, according to Grapevine Police spokesman Lt. Todd Dearing. The accident, which occurred just south of the intersection with Southlake's Kimball Avenue, has closed the roadway. Southbound traffic had to turn west onto Kimball and northbound traffic had to turn around.

GRAPEVINE-Cleanup from an accident this morning continues on Texas 26, but police have opened eastbound lanes to traffic. Police are waiting for a street sweeper before opening westbound lanes. Traffic is being diverted to Kimball Avenue. The accident closed Texas 26 for several hours at Ponderosa Drive near Kimball Avenue. The driver of a 2005 Dodge Caravan was transported by helicopter ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, said Lt. Todd Dearing, a Grapevine police spokesman. The van slammed into a fully loaded tanker truck traveling eastbound on Texas 26. Police are investigating whether the driver of the van didn't see the tanker truck or tried to beat it, Dearing said. The driver of the tanker was not injured. A small leak was discovered on the tanker truck, which was towed off the roadway, police said.

Motorcycle Accident | Husband, Wife On Motorcycle Die In Collision With Pickup

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

SCURRY COUNTY, Texas -- A Colorado City man and wife riding a motorcycle died Thursday night died when they crashed into a pickup in Scurry County.

Dead were Danny Jay Bell, 56, and Jenann Hammack Bell, 56, both of Colorado City.

The accident occurred at 7:29 p.m. near mile marker 254 on State Highway 208 in Scurry County.

The Bells were pronounced dead at the scene after the motorcycle they were riding crashed into a pickup that was turning in front of them.

Ronald Phillip Kincheloe, 46, of Snyder, was driving his 2009 Dodge pickup southbound, and the motorcycle, a 2004 Yamaha driven by Danny Bell, was traveling northbound.

Senior Trooper Sparky Dean of the Department of Public Safety said that the pickup was turning into a private drive in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

The weather was clear, and the roadway was dry, Dean said.

Both motorcycle riders were wearing helmets. They were pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Julie Culp.

The bodies were taken to Kiker-Seale Funeral home in Colorado City.

The crash is under investigation by DPS Trooper Jason Ray McMillan.

Highway project to close on-ramp in Bedford

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

BEDFORD - As the name implies, Central Drive in Bedford is a central piece of the mobility picture in northeast Tarrant County. Motorists use the road to not only navigate Bedford, but also to travel between the area's older neighborhoods in the south to newer confines in the north -- including Colleyville, Southlake and beyond.

But beginning Friday, it is going to be a bit harder to use Central Drive near Texas 121/183. The on-ramp from Central Drive to westbound Texas 121/183 -- also known as Airport Freeway -- will be closed likely for more than a year.

The move is part of the $2.1 billion North Tarrant Express project -- a massive makeover of the existing lanes, plus the addition of managed toll lanes, on Texas 121/183.

Traffic can still use the westbound frontage road, and will be redirected to the next on-ramp just west of Bedford Road, according to Bluebonnet Contractors, the company in charge of construction.

"As construction continues in the corridor, drivers need to be aware of changing lane configurations and closures," said Bluebonnet spokeswoman Lara Kohl.

Father gives details of hit-and-run incident that injured Tyler man

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - A Tyler man critically injured early Saturday in the West 7th area was hit by a vehicle in a parking garage before he was found, his father said late Monday.

Tim Morby of Houston said his son, Grant Morby, 24, was on a second-floor parking garage at The Lofts at West 7th on his way to a friend's apartment.

Grant Morby was in critical condition late Monday in a Fort Worth hospital with a severely lacerated liver after being hit by the vehicle.

Tim Morby said that a man in a white pickup apparently backed his vehicle out of parking space and hit his son. A woman was in the passenger seat of the pickup.

But the pickup driver drove out of the garage before authorities arrived. The driver, however, was stopped by a security guard, presenting identification and claiming to have insurance, Tim Morby said late Monday.

Grant Morby was visiting the friend and they had been at a bar Friday night and Saturday morning. He was found about 2 a.m. Saturday in the garage in the 900 block of Norwood Street, a block south of West Seventh.

Traffic investigators "were not initially called out to this scene," police Sgt. Pedro Criado said Monday. "However, they now have a lead on the follow-up investigation."

Grant Morby's friend lives at Norwood and Morton streets near West Seventh, Tim Morby said.

"They only had to walk about a half a block to the bar where they went that night. Somehow they all got separated," he said.

The friend arrived at his apartment at 1:50 a.m. Saturday.

At 2:10 a.m., Tim Morby and his wife received a call from a woman who found their son's phone.

"It (the phone) wasn't locked, so she found a number ... and called us," Tim Morby said. "She said that Grant had been hit by a vehicle, that he was in pain and on the ground."

Tim Morby spoke Monday in a telephone interview from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. He and his wife drove to Fort Worth from Galveston on Saturday morning.

Two people injured in Granbury plane crash

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two people were taken to hospitals after an single-engine airplane lost power on takeoff and crashed at the end of a Granbury Regional Airport runway about 10 a.m. today, said Lynn Lunsford, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Lonnie Haschel said that the pilot was taken by air ambulance to Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital with severe injuries. The passenger had less severe injuries, he said.

No other information about the plane's occupants was released, and Haschel said he didn't know where the passenger was taken for treatment.

The Ultralight Challenger II CW, tail number N979JP, is registered on the FAA's website to Joe Pratt, 1602 Crow Creek Dr. in Granbury.

The fixed-wing airplane with a single, two-cycle engine was manufactured in 2005 by Quad City Ultralights and is classified as experimental.

Accidents spotlight elderly driving issues

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Ralph DeVito is an 86-year-old Stamford native and former Marine who fought in the Pacific theatre during World War II. When he stands, pain shoots through his back, a product of three surgeries in the 1990s. Both his knees and his hip have been replaced. He uses a wheeled walker to get around.

His daughters are concerned about him driving.

"It's a difficult subject," DeVito said on Friday, sitting in the library of the Stamford Senior Center in the Government Center on Washington Boulevard. "I was always a very strong person, and a careful person. If I knew I was going to kill myself I wouldn't drive."

DeVito and his daughters are part of a long-standing quandary plaguing policy makers, law enforcement agencies and families alike -- how do authorities keep unsafe elderly drivers off the road without infringing their rights and access to transportation? The question burst into the spotlight this week when a 92-year-old driver plowed into a crowded Summer Street cafe during lunchtime on Monday, injuring 10 patrons as his car barreled through the glass storefront and came to rest 20 feet inside the eatery.

Before smashing through the cafe, the Honda Civic hit a pregnant woman and a friend sitting outside. The pregnant woman broke her leg, while her friend broke her pelvis and needs weeks of rehabilitation. The driver, Stamford resident Samuel Leighton, was not injured.

Stamford police said it appeared Leighton mistook the gas pedal for the brake when he was trying to park in a handicapped space in front of Cafe Oo La La. Leighton, whose license was revoked by police, told The Advocate he could not remember the accident.

"An accident such as the one that took place this week is the type of thing that may bring it to people's attention," said state Rep. Gerry Fox, D-Stamford, the co-chair of the Judiciary Committee and a member of the Transportation Committee of the state General Assembly.

Two other senior citizens were killed this week in separate accidents on Route 7. In the most recent, Frank Johnson, a 71-year-old Norwalk man, died this Friday when his Volkswagen strayed into the path of an oncoming dump truck. This Monday, Merle Singer, a 71-year-old from Mesquite, Texas, died after a station wagon she was riding in collided with a dump truck. The 91-year-old driver turned left onto Route 7 and pulled the station wagon directly in front of the truck.

Nationwide, older drivers get into more fatal accident than teenagers. Drivers older than 65 years old were involved in 12 percent of the 45,230 fatal accidents reported nationwide in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Connecticut, older drivers were involved in 27 of the 300 fatal accidents reported that year amounting to 9 percent of all fatal accidents. Fox said Connecticut lawmakers last broached the subject of introducing safety measures for elderly drivers a few years ago during an overhaul of the state's teenage driving laws. He said the issue may be something lawmakers should consider in the next legislative session this February.

"The overriding factor is safety, not only for people who are operating vehicles but for those on the roads and sidewalks, and this instance in the cafe," Fox said. "So if we can do something that will further enhance safety, then I think we need to look into it."

Fox said lawmakers must still protect the rights of the state's aging population.

"People age differently, so I don't know if you can use a black-line test to determine whether people can drive," he said.

DeVito said he would support an individualized approach to testing for elderly drivers. Some of his peers have no problems.

"I guess that's the only way," he said. "How else can you tell? You have to check your reflexes."

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles requires drivers 65 and older to renew their licenses in person every two years.

According to a 2007 legislative report, Connecticut is among eight states that do not require vision tests when drivers renew their licenses.

Stamford police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher, the supervisor of the department's Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad, said he and his officers revoke a driver's license about twice a month. Sometimes it's a motor vehicle stop with a confused driver, other times it's an accident or collision caused by medical problems.

After officers revoke a driver's license because of medical concerns the state DMV requires the driver to have their physician fill out an evaluation of their ability to operate vehicles, Gallagher said. The revocations are then reviewed by the DMV's Medical Advisory Board, which makes the final determination whether to suspend or permanently revoke a license based on the driver's medical history.

"A lot of times it causes a serious discussion between the doctor and the driver," Gallagher said. "The doctor is putting his reputation on the line."

In addition to conducting driver safety courses with the AARP, Gallagher said his unit is known to make house calls. Family members ask the officer to help them discuss their concerns with an older relatives' ability to drive. Attempts at taking away the car key from older relatives can turn contentious, and some opt to have an authority figure sit in on the talks.

"People are caught off guard that a police officer is addressing them," Gallagher said of the talks. "Most people think they are doing just fine."

Greenwich criminal defense attorney Philip Russell works on a handful of license revocations each year. The revocations are a wake-up call for some clients.

"Very often it is a life-saving intervention," Russel said. "Especially involving a situation with a person living alone where there is no other early warning system."

Without his car DeVito would be housebound. His wife died 10 years ago, so DeVito lives alone in an apartment his daughter bought for him. Driving means independence for DeVito, a regular at the Senior Center. Still, if his health wanes he would volunteer to hang up his car keys, he maintained.

"My daughters keep telling me I shouldn't drive," he said. "I'm being honest and I feel that my reflexes are good."

DeVito doesn't want to use services such as Dial-A-Ride. He said the wait is too long. Jennifer Millea, the spokeswoman for AARP Connecticut, said the state budget problems are affecting the transportation options for seniors who live in suburbs and rural areas that lack public transportation.

"In some respects we are going backwards instead of forwards," she said.

Millea said the AARP believes that senior drivers shouldn't be targeted alone for vision testing and other safety precautions. If the state wants to pursue those options they should be implemented for all age groups, she said.

"There really isn't a silver-bullet solution," Millea said. "There has to be this holistic approach. If these people are not able to drive how are they going to be able to avoid isolation and get where they need to go?"

3 Serious Arlington Crashes in 3 Hours

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police and emergency workers were kept busy overnight by three separate unrelated wrecks, two of which had fatal consequences.

The first happened around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when police say a man in his 30s was speeding down Eden Road near Kennedale.

Police say the man, who was alone in his car, lost control in the 4700 block just west of Highway 287. He died at the scene, but the medical examiner has not yet released his name.

Almost 3 hours later, accident investigators were called to another fatal accident on I-30 near Center Street.

A black pickup truck had been rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver, and a passenger in the pickup was ejected and killed.

Witnesses say describe the other vehicle that fled as a white truck, possibly a Nissan. Anyone with information is asked to call the Arlington Police Department at 817-459-5635.

Shortly after police were notified of the I-30 accident, a third accident happened on I-20.

At 1:45 a.m., police say a woman in her 20s drove the wrong way on the freeway and sideswiped an oncoming 18-wheeler near Green Oaks Boulevard.

The woman was trapped in her SUV for several minutes before emergency workers could cut her free. Both she and the truck driver were taken to John Peter Smith Hospital and are expected to survive their injuries.

The westbound lanes of I-20 remained closed until 6:45 a.m. while police investigated the accident.

Officers say the woman initially told them she had her baby in the vehicle with her, but the child later turned out to be with his father.

Police say alcohol is most likely a factor in this accident and the woman could face charges.

Bizarre crash leaves truck bed teetering against exit sign along Interstate-45 in Houston

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A bizarre accident involving a truck's trailer that struck an overhead road sign and was left balancing at an almost 90-degree angle shut down a Texas freeway on Tuesday.

All main lanes of I-45 North were closed overnight after the hydraulic lifter mysteriously raised the trailer as the truck hauling gravel headed northbound, causing it to crash into the green exit signs, KHOUS 11 News reported.

No one was hurt in the accident, which happened around 5:30 p.m. The road didn't reopen to traffic until Wednesday morning.

The cab of the truck was separated from the trailer and came to a stop farther down the Interstate, while hydraulic fluid spilled all over the freeway.

The trailer was hauled away around 9 p.m. Tuesday, then Texas Department of Transportation workers used two 150-foot cranes to take down the entire exit sign.

The Houston Police Department truck enforcement division is still investigating the crash, the Houston Chronicle reported. The driver is not thought to have been intoxicated.

"We don't know if it's mechanical failure or human error," Houston Police Department Capt. Charles Vazquez said.

Police said the driver will be issued at least one citation and could be held responsible for the cost of damage to the freeway, which the Texas DOT estimates cost up to $100,000, the Chronicle reported.

Drivers stuck in traffic said they were shocked by the wreck.

"Wow, that's wild. I can't believe it," Ronald Green told KHOUS 11 News. "I don't know how he did it, but he did it."

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com

Car Accident | Killeen woman killed in rollover accident in Mansfield

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 23-year-old Killeen woman was killed Sunday afternoon after she was thrown from a car during a rollover wreck in Mansfield.

Sarah Morris was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:23 p.m., according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.

A male driver of the four-door Scion and a 3-week old boy who had been secured in a child safety seat were hospitalized, said Officer Thad Penkala, a Mansfield police spokesman.

"From what I understand, they did not receive any life-threatening injuries," Penkala said.

The single-vehicle wreck occurred in the southbound lanes of the 500 block of S. U.S. Highway 287. Penkala said the cause of the wreck remained under investigation Monday.

Local Surgeon Accused in Several Malpractice Cases

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

CORPUS CHRISTI - A local brain surgeon went on trial Tueday for allegedly botching a procedure that left a patient severely impaired.

Doctor Stefan Konasiewicz reportedly ran into several legal problems in Minnesota before making his way to Corpus Christi.

Konasiewicz was sanctioned by Minnesota's medical board for unethical and unprofessional conduct before he came to Texas in 2007, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

He also reportedly had multiple malpractice suits, some involving patient deaths, before coming to Texas.

Konasiewicz works at the South Texas Brain and Spine Center with several other doctors.

We stopped by trying to get some comment from either the doctor himself or a partner in his practice about the ongoing charges being made against him.

"I just spoke to my office manager. There's nobody here you can speak to. If you want to leave your card," said an employee of the center. "There aren't any other doctors or partners or anyone?," asked Romo. "No," the employee responded.

No one called us from the center. We do have information on five cases settled in Minnesota involving the Dr. Konasiewicz. Two of them accused the doctor of being responsible for patient deaths, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

Starting Tuesday he faces a new suit in Minnesota for allegedly botching a brain biopsy leaving a patient severely brain damaged.

The Texas Medical Board says they don't have anything on record showing investigations or malpractice allegations against Konasiewicz.

Representatives with that agency say the doctor is free and clear to operate in Texas. In fact, he has privileges at Driscoll Children's Hospital, Doctor's Regional, Spohn Memorial and Spohn Shoreline.

The Texas Medical Board website does say Konasiewicz reported to it that he was ordered in Minnesota to be supervised by a mentoring doctor.

But, representatives told us by phone that he is not required to be supervised in Texas.

They also say the board and doctors in the state are able to make agreements to keep some malpractice cases off of public record. Though they couldn't confirm if that's why Texas has no records of Konasiewicz's malpractice allegations.

We wanted to know if the doctor and his partners at the South Texas Brain and Spine Center thought local patients deserved to know about these allegations, but we weren't able to get any answers.

"So, do you think it would be fair if I said the South Texas Brain and Spine Center has no comment about the allegations?" asked Romo. "I don't know," the employee answered.

We were told the facilities owner would call us with a comment, but that never happened.

For now, no matter the outcome of the current case, it seems like the doctor will be able to operate on patients here in the Costal Bend.

The Texas Medical Board says after the current lawsuit is completed it might include that information on Konasiewicz's public file.

The board says it still has the discretion to keep the case off of public record if the doctor petitions them to do so.

Fatal wreck closes eastbound I-30 in west Fort Worth

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 13-year-old boy was killed in a wreck involving an 18-wheeler that shut down eastbound Interstate 30 in Fort Worth on Thursday morning.

Police said the driver's son, identified by the medical examiner as Hector Hernandez, was apparently in the sleeper portion of the tractor and died at the scene.

The man driving the 18-wheeler was taken to the hospital. His condition is unknown at this time, police said.
Police said the driver was eastbound at 7400 I-30 and for an unknown reason drifted to the right, jumped the median, took out a metal guard rail and smashed into a bridge support, breaking it.
TxDot officials said the road will be closed possibly until Friday night.

Crews are currently working to secure the bridge's support beams, said Val Lopez, TxDOT spokesman.
"Our first concern is motorist safety," Lopez said.
Lopez said two of the three lanes of eastbound I-30 should open sometime Friday as well as one of the two frontage-road lanes.

The Lockheed Boulevard bridge over I-30 will remain closed while TxDOT officials inspect the bridge to determine the extent of the damage.

"That will take longer to evaluate," Lopez said. "We need to see what kind of load it can take."
Police closed eastbound I-30 at West Loop 820 because of the wreck.

Lighted road signs in the Willow Park area were directing eastbound motorists to exit at Interstate 20 or to take West Loop 820 North. Motorists also could take Spur 580 to avoid the closure but delays were expected.

Wrongful Death | Pickup driver killed while trying to change tire in south Fort Worth

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

A driver from Mansfield faces an intoxication manslaughter charge after a man was fatally struck near I-20 and Campus Drive in south Fort Worth overnight.

The victim, an Alvarado man, had parked his brown 1984 Ford pickup on the eastbound shoulder in the 2500 block of Southeast Loop 820 to change a flat tire around 1:15 a.m. Friday, police said.

A 1998 gold GMC van drove onto the shoulder and slammed into the pickup. The victim was outside the truck and died at the scene, police said.

The driver of the van, Mario Campos, 59, was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter, police said.

Police would only say that the driver lives in Mansfield. The victim has not been identified

Texas Law Capping Medical Malpractice Awards Hasn't Cut Health Care Costs

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

In 2003, Texans were promised that if they capped noneconomic damages in medical malpractice awards, they would eventually see a reduction in their total health care costs, and they bought the claim. Texas enacted one of the toughest bills in the country capping medmal award damages. Almost eight years later, that hasn't happened at all.

One study of data on Medicare spending in Texas for years following the enactment of the law shows the following: "Not only has per person Medicare spending in Texas continued to exceed the national average, the data also show that such spending rose at nearly twice the national average (15.1% versus 8.7%) in the four years since the medical liability reform legislation was passed. Furthermore, before such 'cost-saving' legislation went into effect, per person Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas were the tenth highest in the nation. In 2007, reimbursement rates in Texas had risen to the second highest. None of this is resounding evidence that tort reform has been successful in controlling health care costs."

And a new review by the Dallas Morning News shows that since the medmal law was enacted in 2003, family and single health insurance premiums rose by 51 and 45 percent, respectively, roughly equal to the increase nationwide. Even the President of the Texas Medical Association, the doctors' lobby in Texas, admitted, "(W)e haven't seen the overall cost of medical care go down."

The Dallas Morning News review showed that medical malpractice insurance premiums for doctors in Texas have decreased since the law was enacted. But that's been a nationwide phenomenon, according to Congressional testimony by Joanne Doroshow of the Center for Justice and Democracy in January. Moreover, as she pointed out, "Premiums have dropped irrespective of whether 'tort reforms' were enacted in any particular state, such as Texas. States with little or no restrictions on patients' legal rights have experienced the same level of liability insurance rate changes as those states that enacted severe restrictions on patients' rights." So the drop in Texas medmal insurance premiums isn't necessarily attributable to the enactment of the medmal law. And in any event, the patients haven't seen any benefit from that reduction. My thanks go to Mary Alice McLarty of the McLarty Pope law firm in Dallas for sending me the DMNchart.

Over 40 states have already enacted some form of state "tort reform," many with the promise of lower costs to consumers. I would like to read ANY reliable study that finds thatANY state law capping medical malpractice awards was followed by a drop in health care costs in that state, but I doubt that any such study exists.\

Source: http://voices.injuryboard.com/medical-malpractice/texas-law-capping-medical-malpractice-awards-hasnt-cut-health-care-costs.aspx?googleid=292510

Driver of car in fatal Wise County crash remains hospitalized

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

The 17-year-old driver of a Ford Mustang that crashed early Saturday in Wise County, killing four of his passengers, remained in serious condition Sunday at a Fort Worth hospital.

Danny Ray Nalley of Fort Worth was in John Peter Smith Hospital, where he has been since his car collided with a Ford F-350.

Killed in the crash were Kevin Brickey, 19, of Blue Mound, and Vincent "Vinnie" Williams, 19, of Wakefield, Mass. On Sunday a third victim was identified as Vincent James LaGrassa, 19, of Fort Worth. A fourth victim had not been identified Sunday by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.

Nalley and Brickey graduated in June from Saginaw High School, where Nalley played football, according to an Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school official.

The driver of the pickup, Richard Glenn Rand, 30, of Burleson, was taken to a hospital, but his injuries were not considered life-threatening.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper said Sunday that the crash occurred when Nalley passed in a no-passing zone and crashed into the pickup on Farm Road 730 in Wise County, north of Decatur and about 50 miles north of Fort Worth.

"Additional factors may arise later as the investigation progresses," DPS trooper Lonny Haschel said in an e-mail Sunday.

The teens were returning from a party at the LBJ Grasslands, and Nalley was trying to pass a group of friends, relatives of LaGrassa said Sunday.

The crash was reported shortly before 3:30 a.m. Saturday on the farm road near the intersection with County Road 2445.

Rand told DPS troopers that he was northbound on Farm Road 730 when a southbound Mustang moved into the northbound lane. The Mustang and the pickup swerved into a ditch and collided.

Keller motorcyclist dies in collision with vehicle driven by suspected drunk driver

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Keller motorcyclist was killed early Tuesday in far north Tarrant County when his vehicle collided with a Jeep that was driven by a suspected drunk driver, authorities said.

Jason Wakeford, 30, died at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth shortly after the accident.

Authorities arrested Cristan Jerri Melancon, 18, of Keller, at the scene on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter. She remained in the Tarrant County Jail.

The wreck was reported about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday at Wall Price Road and Concho Circle near Keller.

Wakeford was westbound on Wall Price Road and collided with Melancon's Jeep which had just got onto Wall Price Road, said Terry Grisham, a spokesman with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department.

According to sheriff department reports, Melancon was not injured nor was an 18-year-old female passenger in the Jeep.

New 'Wrong Way' signs approved for North Texas Tollway Authority -- aim is to stop drunk driving head-ons

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Signs reading "Wrong way" and "Do not enter" will be installed on North Texas Tollway Authority roads at a lowered height, in an effort to curb a recent rash of head-on collisions, officials said Tuesday. The agency, which will unveil the new signs Wednesday morning at its maintenance center in Dallas, recently got permission from the Federal Highway Administration to install the signs lower than the height that's normally allowed for road signs, officials said. The bottom of the new signs will be two feet off the ground, compared to the normal seven feet, spokesman Michael Rey said. "Impaired drivers are almost always at the wheel in wrong-way crashes," he said. "Studies show impaired drivers tend to look downt at the ground, or very low."

The tollway authority engaged the help of the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University to test the new signs. Primarily, the tests were performed to ensure the signs didn't increase the risk of crash-related injuries for traffic going the correct way on a road, Rey said. Some of the new signs also feature flashing light-emitting diodes, he said. Officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are scheduled to attend the unveiling of the new signs. The event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the NTTA Maintenance Cener, Reagan and Sylvester streets in north Dallas.

Rabid pit bull bites two people in Johnson County

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

A pit bull mix that bit two people in rural Johnson County on July 6 has tested positive for rabies, according to Sheriff Bob Alford.

The dog was trying to get into the house through a window to attack the victims' dogs when the two adults were bitten, said Lt. Tim Jones of the sheriff's department.

The medium-sized female pit bull mix was found along County Road 1106 near Rio Vista.

A local veterinarian tested the dog, and the results were positive, according to the sheriff's department.

Jones said people who had contact with the pit bull mix beginning on June 26 should seek advice from their physician.

Since December 2010, there have been confirmed reports of seven skunks, two horses, one cat, one raccoon and one dog that have tested positive for rabies in unincorporated Johnson Count

Rangers fan dies after falling over fence at Rangers Ballpark

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

A fan reaching to catch a ball died after he fell over the left-field wall at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington during the second inning of Thursday night's game.

The man had been reaching over the rail for a foul ball tossed into the stands by Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton during the game against the Oakland A's.

The city manager of Brownwood confirmed that the man, Shannon Stone, was a firefighter there, the Brownwood News reported late Thursday.

Stone, who was sitting in the left-field lower-level reserved seats, fell about 20 feet in the area behind a wall supporting a scoreboard.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," said Nolan Ryan, Rangers CEO and president.

It is routine for players to throw balls that are out of play into the stands.

"As anyone would be, Josh is very distraught about this, as the whole team is," Ryan said.

Stone was treated by Rangers medical personnel before being taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

The Rangers' TV broadcast did not show the incident, but the A's broadcast did, returning to it during a break in the action on the field.

Ronnie Hargis was sitting next to Stone, who was at the game with his young son. The men had been talking to each other before the accident.

"He went straight down. I tried to grab him, but I couldn't. I tried to slow him down a little bit," Hargis said.

Witnesses said the victim's head was bleeding badly.

David Dodson was at the game with his daughter and saw the fall.

"Just as the ball hit his hand, it kind of threw him off balance and he just went head-first," Dodson said. "It looked awful because you knew there was no way he was going to land on his feet. ... The way he fell, it looked like it was just straight on his head."

Oakland relief pitcher Brad Ziegler said he thought Stone was going to be OK after the fall because he was telling medical personnel to "please check on my son up there."

Rangers manager Ron Washington said several players saw the incident unfold. The Rangers played the rest of the game, winning 6-0, without knowing the spectator had died.

"We knew about it, but we didn't know exactly what had happened," he said.

On July 6, 2010, a fan plunged 30 feet from the upper deck at the stadium while trying to catch a foul ball during a game between the Rangers and the Cleveland Indians.

That man, 25-year-old Tyler Morris of Rio Vista, landed on several people below, suffering a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.

Ryan said after last year's accident that he thought the stadium's railing heights were adequate.

"The ballpark was built above specs, and we feel good about that," Ryan said.

In 1994, 26-year-old Hollye Minter of Plano fell 35 feet from the upper deck during the home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Minter suffered fractured vertebrae, broken ribs and teeth, and shoulder and leg injuries.

After that incident, the Rangers raised some of the stadium's railings and added warning signs.

3 children of Houston couple killed in crash transferred to local hospital

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

HOUSTON -- Three Houston children whose parents were killed in a car accident in West Texas over the weekend were moved to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

Josh Berry, 41, and Robin Berry, 40, died on July 2 when a car veered into oncoming traffic on Highway 285 in Fort Stockton and struck their minivan head-on. The family was on their way home from a vacation in Colorado.

Their three children, 9-year-old Peter, 8-year-old Aaron and 6-year-old Willa, were seriously injured.

The kids were rushed to Lubbock Covenant Hospital, where they stayed for several days until they were stable enough to be moved to Houston.

"Robin & Joshua's three children survived the automobile crash that took the lives of their parents, and they are undergoing serious medical procedures now in Houston. So that the children can rest and receive the best medical care possible, the family is asking for no visitors at this time," said longtime family friend Lisa Strauss in a post Thursday morning on Facebook.

The Berrys, who lived in the Briargrove area, were well-known in the community.

"There's really no words to describe it. It's horrible. We're going to miss them," said family friend Emily Weinstein. "They were a very tight-knit family."

Josh Berry unsuccessfully ran for Houston City Council in 2003. Robin Berry was a party planner.

Funeral services for their parents were held Wednesday at Beth Yeshurun synagogue in Houston. The service lasted nearly three hours. More than 1,000 people attended.

"There is no question in my mind that the support for these kids will be overwhelming in the coming weeks, months, years to make sure they are surrounded with the same type of love and warmth and care that Josh and Robin would have given them as parents," said family friend Jason Buchman.

4 motorcyclist dead this weekend after an accident in Canton, Texas

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Former broadcast equipment sales rep Steve Claterbaugh, his girlfriend Kathleen Smith and two others are dead after a motorcycle accident over the weekend.

Dallas-area papers are reporting that the four were killed when a car hit their motorcycles on Highway 19 about a mile from Canton, Texas.

Jose Luis Pena, 31, of the Houston area is being held in lieu of $2 million bail in the Van Zandt County Jail, authorities there told the Dallas Morning News. Pena is charged with four counts of criminally negligent homicide after he swerved his sports car into oncoming traffic, the paper reported.

There are no indications of alcohol or drug use, police told the paper; they also said that because Pena's car burst into flames upon impact, they have not been able to determine if the car had a mechanical problem.

The 53-year-old Claterbaugh most recently was self-employed and working as a consultant since 2008, specializing in international sales/marketing, market research and business development for international companies. Prior to that he was a sales manager in the Dallas area for Comet North America for its broadcast and industrial applications and had previous stints at Crown Broadcast and Continental Electronics, according to his LinkedIn profile and past Radio World coverage. He was also a licensed real estate agent.

Claterbaugh was a graduate of Bryan Adams High School in Dallas, WFAA(TV) reported on its website. Friend Ronnie Gordon told the television station Claterbaugh "was always there when I needed him. He would do anything for anybody."

Austin man uses his belt to save woman pinned under cement truck

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 19-year-old University of Texas student is recovering after losing her lower right leg in an accident involving a cement truck.

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, a cement truck traveling northbound on Guadalupe accidentally ran over Haifa Abubaker while she was walking her bicycle across the street. Witnesses say the driver didn't know that he had the young woman pinned under his cement truck and dragged her for about 40 feet.

Passersby watched in horror as the scene unfolded but Patrick Clemen, who was working at the same intersection, jumped into action.

"I heard an enormous crash and looked forward, and there was a girl pinned underneath this cement mixer," said Clemens, a local food technician who also happens to be a Boy Scout Troop Leader, a Desert Storm Veteran, and who was also hit twice on two different occasions while riding his bicycle.

Clemens used his belt as tourniquet to stop Abubaker's bleeding.

Some of the employees working in businesses along the drag who witnessed the graphic nature of the accident were given a couple of days off to cope with the trauma.

"It was truly horrible. I've never seen anything like that before," said Dennis O'Donnell, an employee at a bar called The Hole in the Wall.

On Wednesday, Abubaker's lower right leg was amputated. On Thursday she was moved out of ICU at UMC Brackenridge and into a regular room.

Austin police say the cement truck driver will not be charged with anything but the case is considered an accident.

Suck It Up, Buckle Up

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

The Texas Department of Transportation has a message for drivers of and passengers in pickup trucks: "Fasten your seat belts or run a better than 50-50 chance of dying in an accident."

Well, that's paraphrasing a bit. The exact quote is, "Buckle up in your truck," and it's a summer-long promotional campaign designed to get people inside pickup cabs to, what, "Click it or ticket?"

According to TxDOT stats, though, it's more like "Click it or die," because pickups tend to roll over during crashes and sling drivers and passengers out the windows. Using a seat belt reduces the chance of fatalities among pickup drivers by about 60 percent.

The TxDOT campaign aims to change the perception that a) you're safe in a larger vehicle - well, no, see "roll over" reference above, and b) you're pretty much immune to the physical dangers of a crash because you're "younger and male" - again, no, because young necks snap just as readily as older necks.

Besides, there's the little matter of $250 or more in the citation and court costs associated with a ticket, so humor the nice officer and wear the seat belt.

Wrongful Death | Fort Worth man, 70, is run over, killed in parking lot incident

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 70-year-old man was killed this weekend when he was run over by a vehicle in the 5600 block of Meadowbrook Drive in Fort Worth.

The Tarrant County medical examiner's office identified the victim as Jerry Winton of Fort Worth.

Winton was driving a blue Chevy truck in the parking lot of a business about 11 a.m. Saturday when a man backed his car out of a parking space, and the two vehicles collided, police said.

Both men got out of the vehicles to exchange information. The man got back in his car and began to leave and Winton grabbed the car and was dragged.

Witnesses said Winton let go and was run over. He was pronounced dead at John Peter Smith Hospital.

Police were still looking Sunday for the driver of the other car.

Winton's daughter's Cindy King said Monday her father was a Vietnam veteran who recently got a new job as a mechanical engineer at a business in Granbury. His wife Nancy has medical issues and, while he was out of work for two years, he paid about $1,000 a month for her health insurance.

"He was so happy to be working again," King said. "His main priority was always providing for his family."

Winton rebuilt cars in the family garage, most recently a 1972 Monte Carlo, King said. Saturday, he had gone to a swap meet to look for new tools and had probably stopped at a donut shop to get snacks.

King called his death senseless.

"My dad would never hurt anyone," King said. "He only wanted to get (the other driver's) information. I don't know why someone would do this."

One killed in three-vehicle wreck on I-35W in Fort Worth

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - One person died Tuesday afternoon in a fiery collision on Interstate 35W near Risinger Road involving three vehicles, emergency officials said.

Police said a commercial utility truck carrying flammable liquids rear-ended a pickup "with a significant amount of force."

At least two explosions engulfed the pickup in flames, police said, and a person died inside.

No other injuries were reported.

Truck Accident | Fiery crash shuts down South Freeway in FW

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - At least two vehicles were involved in a fiery accident on Fort Worth's South Freeway Tuesday afternoon.

One person was killed in the wreckage on the highway near Risinger Road when a utility truck carrying flammable liquids rear-ended a pickup truck.

Fort Worth police said it was not immediately clear whether any other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Three people suffered minor injuries and declined a ride to the hospital for a checkup.

The accident at 4:20 p.m. shut down traffic in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35W along with the service road. Police were directing traffic over a median to Burleson Cardinal Road to get around the accident scene.

Northbound traffic was slowed by onlookers.

A Texas Department of Transportation surveillance camera showed Fort Worth firefighters spraying foam on the wreckage shortly after the accident.

The pickup truck involved in the incident was unrecognizable after the impact and fire.

The name of the victim was not released, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Intoxicated driver strikes into ETX house

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

One east Texas neighborhood woke up to the loud bang of a pick up truck ramming into the front of a house. It happened around 6, this morning in the 300 block of North Parkdale Avenue in Tyler.

The driver, apparently drunk, tried to run away. Police later caught up with 25-year-old, Jair Zarate-Cobos. He was arrested for DWI and leaving the scene of an accident.

East Texas news' Annette Falconer dropped by that house and shows us the damage that was done.

It was loud enough, and big enough to wake up several neighbors, "We thought a tree limb had fell on our house," says Jim Deramus.

But after hearing the sound of metal Deramus knew it was much bigger, he says, "When it hit, it was loud enough it shook our house, I thought it hit our house."

Which is no surprise to Tyler police why neighbors were a little confused. Sergeant Bill Goecking says, "When you have an explosion as what it sounds like, when the vehicle strikes a lot of times people think it's their house because it will actually shake."

It was actually the home across the street from Deramus that got hit straight on by the driver of a Ford pick-up truck, taking a mailbox, a fence, and a couple bushes with it.

"It looked like he was going pretty fast because as you can see the skid marks here and then when he got into the middle of the road he just quit, he didn't put the break on no more, he just let go," says Deramus.

According to Deramus, the truck managed to hit not only a bedroom window, but a man sleeping just inches away, "He was knocked out of the bed all the way across the room to the floor."

Police say the resident was treated for minor injuries. As far as the driver, 25 year old Jair Zarate-Cobos, he didn't report any injuries at the time of arrest.

Jair Zarate-Cobos is being held in the Smith County jail.

Girl, 9, killed when tow truck smashes into car in Frisco

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Frisco police are investigating a wreck that killed a 9-year-old girl Wednesday evening on Texas 121 near Spring Creek Parkway.

Police said about 9:15 p.m., a tow truck plowed into a vehicle parked on the service road in the 3900 block of Texas 121.

A 32-year-old resident of The Colony and her two daughters, ages 12 and 9, were in the vehicle, which police said had pulled over because of mechanical problems.

The 9-year-old girl, identified by the medical examiner as Macie Hooten, died at the scene. The mother and the 12-year-old were taken to Medical Center of Plano with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the driver of the tow truck, a 49-year-old Frisco resident, was not injured in the collision.

Police are still investigating to determine whether any charges will be filed against the tow truck driver.

Teen killed in three-vehicle crash near Denton

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Sunset teenager died Saturday night at a Fort Worth hospital from injuries he suffered in a three-vehicle wreck just west of Denton.

Two other people were injured and were in a Denton hospital in stable condition, according to Texas Department of Public Safety reports released Sunday.

The teen was identified as Tyler Kilcrease, 17.

He was pronounced dead at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

Sunset is about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth in Montague County.

The wreck occurred shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday on U.S. 380 about six miles west of Denton. Kilcrease was driving a 2004 Chevrolet pickup eastbound on the highway when his vehicle hit the back of a 2007 Ford Explorer, DPS reported.

On impact, the pickup veered over and hit a westbound 2005 Dodge.

The driver of the Dodge and his passenger were taken to the hospital. The DPS report did not mention any injuries to the driver of the Explorer.

Drivers and the passenger in the accident were wearing seat belts, DPS reported.

The wreck remained under investigation Sunday .

Truck Accident | Semi Crash, Fire Closes Freeway

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

MESQUITE, Texas - An 18-wheeler hauling scrap metal crashed onto its side and caught fire Friday morning, blocking all of the westbound lanes of I-30 near the 635 interchange.

The driver was taken to the hospital with a broken arm, according to Mesquite police.

From Sky 4, the cab of the Texas Star Express truck could be seen straddling the HOV lane barrier. Little remained of the cab except burned and twisted metal.

It's not clear exactly how the 10:45 a.m. accident happened, although at least one other car with a damaged fender was at the accident site.

It appears the semi driver lost control for some reason and over-corrected, tipping the 18-wheeler on its right side.

Westbound traffic on I-30 was being diverted onto northbound 635. The freeway could be closed for several hours as investigators gather information about the accident.

Ban on texting-while-driving in Texas wins final approval

Tue, 31 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

Many motorists still send text messages such as LOL (laughing out loud) while driving -- but police may soon have the last laugh.

In the closing hours of the legislative session that ended Monday, lawmakers passed a statewide ban on sending or reading emails, text messages or instant messages while driving. The bill awaits Gov. Rick Perry's signature.

If it becomes law, motorists could be fined $200 for a violation, beginning Sept. 1. Under Texas law, the governor has 20 days after adjournment to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without his signature.

The measure that passed the Senate 28-3 late Sunday is tougher than a previous version of the bill that was debated earlier in the session. The previous version would have outlawed sending text messages, but not reading them, while driving.

"Everybody agreed it was wrong to do the actual texting, the inputting, while you're driving, but a lot of people thought it was OK to read the text," said Vic Suhm, who as executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition closely tracks transportation laws.

But safety experts have warned against encouraging motorists to read texts. Nationwide, distracted driving caused 20 percent of traffic deaths in 2009, up from 10 percent in 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cellphone use is one of the most common distractions.

Also, some Texas lawmakers had raised concerns about whether the previous version of the bill could be enforced.

For example, how could an officer prove that a driver was sending, rather than just reading, a message? The tougher version that passed both houses of the Legislature eliminates that confusion by making it illegal to either send or read a message.

Exceptions to the ban

The bill includes a handful of exceptions.

For example, drivers would still be allowed to input a phone number into their device for purposes of making a call. Also, texting would still be allowed for those who use hands-free technology, a global positioning system or a device attached to the car.

In addition, drivers whose job includes communicating with a dispatcher would still be able to send job-related texts.

State law already bans the use of cellphones -- texting or talking -- in school zones, although not all cities enforce it.

Also, Texas drivers younger than 18 cannot use wireless devices in their first year of driving.

Many cities have tackled distracted driving on their own. Arlington is considering adopting a tougher local ordinance prohibiting cellphone use. Austin and San Antonio are among the cities that have banned texting while driving, and El Paso has banned texting and talking while driving.

In April, the Texas Department of Transportation launched a National Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign. Cellphone use caused 3,308 crashes in Texas in 2009 - the most recent year for which data was available - including 41 deaths.

"Drivers simply do not realize the dangers that are posed when they take their eyes and minds off the road and their hands off the wheel and focus on activities other than driving," Carol Rawson, Texas Department of Transportation traffic operations director, said during the campaign kickoff.

The texting ban that passed Sunday had been inserted into an unrelated bill, which grants former peace officers the ability to carry a concealed handgun without a license.

Source : http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/30/3114442/ban-on-texting-while-driving-wins.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz1Nx8Cn9Zf

Wrongful Death | Fort Worth woman threatening officer with scissors is shot, killed

Wed, 25 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - A woman was shot and killed by police Monday afternoon after she came at an officer with scissors, officials said Tuesday.

Stacey Burris, 46, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where she was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds at 8:32 p.m. Monday evening.

Sgt. Pedro Criado, a police spokesman, said officers were dispatched to a suicidal person call in the 1300 block of Country Manor shortly before 8 p.m.

There, a family member told the officer that Burris was making threats to harm herself and family members, Criado said.

An officer had entered the house and was walking along a short, narrow hallway toward the woman's room when he encountered her standing in the doorway, threatening to stab herself in the throat with a large pair of scissors.

"He kept ordering her to drop them, obviously to no avail," Criado said.

Criado said a second officer had arrived in the hallway when Burris "suddenly lowered the large pair of scissors toward the first officer and came toward the officer."

Criado said the officer fired his duty weapon multiple times at the same time that the assist officer deployed his Taser at the woman.

The shooting is under investigation by the department's major crimes unit, Criado said.

"Loser Pays" In Texas: USAA Denies Medical Payouts

Tue, 24 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

An article came across my desk that the United Services Automotive Association of San Antonio, Texas (USAA) is once again defending itself against charges that they utilize a "cost containment program" to improperly reduce or deny medical payouts to insurance customers injured in auto accidents. USAA denies these allegations.

In a nutshell, their strategy is like so many other insurance companies. They sell you a policy, collect premiums, but then minimize payment of claims. When you need your insurance company most, its number one priority it to employ the "Three D's" - delay handling your claim, deny you were injured, and defend this position in a long legal battle. It profits from your money by paying out as little as possible when you need it most.

Here is how it works. Let's assume you are injured in an auto accident and are unable to work. Your damages are $125,000 in medical expenses and lost wages. USAA tells you a second opinion is required but, you must use its third party who concludes that some of your medical treatment was not necessary. USAA offers you $75,000. You have two choices - accept the offer or file a lawsuit. USAA hopes you take the money and walk away. You choose to file a lawsuit. Let's assume the defendant convinces the jury that the accident was partially your fault and that you could have returned to work sooner than you did. Let's also assume you still win your case, but the jury awards $54,000. That is 72% of the insurance company's offer. Hold on; it gets better. Texas proposed a new bill which just passed the House. I wrote about it last week. It is H.B. 274, also known as "loser pays". Under this bill, if a plaintiff rejects a settlement offer and the jury verdict is less than 80% of the offer, the plaintiff must pay the defendant's attorney's fees from the time the offer was rejected. Because you only won 72% of the insurance company's offer, you now must pay the insurance company's litigation fees EVEN THOUGH YOU WON!!

As I was writing this, the Texas House and Senate reached some kind of compromise on the "loser pays" legislation. I don't have the full details, but the changes made will supposedly allow judges in civil court cases to rule on whether a case is without merit much sooner, limit discovery, hasten hearings and assess court costs more equitably. Although winners of lawsuits may still be required to carry some of the burden of legal costs, on the surface the compromise appears to be a better alternative to the version that the House passed on May 9. But, is it enough to protect innocent victims? Mike Gallagher, a trial attorney who helped negotiate the consensus bill believes so. "You can be assured that you can go to the courthouse and not face the prospect of ruination by pursuing a constitutional right," he told the committee. That the Texas trial lawyers had a seat at the negotiating table gives me some comfort, but I will have to wait and see about the particulars of this new round on Texas tort reform.

Texas trial lawyers have been fighting for the rights of innocent victims while politicians like Governor Rick Perry has been touting tort reform. Insurance companies have made a killing under paying claims because they know only a small fraction of their policy holders will fight. USAA and other insurance companies are already limiting and screwing the injured public with their deceitful claims handling practices. Will this compromise be enough to stop the government from further screwing Texan citizens? Since it is in Texas, it leaves me dubious.

Texans should contact their state representatives for complete details. Make sure that passing of this bill will not strip away precious Constitution rights. Insurance companies will continue to deny, delay, and defend legitimate claims unless the taxpayers do something about it - NOW!

3 hospitalized after accident involving 18-wheeler, wreckers

Mon, 23 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Three people were in the hospital after an 18-wheeler smashed into a wrecker in east Harris County on Saturday.

Deputies said two wreckers were stopped behind a Chevy that had a flat tire on Highway 90 near Miller Road around 2:30 a.m.

Authorities said one tow truck driver was out helping two women in the car change the tire when an 18-wheeler traveling eastbound veered right and crashed into the back of one of the wreckers.

Deputies said the wrecker then smashed into the back of the other tow truck, striking the wrecker driver who was on the freeway. The car with the flat tire was sent down a grassy hill and across the nearby feeder road. A female passenger was still in the car when it was struck, authorities said. She and the first wrecker driver were airlifted to the hospital in serious condition.

Authorities said the other wrecker driver was in the vehicle when it was hit. She sustained minor injuries and was taken by ground to the hospital to be checked out.

Sharing the Road with Motorcycle Riders

Mon, 23 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

TEXAS - You've seen the signs "Share the road, look out for motorcycles" as your driving on the expressway.

DPS has listed May as "Motorcycle Awareness Month." Texas Department of Transportation Spokesperson Amy Rodriguez says every day someone dies in a motorcycle accident across the state.

Here are some safety tips for motorcycle riders, all riders under the age of 21 are required to wear a helmet when operating a bike. Riders over 21 may ride without a helmet only if they have completed a safety course or are covered by an applicable insurance plan..

Riders should also wear other protective gear, it is important that they turn on their headlights and ride defensively. Riders should avoid the center of the lane where debris and oil build up.

Motorist must also respect motorcycle riders on the road. Drivers should look twice for motorcyclists at intersections, entering highways and whenever turning or changing lane. They should always maintain a safe following distance when passing a motorcyclist, move to the other lane and allow a full lane for the motorcycle rider.

8-year-old boy struck and killed while riding bicycle in Grand Prairie

Thu, 19 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

An 8-year-old boy died after being struck by a pickup Wednesday night close to his home in south Grand Prairie.

Jordan League was riding a bicycle east on Christopher Court on the same block as his house when he was hit at an intersection by a 1985 Dodge pickup driving south on Christopher Street, Grand Prairie police said in a news release.

League, who attended third grade at Zavala Elementary School in Grand Prairie, was taken by ambulance to Medical Center of Arlington where he later died, the release states.

The driver slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left to avoid the boy but the right front quarter of the pickup hit the bicycle, throwing the child to the ground, the release states.

The driver stayed at the scene to help, Grand Prairie police spokesman Eric Hansen said.

League was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and suffered a head injury, the release states.

Another 8-year-old boy was riding with him at the time and was not injured, Hansen said.

The driver of the truck, Michael McNeal, 39, was arrested at the scene because did not have a driver's license and had previous violations for not having one, Hansen said.

He faces a misdemeanor charge of driving with an invalid license, which carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, Hansen said.

The truck was traveling at or below the 30 mph speed limit at the time of the accident, the release states.

Investigators believe the cause of the accident was because League did not yield to the truck, the release states.

Affidavit reveals details in Longview teachers arrest

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

LONGVIEW,TX (KLTV)- New details about the former Longview ISD teacher arrested early Thursday morning for sexual assault and indecency with a child.

In addition to his position as a science teacher, 54-year-old Robert Craig Varnell was also a UIL coordinator, a job that put him in contact with thousands of students from all over east Texas. According to the Longview arrest warrant affidavit, Robert Varnell had several encounters with a juvenile boy over nearly a four year period dating back to 2007, when Varnell was still on faculty at Letourneau University. May 7th the victim reported it to police.

"I was pretty shocked as I'm sure most people were, where are our checks and balances for people that are supposed to be in a position to be with children," said Pat Goldston, the grandmother of LISD children.

"He was able to go to all campuses he had reason to go to all campuses at one point or another, the district is investigating, as a parent myself of two school age children in this district I can understand the concerns that parents would have," says LISD Public Information Officer Adam Holland.

In the affidavit Varnell is said to have sent e-mails to the victim saying, "I can see that you aren't going to talk to me, I just want you to know how sorry I am. I didn't know things were this bad", and another, "Please talk to me just a sec."

With 8,500 kids in the district, some wonder if any others were victims.

"It certainly does make me worry, it makes me very worried," Goldston says.

"I feel that they have stolen something from these children that can never be replaced," says Longview resident Donna LaRocque.

Letourneau University responded today in a statement saying, "We are deeply dismayed by these allegations, our concern is for the families involved we've not been contacted by any authorities, for we feel it would be inappropriate to comment."

Varnell was moved by officers from the Upshur County Jail to the Gregg County Jail Friday morning, where he remains. Officials in Upshur and Gregg counties say they are also investigating to see if there are any other victims in their counties.

Kennedale teacher accused of having sex with 5 students

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Kennedale High School teacher has been arrested after being accused of having sex with five students over the past two months.

Brittni Nicole Colleps, 27, an English teacher at Kennedale High School, has been charged with five counts of having an inappropriate relationship with students after allegedly having sex with five students at her Arlington home between the months of April and May, Arlington police spokeswoman Tiara Richard said.

School officials learned the information and contacted Kennedale Police, who determined that the crimes took place in Arlington and told Arlington police May 11, Richard said.

Detectives in the case discovered a series of text messages between the students and Colleps that were sexual in nature, Richard said. Some of the messages included sexually explicit photographs, Richard said.

Students described to investigators that they had been in Colleps' home and had sex with her at that location, police said.

At least one of the students involved was in Colleps' class, Richard said.

All of the students are 18-years old or older but it is still a criminal offense for teachers to have a sexual relationship with students, according to an Arlington police press release.

Colleps remains in the Arlington City Jail, police said. Bail is expected to be set at $125,000.

Kennedale Independent School District sent a letter to students' parents and guardians Monday notifying them of the situation and that the alleged acts took place off campus.

School district officials will not comment any further citing district policy and educational privacy laws, according to the letter.

Kennedale school officials have not returned calls from the Star-Telegram Monday morning.

Nonprofit Euless gym offers pay-what-you-can physical therapy

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

EULESS -- To keep his body working in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, Barclay Burrow went to physical therapy as often as his insurance allowed.

But therapy in a clinic was expensive.

"Every time I went, my co-pay was $45," he said. "That's $90 a week. How long can you do that?"

Burrow did it only until he found Neuro Fitness Foundation, a nonprofit gym in Euless where membership costs him $25 a month. People who have had strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and clients with cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions or diseases pay whatever they can, even if it's nothing, for physical therapy.

That's especially important for people who have reached the limits of insurance coverage.

In his third year with MS, Burrow said the gym isn't a substitute for a rehabilitation clinic; it's a place where people use what they learn in rehab to continue enhancing their lives.

TJ Griffin, who broke his neck in 1990 playing football for Trinity High School, is one of 235 members who depend on the gym for that enhancement.

"I'm a C4-C5 quadriplegic," said Griffin, a Neuro Fitness Foundation board member who exercises there at least four times a week. "Even though I'm a quadriplegic, I do almost everything for myself."

The few things Griffin can't do for himself include attaching his hands to his favorite exercise machine, the VitaGlide.

Shelby Lauderdale often does that. A physical therapy technician, Lauderdale worked in an outpatient clinic for three years before coming aboard in March to manage the gym.

"I'm here to assist clients with their workouts and help them accomplish their goals," he said.

Most members' goals are simply to improve their quality of life, Lauderdale said, but one of the biggest benefits is meeting people who are in similar situations.

In a recent yoga session, three members and the volunteer yoga teacher, former neurology nurse Lorna Bell-Curran, surrounded a woman to help her get into a position called the cat. One of the members was Burrow, who jumped up from downward dog when he saw that the woman needed a hand.

"I'm in a situation where I can help people, so I also volunteer up here," he said. "You're among people who won't judge but understand you at a different level."

Griffin said that makes Neuro Fitness members a family.

Car Accident | East Texas accident kills driver, injures a passenger, investigation underway

Fri, 13 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

COLD SPRING, TX (KTRE) -

A two vehicle collision near Coldspring has killed Terry Thomas, 52, and left her 46-year old passenger hospitalized.

The accident happened about 6:34 p.m. Wednesday on SH 156 in San Jacinto County.

DPS investigators said Frederick Faulkner, Jr., 24, was driving a Dodge Ram 2500 truck northbound on SH 156 on the wrong side of the highway exiting a curve in a no passing zone when his truck collided with Thomas' oncoming Saturn near the center stripe.

Both drivers swerved to miss the other, however, the truck appeared to have been driven over the top of the car before both vehicles came to separate stops. Thomas died at the scene, according to DPS Trooper W.R. Clark.

Ruphley McKinney, 46, a passenger in Thomas' vehicle, was taken by helicopter to Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston. His condition is unknown.

No citations were issued, however, the DPS report states possible charges are pending the outcome of an autopsy report, results of the reconstruction crash team report, and a DPS investigation.

Trooper Clark acknowledged that there were "a million rumors and speculations" circulating about this accident, however, "there were no indications on site that alcohol or drugs were involved, but it's still early in the investigation."

1 passenger dies, 21 injured in SE Texas bus crash

Thu, 12 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

VICTORIA, Texas - A pickup truck sideswiped a bus and sent it careering into a light pole on a southeast Texas highway, killing one passenger and leaving 21 others injured, authorities said Thursday.

The Valley Transit Greyhound bus was travelling from Houston to the border city of McAllen late Wednesday when it crashed just south of Victoria, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Gerald Bryant told the Houston Chronicle.

The truck was pulling onto U.S. 77 from a side street when it ran into the 24-passenger bus, causing it to veer into the utility pole, Bryant said.

Juanita Lopez-Perez, 53, of Matamoros, Mexico, was killed and 21 others on board were taken to hospitals with injuries not considered life-threatening.

Eight people have been taken to DeTar Navarro Hospital in Victoria where they are in stable condition, said Judith Barefield, a hospital official.

Lopez-Perez, who was travelling alone, had been sitting at the front of the bus near the door when the accident occurred.

"It happened so fast," passenger Larry Sanchez told The Victoria Advocate. "Once the impact hit, it was total pandemonium."

Witnesses said the bus driver, Guadalupe Ruiz, 57, of Harlingen, didn't have time to react when the truck pulled out in front of him.

The pickup truck was towing another pickup when the accident occurred, Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said. The truck driver was issued a ticket for failing to yield the right of way at an intersection.

The DPS has launched an investigation into the crash.

Northlake officer, prisoner hurt in Westlake wreck

Thu, 12 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Northlake police officer and a prisoner he was transporting were injured early Thursday when the patrol vehicle was clipped by an 18-wheeler after being rear-ended by a pickup and pushed into an intersection in Westlake, Keller police said.

The pickup driver, who was not identified, was in custody at a local hospital, Keller police said. The driver could face intoxication assault charges.

The officer and the prisoner were taken in separate air ambulances to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. The Northlake officer, who was not identified, was in stable condition, said Northlake Police Chief David Henley who was at the hospital.

The prisoner's condition was unavailable, but authorities did not believe the injuries were life-threatening.

The wreck occurred shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday at U.S. 377 and Texas 170 in Westlake. Keller police investigated the accident because Westlake contracts with Keller for police service.

According to preliminary Keller police reports, the Northlake officer had just picked up the prisoner at the Keller Jail to transport him to the Denton County Jail. The suspect had been arrested on traffic violations, Keller police said.

The officer in a Northlake police sports utility vehicle was stopped at a traffic signal in the northbound lane of Highway 377 when a pickup traveling at about 60 miles per hour rear-ended the police vehicle, Keller police said. The police vehicle was pushed into the path of an 18-wheeler traveling eastbound on Texas 170.

"The 18-wheeler had a green light and was almost through the intersection when the police vehicle was pushed and hit the back of the 18-wheeler," said Keller police Lt. Brenda Slovak.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured.

The pickup driver was taken to a local hospital for any possible injuries and to have blood drawn, Slovak said.

Keller police closed part of the highways for a few hours Thursday morning while they investigated the accident, but the roads have reopened.

Wrongful Death | Texas 121 lanes shut down after dead man found on road

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

The northbound lanes of Texas 121 in Bedford have been shut down after a dead man was found on the highway early Wednesday morning.

Officers were called to the 2200 block of Texas 121 at Bedford Road shortly after 3 a.m. and found the man dead in the left lane, police spokesman Kirk Roberts said.

The man was only identified as a white male, Roberts said.

Roberts could not confirm if the man had been walking on the freeway when he was struck by a vehicle.

The northbound lanes of Texas 121 were shut down starting at the 2200 block at 4 a.m. Wednesday as investigators worked the scene, Robert said.

The highway shutdown includes a ramp from Airport Freeway Texas 183 onto Texas 121, Roberts said.

Trucker Crushed by 2,100-pound Pipes at Texas Construction Site

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

Dallas, TX - A trucker was seriously injured when he was crushed by four 2,100-pound pipes in Allen. The work-related accident occurred at a construction site south of Allen Drive and U.S. 75, Tuesday morning, May 9, 2011, reported the Courier-Gazette.

According to the Allen Fire Department, a truck driver, who remains unidentified, was unloading the pipes from his truck when they rolled on top of him.

Rescue crews were able to remove the pipes from on top of the trucker's body, and pulled him to safety. He was then rushed by Care-Flite helicopter to Parkland Hospital for treatment of severe injuries.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.

Officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are expected to arrive at the scene to conduct a full investigation into the work-related accident.

Baylor Student Charged With Sexual Assault In Alleged Date Rape

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

WACO (May 10, 2011)-Robert David Cole, 20, a Baylor University student who's charged with sexual assault in an alleged date rape during a drunken campus-area party was free on $25,000 bond Tuesday after turning himself in.

An arrest warrant was issued last Wednesday and Cole turned himself in on Monday, police said.

The charge stems from an incident that happened in January at a party in a campus-area residence in the 1200 block of Wood Avenue.

According to the affidavit submitted for the arrest warrant, Cole and the victim went to the party where both "consumed a large amount of alcohol."

The victim became so intoxicated that "she was stumbling around and was embarrassing herself," the affidavit said, so a friend took her into a bedroom so she could lie down.

She was at the point of passing out when Cole got into the bed with her and then ejaculated into her mouth, the affidavit said.

The affidavit said the victim wasn't aware at the time of what had happened, but says Cole told her the next day what he had done.

Motorcyclist dies in wreck on S. Broadway

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

The operator of the motorcycle who died is identified as Kendrick Lee Clark, B/M, age 23 of Palestine Texas. The female driver is identified as Helen Rice Turner, W/F, age 71 of Lindale Texas.

Tyler Police, Fire and Ems responded to a motorcycle / vehicle crash in the intersection of S. Broadway and Independence around 10:44 a.m., Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Accident investigators determined that a 71 year-old female was traveling northbound on S. Broadway and was in the left turn lane at Independence. She turned left on a yellow blinking light towards the Mall and was struck in the right front passenger side by a 23 year-old motorcycle driver who was traveling southbound in the outside lane. The motorcycle and operator caught on fire upon impact with the vehicle.

The motorcycle operator was transported to East Texas Medical Center by EMS where he died from injuries he sustained from the crash. His identification is being withheld until next of kin has been notified. The female driver was also transported to East Texas Medical Center for observation. Her identity is also being withheld at this time.

The crash is currently under investigation.

Wrongful Death | Police Seek Second Car In Fatal Hit-and-run In Mt. Pleasant

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas -- Mount Pleasant police are looking for a second vehicle in an accident in which a 4-year-old boy was killed and his 13-year-old cousin was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident.

A driver who hit the boys is jailed on a manslaughter charge but police believe a second driver also hit one of them and then fled the scene.

Kameron Jones, 4, and his 13-year-old cousin, Joclyn Roberts, were crossing the street late Saturday night when they were struck by a vehicle. Witnesses said drivers had stopped to allow the two pedestrians to cross, but another vehicle hit them while using a turn-lane to pass the stopped traffic, police said.

Edward Moya, 21, was booked on charges of manslaughter and injury to a child.

Police said they are looking for a second vehicle that also struck Kameron.

The 13-year-old is at a Dallas hospital.

Sexual Assault | Man accused of raping, infecting girl, 4

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

TOMBALL, Texas, May 9 (UPI) -- A Texas man sexually assaulted his 4-year-old girlfriend's daughter and infected her with herpes, authorities charge.

Erik Medrano, 23, of Magnolia, was arrested May 4 and charged with super-aggravated sexual assault of a child, Tomball, Texas, police told KHOU-TV, Houston.

The victim complained of pain to her grandmother, who reported the assault to police, court papers state.

The girl told investigators Medrano attacked her in a "small room by a pool," which turned out to be a unit at a Super 8 motel, police said.

Police said Medrano admitted to spending time with the victim and her sister at the motel but denied touching them. He also claimed not to have herpes, but tested positive for the virus, police said.

Medrano was being held Monday on $100,000 bond and could get 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Sexual Assault | Ex-youth facility staffer charged in sex assault

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

A former staffer at a residential treatment facility in Katy has been charged with sexual assault of a child, accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl who lived at the center.

Investigators believe Robert Paul Gentry, 28, had sex with the girl in a southwest Houston apartment on Dec. 1, said Emma Rodriguez, a Houston police officer assigned to an FBI task force investigating crimes against children.

Rodriguez said she did not know Gentry's position at the home. Officials for the treatment facility said Gentry is no longer employed there, but declined to give any details, citing privacy rules.

The facility has room for 65 youths, ages 12 to 17, with emotional disorders, according to the state's regulatory website.

Scott Carroll, a spokesman for Lutheran Social Services, a nonprofit organization that operates two other similar facilitiesin Texas, said employees generally are screened with background checks. Carroll would not discuss Gentry.

Gentry was released Sunday on a $20,000 bond after being arrested last week. He could not be reached for comment, and his attorney did not return calls.

Gwen Carter, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family Services, said the agency investigated and has stopped placing foster children in the facility while regulators work with the center's management to address possible violations.

Child hit by car, hospitalized

Mon, 09 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Amarillo Police are investigating an incident that sent a four-year-old child to the hospital.

Police were called to an apartment complex at 2003 Hardy at 6:40 p.m. Sunday on reports of a car versus pedestrian accident. Officers said they were told Cruz Rodriguez ran between two parked cars and then in front of a 1997 Plymouth which hit the child.

Rodriguez was taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

Police reported the child's condition did improve overnight, his injuries are not considered life-threatening but he is still in the hospital.

In chaotic vote, GOP-led Texas House OKs limits on lawsuits

Mon, 09 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

AUSTIN -- The Texas House descended into partisan chaos Saturday before Republicans wielded their two-thirds majority to push through one of Gov. Rick Perry's legislative priorities.

After more than four hours of skirmishing that several members likened to "trench warfare," the House gave preliminary approval to tort legislation that could require losers to pay court costs in certain lawsuits. Most of the chamber's 49 Democrats had left the floor by the time the vote was taken.

Tempers flared repeatedly in the pre-Mother's Day session. Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, angrily hurled a rule book into the air. At one point, Republicans threatened to lock down the chamber.

"It's nothing like I expected it to be," said freshman Rep. Barbara Nash, R-Arlington, who was elected in November. "I expected people to act like adults."

The feuding spotlighted growing tensions as the Legislature moves closer to its May 31 adjournment with a host of major issues -- including the budget and redistricting -- still awaiting action. House Democrats, seeking to compensate for their 2-to-1 numerical disadvantage, have angered Republicans by slowing action on major bills with the use of points of order and other parliamentary tactics. Over fierce objections by Democrats who were still on the floor, Republicans voted to suspend the rules to forge ahead with a vote on the so-called loser-pays bill.

"This is a bad day that's getting much worse," declared Eiland, who accused Republican leaders of trampling House rules to suppress "the minority voice."

But Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, said Democrats left the Republican leadership with no choice after refusing compromise offers.

"There were several offers of alternative routes that could have been taken," Straus said. "The other side dug in and made it clear they were going to give no quarter, that they were going to kill these bills. It wasn't my first option, it wasn't my first choice, it wasn't my desire to do it this way."

Perry called for passage of the loser-pays bill in his State of the State Address in mid-February and tagged it as "emergency" legislation to give it priority. Although the bill by Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, has been substantially modified since it was introduced, it would let courts award costs and attorney fees to the prevailing party in breach-of-contract suits. The bill could also allow dismissal of meritless lawsuits.

The Texas Trial Lawyers has opposed the measure, saying it would discourage people with legitimate claims from suing. But Perry and other supporters say it would continue years of tort reform efforts designed to reduce the cost of lawsuits and further enhance Texas' business-friendly image.

Other major bills in the pipeline for imminent consideration include Perry-backed immigration legislation and a measure that would reduce class sizes in elementary schools.

Lawmakers are facing a deadline Thursday for considering House bills. Hundreds of bills that don't make the deadline will perish.

"The only thing left on the calendar is really bad stuff," said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth. "My constituents would be better-served if we didn't work anymore this session."

Burnam said and he most other Democrats had drifted off the floor -- either individually or in small groups -- before the vote on the loser-pays bill.

"A whole lot of people did that because they were so exasperated with that situation," Burnam said, adding that Democrats had become "increasingly angry about what we understood the Republicans were going to do."

The vote on Creighton's bill was 89-12, with 47 members absent. Two members registered as present but not voting.

Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, said the Democrats' walkout was reminiscent of a nationally publicized incident in 2003 when Democrats left the state twice to break a quorum on congressional redistricting. This year, Republicans have the 100 votes for a quorum, but Democrats were hoping that enough Republican absences on the day before Mother's Day could have helped them break a quorum and stop action on legislation.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/07/3058437/gop-led-texas-house-oks-limits.html#ixzz1LrnZRqoV

Truck Accident | Man run over by truck in Taylor

Fri, 06 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) - An 18-year-old man died Thursday afternoon after being run over by a delivery truck he was initially riding in.

Assistant Chief Daniel Ramsey with the Taylor Police Department says the accident happened around 2:50 p.m. at E. 7th Street, near Washburn in Taylor.

Ramsey says the victim was a passenger in the truck, but while the vehicle was stopped, he decided to get out and roll underneath the truck.

Ramsey believes the man was trying to get to the other side of the truck without having to walk around the truck.

The driver of the truck didn't realize the passenger was underneath the truck and accidentally ran over him.

The accident is still being investigated but there are no charges at this time.

Teen driver given praise in Brownwood car accident

Fri, 06 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Brownwood teen was hospitalized briefly after a two-car collision, but DPS officials credited the boy's quick reactions in preventing injuries to others.

The 17-year-old Brownwood High School student, driving a Ford pickup, was traveling on CC Woodson Road at 10 p.m. Wednesday when a Cadillac exiting Victory Life Church pulled out in front of him, according to Trooper Mike Sams of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The teen driver swerved to the right to avoid the Cadillac, went over the curb into a grassy area, and lost control of the pickup, Sams said. The pickup went across two lanes and into oncoming traffic, where it collided with a GMC Yukon.

Sams said the crash was "an angled head-on collision." The teen, who was the sole occupant of the truck, was taken to the hospital. No serious injuries were reported for the occupants of the Yukon.

Sams said the teen's actions to avoid hitting the Cadillac were to be commended.

"The kid did an awesome job, because he would have directly hit the passenger," Sams said. "It would have been a T-bone right in the door if he hadn't."

Crash investigators said the teen was traveling under the speed limit at the time of the crash.

The Brownwood High student was released from the hospital Thursday after being held for observation.

Bus driver charged with sex assault

Thu, 05 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

DICKINSON - A Deer Park man who worked as a school bus driver for the Dickinson Independent School District was arrested Tuesday on charges he sexually assaulted an underage female family member.

The unidentified girl he is accused of assaulting is not a Dickinson student, officials said.

David Ray Tyler, 54, is charged with continued sexual abuse of a child, Deer Park police said.

Police in Deer Park were tipped to the alleged assault Monday after the girl had been taken to Texas Children's Hospital.

Police did not confirm the extent of the girl's injuries.

On Tuesday, Deer Park and Dickinson police arrested Tyler at the Dickinson school district transportation center in the 3300 block of Owens Drive.

Tyler, who worked for the district since September 2009, was then fired from his job as a bus driver, school district spokeswoman Tammy Dowdy said.

Tyler drove bus route No. 2, Dowdy confirmed.

"The district has no indication that anything occurred in Dickinson or was related to his employment with the school district," she said.

Student dies after jump from TSU dorm first floor

Wed, 04 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

SAN MARCOS, Texas - One student has died and another is hospitalized after jumping from a Texas State University dormitory first-floor window and falling about six feet.

School spokesman Mark Hendricks says 24-year-old sophomore Eirin Ann Hicks of Temple suffered head injuries in the incident around 2 a.m. Tuesday at Laurel Hall. She died hours later at University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin. Hicks was a resident adviser.

A freshman, 19-year-old Kristin McCreery of the Houston area, remained hospitalized Wednesday with back injuries. Hospital spokeswoman Ellen Decareau (DEK'-uh-roh) says McCreery was in fair condition.

Hendricks says a male student who also jumped from the window, above a hill, wasn't hurt.

University police were interviewing students to determine what happened.

Counselors were available at TSU in San Marcos, located 30 miles south of Austin.

Dallas student dies from apparent alcohol poisoning following prom after-party

Tue, 03 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

An 18-year-old Dallas high school student set to graduate later this month died from apparent alcohol poisoning at a downtown Dallas hotel following a prom after-party Saturday night.

Jonathan Sierra attended the Skyline High School Prom Saturday night and joined his friends at an after-party at the Aloft Hotel at 1033 Young St. in Dallas, according to a Dallas police news release.

Sierra was found dead the next morning at the hotel by his friends, who then called Dallas police and fire departments, the release stated.

The cause of death is believed to be alcohol poisoning but a toxicology report's results are not available yet, police said.

There were no signs of trauma or any violence against Sierra but the homicide unit has been called in to investigate, the release stated.

In a letter that was sent home to students and parents, Skyline High School principal Harold L. Wright wrote that grief counselors have been sent to the school for the next few days.

"This past weekend, Skyline High School suffered the untimely death of one of our students," Wright wrote in the statement. "The student was set to graduate later this month. Our thoughts and prayers are obviously with his family and close friends during this time."

Car Accident | 2-car crash claims local man Monday

Tue, 03 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

A local man died Monday morning in a two-car crash on Eddy County Road 206, also known as Illinois Camp Road, according to information from the New Mexico State Police.

Police and sheriff's deputies were called just after 7 a.m. to the crash site north of Carlsbad, near Alkali Road.

Dead at the scene was Andres Alcocer, 27, of Carlsbad, who was the driver of a 1997 Nissan Quest van.

The second vehicle, a 2002 Dodge pickup truck, was driven by 6l-year-old Charles Hallman, of Winnsboro, Texas. Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.

State Police investigators, who worked much of the morning at the scene, found that the Nissan was headed south, while the Dodge was traveling northbound. They do not know the reason, but they were able to determine that the Nissan veered into the northbound lane, and into the path of the pickup truck.

The result was an off-set front end collision that severely damaged both vehicles.

Hallman sustained severe leg injuries and was taken by ambulance to Carlsbad Medical Center. He later was airlifted to University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas.

Police report that Deputy Medical Investigator Gerri Lawson pronounced Alcocer dead at the scene, due to his injuries from the crash.

Investigators said speed and driver inattention contributed to the severity of the crash. Alcohol was not involved as a factor in the accident, police said.

More than 200 car accidents reported in Tarrant County

Tue, 03 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

More than 200 car accidents were reported in Tarrant County Monday as commuters faced heavy rain and lots of traffic.

Rain was falling in the area as the morning commute began, and traffic backed up due to several wrecks on major thoroughfares in Dallas-Fort Worth.

As of 3:30 p.m. today, 166 car accidents were reported to Fort Worth police since midnight. As of 1:30 p.m., 32 major accidents and 25 minor accidents have been reported in Arlington since midnight, Arlington police spokeswoman Tiara Richard said.

This morning's forecast had called for a low of 43 degrees, which would beat the previous record of 44 set in 1978; but the lowest temperature recorded at the National Weather Service office at D/FW Airport as of 6 a.m. was 46, with temperatures not expected to dip lower, weather service meteorologist Amber Elliott said.

The high today is expected to be in the lower 50s, and the rain is expected to end later this afternoon as the system moves to the southeast. However, the National Weather Service is also warning of the possibility of street flooding in areas that got heavy rainfall overnight. A flood advisory went into effect early this morning for Denton, Dallas and Tarrant counties until 2:15 p.m.

Tuesday's forecast is for mostly sunny skies with a high in the upper 60s and a low in the lower 40s.

A roof leak closed Oakmont Elementary School in Crowley this morning, Crowley Independent School District spokesman Anthony Kirchner said.

Some students were picked up by parents and the remainder were relocated to Deer Creek Elementary School, Kirchner said. The missed school day will not be counted as an absence, Kirchner said.

Parents can pick up their children at Deer Creek Elementary School but schoolbuses are scheduled to take students home at the end of the school day, Kirchner said.

Plans to repair the roof and water damage are under way and a decision regarding the relocation of Tuesday's classes will be made soon, Kirchner said.

On Sunday, one person was killed and five people were injured when a vehicle flipped over a guardrail several times at eastbound Interstate 30 and Rosedale at about 8:45 p.m., Fort Worth police spokesman Pedro Criado said.

There were seven people in the vehicle at the time, police said.

Ambulances transported five people to the hospital, three with possibly life-threatening injuries and two with minor injuries, MedStar spokesman John Farris said.

The yo-yo two-day forecast comes on the heels of Sunday's storms in morning and afternoon.

"We had a big storm in the northwest part of the Metroplex in the late afternoon, with hail from 1/2 inch to 1 inch," National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Harris said Sunday.

One and a half inch-sized hail was reported in west Fort Worth early Monday morning, with 1.25 inch-sized hail reported in Benbrook and 1.70 inch sized-hail in Grand Prairie, Elliott said.

North Fort Worth received an inch and a half of rain overnight with Dallas receiving 1.8 inches and Denton receiving three inches, Elliott said.

As strong storms packing heavy rain, wind gusts and lightning moved through North Texas on Sunday, the Denton County Sheriff's Department reported a fire at a gas well site that was apparently triggered by lightning. No injuries were reported.

Another fire was reported in Denton County after lightning struck a church in Little Elm at about 6 a.m. Monday, Elliott said.

Although no severe weather damage was reported Sunday in the Metroplex, high wind damaged a 95-foot steeple at Parkside Baptist Church on U.S. 75 in Denison.

Pastor Chet Haney said he and a small prayer group that meets every morning at 6 began hearing rain and intense wind. Then "the building began to heave," he said.

When they came out, they found that the steeple was knocked over 90 degrees and was "pointing due east."

The church had roof damage and lost electricity, but the pastor said parishioners were mindful "that this was nothing compared to the devastation people are experiencing across the country."

"We're praying for them," Haney said.

No damaging winds or hail is expected for the Metroplex Monday, but the southeast areas of North Texas have a slight risk of severe hail in their forecast, Elliott said.

After all the wet weather over the weekend through this week, North Texas will see some dry weather starting Tuesday through Sunday with cooler temperatures that dip below the seasonal averages, Elliott said.

1 killed, 5 hurt in wreck on I-30 in Fort Worth

Mon, 02 May 2011 08:00:00 EST

One person was killed and five people were injured when a vehicle flipped over a guardrail several times at eastbound Interstate 30 and Rosedale at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday, Fort Worth police spokesman Pedro Criado said.

There were seven people inside the vehicle at the time, police said.

Ambulances at the scene transported five people to the hospital, three with possibly life-threatening injuries and two with minor injuries, MedStar spokesman John Farris said.

As of 7:45 a.m., Fort Worth police had recorded 46 accidents since midnight.

Marshall Man Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Marshall man died Friday morning when his motorcycle struck a car traveling southbound on 700 Block of East End of U.S. Highway 259 South.

Wesley Russell,30, of Marshall died in the accident and his wife, Ashley Russell, 28, is listed in serious condition at East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System in Tyler.

"Her injuries are so extensive, they are basically going to have to start from scratch to make sure they are not missing anything," Marshall Assistant Fire Chief Reggie Cooper.

Cooper said the driver of a Ford Taurus was entering the 700 Block of East End Boulevard from a private drive attempting to go southbound. The motorcycle was traveling northbound and struck the car.

The driver of the Ford Taurus was not injured in the accident and Marshall Police did not release the driver's name. The investigation continues according to Marshall Police.

Rape opponents push pot to replace alcohol

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Colorado-based initiative to open dialogue about what impact, if any, marijuana's legalization would have on sexual assault rates could soon plant roots in Lubbock.

Shannon Drew, 20 and a Texas Tech sophomore from Amarillo, is using April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month to drum up local support for the Women's Marijuana Movement, or WMM.

The year-old effort aims to spark what national organizer Mason Tvert in Denver called "public dialogue" on how marijuana legalization could prevent alcohol-related crimes against women.

WMM advocates have yet to frame the theory as grounds for the outright legalization of pot, but they are calling for a more open discussion about whether the taboo of marijuana drives many party-goers to drink more alcohol, which Drew says is "the No. 1 date rape drug."

The movement has yet to pick up traction in Lubbock, and some experts are leery of its premise.

Diana DiNitto, a University of Texas professor with expertise in both violence against women and substance abuse, agreed alcohol can sometimes stir aggressive behavior, but she said WMM's theory discounts too many social and personal factors.

"In the long run, I think it would be na¿ve to say we could just substitute marijuana for alcohol and not have these problems," she said. "That's just too simplistic for science."

She also fears talk about substituting one substance for another could distract from more direct, and more effective, ways to combat substance abuse.

But Drew, who has worked with local rape victims for the past year, said college campuses like Tech must harbor a more open discussion of the psychological and social effects marijuana, particularly as binge drinking rates climb.

And with binge drinking comes the most common form of rape in which the assailant knows the victim, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Roughly two-thirds of rapes are committed by familiar assailants, a category in which college date rape falls, and 30 percent of all rapes are linked to a drunk assailants.

Studies have shown as many as one out of every four female college students is a rape victim, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

"In the college circuit, alcohol has been involved in every single story I've heard," Drew said. "Every victim that I've talked to here in Lubbock that was a college student, alcohol was used by either the victim or the assailant.

"And many, many girls have said to me that if they hadn't been drinking or he hadn't been drinking, it probably wouldn't have happened."

Tvert also cited studies showing the link between drinking and rape and said he understands marijuana and alcohol are not mutually exclusive, meaning access to one doesn't necessarily mean one will consume less of the other.

But he said there's too little to lose and too much to gain in studying potential links.

At the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, community educator Leslie Timmons said the WMM seems to be "grasping at straws."

"We don't know that it would make a significant impact on the rates of sexual assault," she said. "The way to prevent sexual assault is to teach respect to the perpetrators. Our prevention is focused on reaching people at a young age before there's a chance they turn into perpetrators by teaching them respect and tolerance and conflict resolution."

A message left with a professor at Tech's College of Human Sciences was not returned by press time Thursday.

Source: http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2011-04-29/rape-opponents-push-pot-replace-alcohol

Car Accident | Officer, two others hurt in wreck in Flower Mound

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Flower Mound patrol officer and two other people were injured Wednesday night in a multi-vehicle wreck at a Flower Mound intersection.

The three people were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Flower Mound police said. Authorities did not release the identity of the officer or the two other injured people.

The wreck occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cross Timbers and Morriss roads in Flower Mound.

Preliminary investigation reports indicate that a Flower Mound patrol car collided with a 2008 Dodge Ram in the intersection, knocking the truck into a 1999 Honda Civic and a 1998 Chevrolet Suburban.

Flower Mound police said a cause for the wreck had not been determined and they did not release any other details.

The Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating.

Times Square Church founder dies in Texas crash

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

DALLAS, Texas (AP) - Rev. David Wilkerson, founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City and author of the best-selling book, "The Cross and the Switchblade," has died. He was 79.

Wilkerson died Wednesday afternoon in a car accident in East Texas, Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange said. Wilkerson's car smashed head-on into a tractor-trailer rig after veering into oncoming traffic on U.S. 175 west of Cuney, about 95 miles southeast of Dallas, Mange said.

Wilkerson founded the non-denominational Protestant Times Square Church in 1987 in an area of Manhattan that was then riddled with X-rated movie houses, strip clubs, prostitution and drugs. He also founded Teen Challenge, which uses a biblically based recovery program for drug addicts.

In "The Cross and the Switchblade" Wilkerson wrote about his early years in New York City administering to drug addicts and gang members. The 1963 book became a best-seller and was made into a movie starring Pat Boone.

His family confirmed his death in a statement posted on the website for Wilkerson's World Challenge Inc. ministries, saying he "went to be with Jesus."

"We appreciate your prayers and our hearts are sorrowful, yet we rejoice at the joy of knowing David Wilkerson spent his life well," the statement said.

Wilkerson was not wearing a seat-belt at the time of the crash, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. His wife, Gwendolyn, was also in the car and was wearing a seat-belt, Mange said. She was taken to a hospital, where she was in stable condition with cuts and bruises, Mange said.

Along with his wife, David Wilkerson is survived by four children.

Car Accident | Stephenville man dies after April 19 wreck

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Stephenville man died Wednesday from injuries suffered in an April 19 wreck in Stephenville in which the sports utility vehicle he was driving was hit by a van and slammed into the wall of a restaurant.

George Reynolds, 66, was driving a 1988 GMC Suburban north in the 100 block of Vine Street and turned left onto the 300 block of East Washington when the SUV was struck by a 2011 Toyota Sienna van heading east on East Washington. Reynolds' SUV accelerated at a high rate of speed before slamming into the wall of a nearby restaurant, Stephenville Chief of Police Patrick C. Bridges said.

Reynolds was taken by helicopter to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died early Wednesday morning, Bridges said.

The two riders in the Toyota van, a 49-year-old Granbury woman and her 2-year-old daughter, were uninjured in the wreck, Bridges said.

No one inside the restaurant was injured, Bridges said.

An investigation into the wreck shows that Reynolds failed to yield the right of way to the van and that Reynolds was not wearing a seat belt, Bridges said.

This is the first traffic fatality for Stephenville this year.

Motorcycle Accident | Army Vet Survives Horrible Motorcycle Crash

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

By no fault of his own, Iraq war veteran Zacharie Perez was hit by two cars on a Texas interstate. A third car narrowly missed Perez as he laid on the concrete.

Perez was riding his motorcycle near Dallas when he slowed down due to traffic. The car behind him didn't slow down, and rear ended Perez. Perez was thrown into the car in front of him and his bike was run over.

"I don't remember being thrown in the air but I remember landing on the ground, trying to push myself back to the left lane, so that I wouldn't get hit," Perez said. "But then some of the witnesses came by and told me to stay down. I was about five to ten minutes from being home. I passed this car, the car that actually rear ended me, they were gesturing me to go around them. As I passed them, the people in front of me started slowing down."

Perez ruptured his spleen, had four broken vertebrae, a broken rib, road rash, and a lumbar hernia. The driver that hit him, got three traffic violations.

Here's the video of Perez' accident.

Perez wasn't driving recklessly. He wasn't speeding. He wasn't following too closely. He just had the terrible misfortune of riding in front of a reckless driver.

Perez was in no way at fault, but here are a few things you might want to consider in order to prevent a similar accident.

* Wear bright reflective clothing.
* Try to avoid engine braking in traffic. Using your engine to brake will not engage your brake lights, and some drivers may not realize that you are slowing.

Of course, it looks like Perez was wearing a bright white jacket and used his hand brake. So even if you do everything correctly, remember that you're still at risk while you're on a motorcycle.

Three Forest Hill firefighters involved in auto-pedestrian accident

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Four people were injured, one seriously, after an auto-pedestrian accident involving three Forest Hill firefighters Wednesday morning.

The accident appears to have happened at the intersection of southeast Loop 820 and Forest Hill Drive at about 9:04 a.m., MedStar spokeswoman Suzy Miller said.

A Forest Hill fire truck was blocking traffic at S.E. Loop 820 and Forest Hill Drive when a woman driving another vehicle slammed into it, Forest Hill councilman Gerald Joubert said.

A woman was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries and three men were transported with injuries that were not life-threatening, Miller said.

The three men were firefighters and were taken to Harris Methodist Hospital, Joubert said.

The fire engine suffered damage in the wreck and will need repairs, Joubert said.

With the city's staffing cutbacks, the city manager has three-man crews, so other firefighters were called in, Joubert said.

Fire departments in Kennedale and Everman are on standby in case of any emergency calls in Forest Hill, Joubert said.

Two dead in Mineral Wells crash after motorcycle hits utility pole

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two people died after the motorcycle they were riding on slammed into a utility pole in Mineral Wells Friday.

Ernest Gillespie, 27, of Mineral Wells, was driving west in the 1900 block of Southeast 16th Street at about 1 a.m. Friday when the motorcycle went off the roadway and traveled a total of 234 feet before striking two gas meters and bringing down a utility pole, Mineral Wells Police Chief Mike McAllester said.

Gillespie died at John Peter Smith Hospital Monday afternoon, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's listing.

Gillespie's passenger, 43-year-old Deborah Walker, also of Mineral Wells, died at the scene, McAllester said.

Both riders were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, McAllester said.

Speed was a factor in the crash and the street had a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit, McAllester said.

Investigators are waiting on toxicology tests, McAllester said.

DPS sends seatbelt safety message after two die in weekend crash

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A father and son from Plainview died in a car accident this weekend, and crash investigators say they would likely still be alive if their seat belts had been buckled.

It's accidents like this that remind us how the simple act of putting on a seat belt can save a life. That's why DPS is stressing to wear your seat belt and wear it right.

"The lap should go across our hips and the shoulder harness should go across our chest plate," said Corporal John Gonzalez, Texas Department of Public Safety.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there was one vehicle crash every 74 seconds statewide in 2009. And the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration says every year seatbelts save more than 13,000 lives.

"The law says now anybody in the backseat or front seat have to be secured by at least a seatbelt system. If they are a child under the age of 8 to 5 they must be in high back booster or low back booster. And a child under the age of 5 must be in some kind of safety child restraint system," said Gonzalez.

Saturday, Victor Briones, 58, and his son Elias Briones, 8, were not wear seatbelts when their car flipped their just outside of New Deal, they were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Several that we have had, have shown people weren't buckled in, including the driver in this case," said Gonzalez.

In 2009 TXDOT says 976 died in a traffic accident from not wearing their seatbelt and 796,287 wore their seatbelts were not injured.

"If you do flip in an upright position and the car is still going forward you may have to stop it and control it sometime. And if you're out of the vehicle the car is going to do whatever it is going to do," said Gonzalez.

That's why law enforcement is telling others to click it or ticket. Because wearing a seatbelt could end up saving a life.

"Any time you can provide any protection for you and your children in a car crash, absolutely. The seatbelt is designed to bear your weight and to keep you inside the vehicle," said Gonzalez.

DPS says if you get caught not wearing your seatbelt you face up to a $250 fine. And if a child is unrestrained you could end up losing points on your license.

Source : http://www.kcbd.com/story/14509892/dps-sends-seatbelt-safety-message-after-two-die-in-weekend-crash

Motorcycle Accident | Burleson man dies after motorcycle crashes into SUV

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

BURLESON - A Burleson man died Friday after he crashed his motorcycle into the side of a sport utility vehicle.

Martin Thiessen, 40, was driving east on Renfro Street toward Clark Street at about 6 p.m. Friday when a Chevrolet Suburban driving north on Clark pulled out in front of his motorcycle to drive west on Renfro, causing Thiessen to hit the driver's side of the SUV, Burleson police spokeswoman Sally Ellertson said.

Thiessen died at the scene, Ellertson said. He was not wearing a helmet.

The driver of the SUV and an 8-year-old passenger were not hurt in the crash, Ellertson said.

The intersection at Renfro Street was closed in both directions for about three hours, Ellertson said.

The crash is still under investigation, police said.

Wrongful Death | Authorities ID worker killed by cement truck on Texas 288

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A construction worker who was crushed to death by a cement truck along the South Freeway on Friday afternoon has been identified as Manuel Seja, 47.

Seja was in front of the truck under the freeway at North McGregor Way about 4 p.m., when it "jumped out of gear" and struck him, Houston Police Department spokeswoman Jodi Silva said.

Two coworkers alongside him suffered severe, but non-life threatening injuries and were transported to Ben Taub General Hospital, Silva said. No further information was available on their conditions.

Police are not expected to file any charges in the accident, although the department's vehicular crimes division and truck enforcement unit are investigating it, Silva said.

The workers were part of a crew doing shoring work along Brays

Man injured in motorcycle crash

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

SUGAR LAND (KTRK) -- A man was hospitalized after his motorcycle hit a sports utility vehicle in Sugar Land.

The accident happened around 11pm Friday at the intersection of Texas 6 and U.S. 90.

The 52-year-old was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital with a possible broken leg and internal injuries, officials said.

According to police, he was in serious condition Saturday morning but is expected to survive.

Initial reports from the scene stated the inured motorcyclist was a police officer, but ABC13 could not confirm his place of employment Saturday.

It was unknown who or what caused the crash. The accident is under investigation.

Online Dating To Become Safer In The States

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Lawmakers in several states across the US are trying to pass legislation to help make online dating safer for people online. In Connecticut and Texas bills will be pending later this year to provide users with a greater awareness of the dangers involved, and how to prevent themselves from getting into trouble.

Connecticut's bill is based upon a similar law past recently in New York. The bill requires that internet dating services provide a safety awareness notice upon registration. It will offer advice such as never revealing your last name, address, email, place of work, phone numbers or identifying information in your online profile. A similar law will be passed soon in both Florida and New Jersey. These laws are being passed due to cases such as the one in Pennsylvania in 2009. A man was jailed for life for the sexual assault of an Idaho woman in 2005. He was already serving a 21 year sentence for two other sexual assault convictions. Authorities portrayed he man as a smooth talking predator who would regularly use online dating sites to arrange meets, or to find the locations of his victims. Upon meeting, the man would spike the women's drinks.

Connecticut state Rep. Mae Flexer, a Democrat who authored the bill said: "I've heard a lot of stories, not only people who had their physical safety endangered, but also financial safety." On Sunday, the popular dating site, Match.com announced that it would be implementing the new guidelines, as well as screening its members against the sex offender registry. In 2009, Myspace said that it had successfully eradicated 90,000 sex offenders from its site using this method.

Despite the risks of online dating, a lot of people around the world use it, and remain safe from harm

Second pedestrian death adds to warning by Arlington police

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON -- After four youths were struck in separate incidents by vehicles this month and two of them died, Arlington police are reminding drivers to be extra cautious around areas where children may gather and for parents to emphasize safety with their children.

"It nice outside, and everybody is enjoying the weather," traffic officer David Szatkowski said. "We just want to be sure people are taking steps to protect themselves and their families and to be aware of their surroundings."
In the most recent incident, a 15-year-old girl was fatally injured Monday night when she was hit by a vehicle in the 3000 block of South Cooper Street, police reported.

The girl was crossing Cooper near Mayfield Road when she was struck about 9:10 p.m. She was pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m. at Medical Center of Arlington. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office identified her as Jennifer Herring of Arlington.

The vehicle did not stop, and police were looking for the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact Arlington police at 817-459-5700.

It is the 10th traffic fatality in Arlington this year, coming 10 days after Frida Flores, 7, was struck and killed while riding her bike at a north Arlington apartment complex. The driver, who had just stopped for another child on a bicycle, spoke with police at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said.

A day earlier, an 11-year-old boy stepped into the roadway near New York Avenue and Mitchell Street and was struck by the mirror of a pickup after school. The boy had been looking at his cellphone when he stepped into the street.

On April 4, a 15-year-old girl was hit by a vehicle at about 7 a.m. as she crossed the street while walking to Bowie High School.

Parents should speak to their children about being aware of vehicles near roadways and parking lots, Szatkowski. It is also a good time to remind juvenile drivers to obey the speed limit and avoid distractions while behind the wheel, he said.

Police are also conducting a crime and crash reduction effort at hot spots around the city.
Using data on injury crashes and crime locations, police identified areas where they hope a stronger patrol presence will cut down on both categories.

"It's a concerted effort involving the traffic division, the patrol division and the investigations division," Szatkowski said. "Hopefully this will help us do good police work."

Car Accident | Glaring reflection blamed for 50-car pileup

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON, Texas - A glaring sunset reflecting off rain-slick pavement was blamed by some motorists as dozens of vehicles slammed into each other on Interstate 20 at Park Springs Boulevard.

Arlington police and rescue crews were busy cleaning up a 50-car accident just moments after severe storms blew through early Tuesday evening in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

As a result of the accident, part of westbound Interstate 20 at Park Springs Boulevard was closed.

Sgt. Os Flores, a police spokesman, says none of the injuries involved were life-threatening, but the wreckage forced the closing of the freeway's westbound lanes during the latter part of the commute. The lanes reopened at about 9:30 p.m.

Texas Taking Steps to Curb Wrong-Way Driving

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Texas Taking Steps to Curb Wrong-Way Driving

Wrong-way drivers tend to get plenty of attention from the news due to the incredible danger they throw into the paths of innocent motorists. While wrong-way driving seems relatively rare, according to the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC), approximately 350 fatalities occur each year from drivers going the wrong way, with thousands more injured.

After a spate of wrong-way crashes in the Fort Worth area, the Texas Department of Transportation researched the causes for wrong-way driving. The state DOT partnered with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and found:
-The majority of drivers going the wrong way are under the influence of alcohol or drugs
-Most wrong-way drivers begin by getting onto the wrong exit ramp
-Crashes between a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction and another motorist tend to be severe and more likely to result in death or serious injury
-Elderly drivers are more likely to drive in the wrong direction
-Most crashes happen at night or in early morning, when it is darkest

Texas Taking a Variety of Approaches to Stop Wrong-Way Drivers

The state is now taking several measures to help protect motorists on the road. The North Texas Tollway Authority has installed sensors inside the asphalt for several highway on-ramps that can detect when a car is traveling the wrong way. While it doesn't actively prevent drivers from going the wrong way, the sensors can alert authorities much more quickly than having to wait for a 911 call or an accident.

Additionally, the TTI study found that impaired drivers at night generally focus on the ground in front of the car, trying to stay in the lane. Since they don't raise their eyes, they can miss the usual 7-foot Wrong Way or Do Not Enter sign. The federal government is hoping to approve 2-foot reflective signs this spring. This may also help drivers with poor vision at night.

Finally, many ramps will feature reflective pavement bumps showing the correct direction to travel. The raised bumps are arranged in a large arrow pointing in the right direction on the ground.

Currently the shorter signs are scheduled to be put in North Texas. If they work on toll roads, they will install them in larger Texas cities such as San Antonio. Wrong-way crashes can cause a devastating physical and emotional toll. If a drunk or reckless driver has injured you, contact a personal injury attorney.

Sexual Assault | Texas man arrested in alleged sexual assault

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

ZACHARY - Police arrested a transient worker accused of sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman early Thursday, Police Chief David Courtney said.

Officers arrested Leroy Clayton Pettit, 33, of Katy, Texas, at his motel room at 4 a.m. and booked him at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a forcible rape count, Courtney said.

The police chief said Pettit met the woman at a local business, and she accompanied him to the motel.

The woman later told police she refused to have sex with Pettit, but he forced her to submit, Courtney said.

Wrongful Death | Arlington girl dies after being struck by vehicle

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON -- A 15-year-old girl was fatally injured Monday night when she was hit by a vehicle in the 3000 block of South Cooper Street, police reported.

According to a news release, the girl was crossing Cooper near Mayfield Road when she was struck about 9:10 p.m.

She was pronounced dead at 9:35 p.m. at Medical Center of Arlington. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office identified her as Jennifer Herring of Arlington.

The vehicle did not stop, and police were looking for the driver.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Arlington police at 817-459-5700.

This is the 10th traffic fatality in Arlington this year.

Car Accident | Wrong-way wreck on Highway 121 in Grapevine injures two, shuts down highway

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A wrong-way wreck on State Highway 121 in Grapevine left two people seriously injured and the highway shut down briefly Sunday night.

The driver of a Toyota sedan was driving south in the southbound lane of the 4000 block of Highway 121 at about 11:06 p.m. when it was struck by a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle driving north in the southbound lane, according to a news release from the Grapevine Police Department.

The driver of the Toyota, a 61-year-old Plano woman, was taken by Careflite to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and the driver of the Chevrolet, a 29-year-old Denton man, was taken by Careflite to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, police said.

As of Sunday night, the Toyota's driver was listed in critical condition, while the driver of the Chevrolet was in stable condition, the release stated.

The driver of the Chevrolet was arrested on a preliminary charge of intoxication assault.

The highway was shut down for a short time so Careflite could pick up the injured drivers, Grapevine police spokesman Todd Dearing said.

The crash is still under investigation, police said.

Texas Debating Sex Offender Registration Changes

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

The stigma of a sex crime is something that can follow someone around for years, if not a lifetime. If a conviction results, many different punishments may be handed down. Not only may there be extensive prison time, but offenders will also be required to demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated. Additionally, those convicted will also need to register as a sex offender. Once someone is on this list it becomes very difficult to be removed. Some sexual offenses require lifetimeregistration.

All of this costs a lot of money for states. Many jurisdictions have embraced a "better safe than sorry" policy when it comes to the crimes for which it requires offenders to register, meaning that most sex offenses require some type of post-release monitoring. Like many other states, Texas is currently struggling with finding ways to pay for the treatment and monitoring of all of these sex offenders.

In 1994, Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Act. This act was designed to provide states with guidelines for creating their own sex-offenderregistration laws. States based many of their provisions on the federal law, which was designed to target those who were likely to reoffend. In 2006, Congress passed The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWCPSA), which strengthened many of the requirements that states already had in place. The law intended to create a uniform system of nationwide sex offenderregistration.

AWCSPA requires states to form a three-tiered system of classifying sex offenders. Those in tier three have been convicted of serious crimes and are deemed most likely to reoffend. Tiers two and one contain those offenders who have been convicted of less serious crimes.

Those convicted of a tier-three offense will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives. Tier two offenders will need to register for 25 years, and tier one for 15 years.

The current law in Texas forces the state to comply with federal laws in place, specifically the criteria handed down by the AWSCPA. The debate now is whether the state will fall in line with the AWCSPA, or opt to determine its own criteria for forcing sex offenders to register or be removed from the list of offenders. The law has been very controversial, with only three states being in complete compliance. Congress has threatened to cut the grant funding of those states that do not enact the tougher requirements

The Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee recently examined what compliance with AWCSPA would mean. If forced to register all sex offenders convicted of certain offenses, the cost of monitoring those offenders could be extremely high. In fact, according to the commission, if the new law is enacted in Texas, it would cost the state nearly $39 million. If the grants are withheld, the state would lose nearly $1.5 million in grant money.

Another issue that is concerning for state officials centers on new registration requirements for juvenile offenders. Currently, the judge in the case has discretion to decide if a juvenile will have to register as a sex offender. Under AWCSPA, the juvenile would be forced to register if they committed one of the specified crimes. The judge would have no ability to prevent this from happening. If entered into the registry, this information would become more accessible, and could prevent the juvenile from finding work or attending college.

The main issue that many critics have with this aspect of the law is that it does not take the risk of reoffending into consideration. Juveniles are much less likely to reoffend, and the damage caused by placing them into the program does not seem to offset the gains thatregistration would provide.

Families may also suffer if this law is put in place. In some situations, the relationship may have started before one party hit 17, the age of consent in Texas. If convicted of an offense like statutory rape, the adult could still be forced to register as a sex offender, even if the parties eventually end up marrying. There is a very small if not nonexistent chance of this person reoffending, but the AWCSPA would not take any of this into consideration.

The committee provided its recommendation against complying with the AWCSPA, due to cost and effectiveness concerns. The state would like to give risk assessments to each sex offender, to consider the potential for reoffending or removal. Once this information is obtained, the sex offender registry can be put to better use.

While this is being debated, strict laws are in still in place for sex offenders.

Randy Rostetter, Stockyards icon, dies after being hit by drunken-driving suspect

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH -- Randy Rostetter, whose trademark handlebar mustache and black-and-white steer Lone Star made him a Fort Worth Stockyards icon, was killed last weekend when he was struck by a drunken-driving suspect.

For the past two decades, Mr. Rostetter and Lone Star roamed East Exchange Avenue, stopping to greet children and tourists and posing for photos.

"He represented the Stockyards wonderfully," said Hub Baker, executive director of the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. "People from all over flocked to him. Everyone loved Randy and Lone Star."

Mr. Rostetter, 57, was walking home from the Stockyards early April 10 when a driver heading north on North Main Street jumped a curb and struck him. The vehicle then hit a light pole, which fell and killed Mr. Rostetter, a Fort Worth police spokeswoman said.

The vehicle spun sideways and was hit by a second vehicle, police said. The first driver faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter. The second driver faces DWI charges, police said.

Funeral arrangements are pending. A memorial observation in the Stockyards is in the works.

Originally from Kansas, Mr. Rostetter served in leadership positions for local beef and cattle associations before a car wreck left him with a severe head injury, Baker said.

About 20 years ago, Mr. Rostetter moved to Fort Worth with big ideas of how to integrate animals into the Stockyards, said Steve Murrin, chairman of the Fort Worth Stockyards Preservation Foundation. Once, he brought a yoke of oxen, each weighing a ton, to a parade. For a while, he had a steer whose horns were so wide he could barely fit safely on the street.

But for the past decade or so, Mr. Rostetter and Lone Star became nearly inseparable, Murrin said. Lone Star was so gentle and patient that he allowed people to pet him, sit on him and take photos all day.

"Randy liked the limelight," Murrin said, "and Lone Star loved being on camera."

Mr. Rostetter would never get rich off the tip money he made with Lone Star, Murrin said, but he made enough to live comfortably. Lone Star, now about 15, will retire to Murrin's private ranch west of Fort Worth and spend his days grazing and sleeping.

Lynn Hawkins, an administrative assistant at the Cowtown Coliseum, said Mr. Rostetter approached life with humility and kindness, often going out of his way to show his appreciation to Stockyards employees and tourists alike.

"We're a close-knit family here in the Stockyards," Hawkins said, "and it won't be the same without Randy."

Texas man accused of sexually abusing pre-teen girl in Moorhead

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

MOORHEAD - A 50-year-old Texas man is accused in Clay County District Court of sexually abusing a pre-teen girl in Moorhead on five occasions in 2007 and 2008.

An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Juan Jose Alvarez, 50, of Crystal City, Texas, after five counts of criminal sexual conduct were filed against him.

The criminal complaint alleges a 14-year-old girl from Fergus Falls told Moorhead police last month the alleged abuse happened when Alvarez lived in Moorhead in 2007 and 2008.

The alleged victim, who was 11 or 12 years old then, described for investigators five separate incidences of sexual abuse that occurred in a Moorhead residence.

Woman sexually assaulted on trail in Keller

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted Monday night while walking on a trail near the Keller Smithfield Activity Node, Keller police said Wednesday.

No one has been arrested.

Keller police have increased bike and foot patrols in the area. Authorities ask residents who use the trail to run or walk in pairs after dark.

The attack occurred between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday at the trail just west of the Keller Smithfield Node in the 400 block of Keller Smithfield Road in Keller.

A man approached the woman from behind, subdued her and sexually assaulted her, Keller police said Wednesday.

The witness described her attacker as a white man in his late 40s, about 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11, with a large belly, short gray hair and balding on the forehead area. He had a small amount of facial hair located from the bottom of his lip to his chin.

The man was wearing light-colored sweat pants, tennis shoes, white T-shirt with no logos and a black or blue jacket.

He was unarmed, police said.

Anyone with information should call Keller police at 817-743-4615.

Wrongful Death | Pedestrian killed by TRE commuter train in Hurst

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

HURST -- A Trinity Railway Express train hit and killed a pedestrian as it was approaching the Richland Hills station this afternoon.

Tuesday's fatality occurred on the tracks about 4:35 p.m. just west of the 100 block of Precinct Line Road, said Sgt. Craig Teague, Hurst police spokesman. Authorities are attempting to identify the victim, Teague said.

No passengers aboard the train were reported to be injured, Teague said.

The track was closed, but bus service was being used to transport passengers between Hurst-Bell and Richland Hills stations.

It's the second fatality involving a TRE train in the past month.

On March 19, 43-year-old Michael Templeton was sitting on tracks just east of downtown Fort Worth when he was killed by a train. The TRE and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating the incidents.

One killed, two injured in accident near Seguin

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

SEGUIN - A Kingsbury man was killed and his sister critically injured in single-car accident.

Wesley Berry, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred shortly after midnight Monday south of Seguin on Texas 123. He was a passenger in the back seat of the car, said Seguin Police Lt. Jim Boeck.

The car was speeding south, Boeck said, when the driver lost control of the car. It ran into a drainage ditch and then flipped over several times.

Driver Colleen Berry, 25, was thrown from the car. She was listed in critical condition at University Hospital. Jason Medina, 28, another passenger in the car and the only one wearing a seat belt, was listed in stable condition at the same hospital.

Wrongful Death | Names released of workers killed in radio tower fall

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two workers from Texas fell to their death early today while helping construct a radio tower in northeast Tippecanoe County.

The Sheriff's Department identified the two victims this afternoon as Ernesto Garcia, 29, of Laredo, Texas, and Paul Aliss, 32, of Mesquite, Texas. They were working at the site for ERI Inc., a company based in Chandler, Ind., as part of a crew of five.

The accident was reported just before 9 a.m. and emergency crews and police responded to the scene, which is near the intersection of County Roads 600 North and 900 East by Colburn. Crews spent much of the morning investigating at the site and the bodies of the two victims were not removed until close to 11 a.m.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff Tracy Brown said the workers fell an estimated 340 feet to the ground. They were wearing safety cables, he said, and were in the process of installing another segment to the tower, which will be 500 feet tall when complete.

The pieces fell as well but no other injuries were reported, Brown said. He referred questions about technical issues at the site to the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Stephanie McFarland, spokeswoman for IOSHA, said an investigation of the work site is underway but no information is available yet. The department aims to complete all investigations within six months, but she could not offer a more specific timeline.

Deputy Coroner Tony Kenner said autopsies will be performed Thursday.

John Schurz, general manager of the WASK radio group that's building the tower, said it would provide service to Carroll and Tippecanoe counties of the WXXB-102.9 station.

The existing radio tower, about a quarter mile from where the new one is being constructed, had to be moved to accommodate the new Hoosier Heartland Corridor, Schurz said. The county's Board of Zoning Appeals signed off on the new tower construction last August and the work started earlier this spring.

Schurz said the accident is a terrible tragedy.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those involved," he said.

Construction worker killed in accident at Webster project site for Monroe Co. Water Authority

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A construction worker at the Monroe County Water Authority Eastside Water Supply Treatment Plant Project was killed. It happened around 11 a.m. at the site on Lake Road in Webster.

The victim was an intake tunnel contractor for Southland Contracting which is based out of Austin, Texas.

Southland Contracting is currently working on building a water treatment plant for the Monroe County Water Authority. The company is about halfway into a two-year project to build a tunnel for an intake water pipe out into Lake Ontario.

News 10NBC is told the victim was one of five workers on the crew. At the time of the accident, it appears the victim was operating a train which removes material from where the boring machine was digging at the time. The details of how the man was killed are unknown at this time.

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration -- is at the scene of the accident investigating.

Water Authority Executive Director Nicholas Noce said, "One of the tunnel contractor workers was operating a piece of equipment that had led to a fatality. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. OSHA is on sight investigating the incident. Worker safety is paramount for the Monroe County Water Authority. The work will be shut down until such as OSHA provides us with a clear approval to restart any work."

At this time, the company is not saying whether the victim is from out of town or the Rochester area. His name has not been released at this time.

The Water Authority says no other accidents have happened at the Webster site.

The plant is supposed to be online and processing drinking water by early 2013.

Wrongful Death | Accident claims Mansfield man's life

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

An accident at the Pratt Industries recycling plant in Shreveport claimed a man's life Sunday.

James Gillis, 28, of Mansfield, was moving bales of paper with a forklift when the load became top-heavy and caused the forklift to overturn about 7 a.m. Sunday.

Gillis jumped off the forklift but couldn't get out of the way in time. The forklift fell on him, said Cindy Chadwick, Caddo sheriff's office spokeswoman. Gillis was a temporary worker at the plant.

Loss of concentration causes accidents

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

On average 700 deaths occur each year in work areas on public roadways, highways, roads, and in city streets.

The lack of concentration of car drivers were the cause of these fatalities, and most deaths were construction workers. Every driver of any motor vehicle driving on public roads, must be focused, attentive and most of all looking out for construction workers who work on the streets.

As part of National Crime Prevention Week Work Zone, the Texas Department of Transportation, in the lecture series and events, has a goal to encourage drivers and machine operators to take care of the crews, that the dedicated workers are not injured by vehicles.

To instruct, educate and cultivate the Loredo redsidents in that sense, is that this week they have joined the staff of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Laredo Police and agents of the Department of Webb County Sheriff.

Also, contractors and construction workers themselves in roads, have participated in seminars to avoid unfortunate incidents. In addition to the 700 annual deaths are 40,000 people who are injured, 85% of those injured are drivers or passengers of vehicles.

In Texas, the figure is 15, 131 car accidents and 1208 deaths in road construction. In 2009, 3, 781 road accidents were due to the driver's distraction involving 7,837 cars, with 27 deaths.

Motorcycle Accident | Deputies: Motorcyclist killed in accident involving suspected drunk driver

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A suspect drunk driver was in jail Sunday after a motorcyclist died in an accident in north Harris County.

Deputies said a motorcyclist was traveling westbound on Rankin near Rankin Circle W. around 1:15 a.m. when the driver of a black pickup truck turned in front of the bike while pulling into a dance club parking lot.

Authorities said the motorcycle rider couldn't avoid an accident and crashed into the passenger side of the truck. He died at the scene.

Deputies said the driver of the truck ran from the scene but was tracked by a K-9 unit and eventually caught by police hiding in nearby woods.

He was arrested and faces charges of intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid.

Horse Accident | Horse, rider killed in intersection accident by pickup truck

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A rider and his horse were killed in Texas on Friday night when allegedly struck by a pickup truck being driven on the wrong side of the road.

The victim has been named as Fernando Giron, 40, of Grand Prairie.

The alleged driver, Salvador Herrera-Robles, 33, a Mexican citizen, has been charged with intoxication, manslaughter and failure to stop to offer help to the victim.

Two passengers allegedly in the truck have yet to be found.

Police in Grand Prairie said Giron was crossing the intersection at Beltline Rd and East Oakdale Rd on his horse around 9.30pm when they were struck by the truck.

Investigators believe the truck was on the wrong side of the road and speed was a factor, according to reports.

Truck Accident | Accident at major northwest Dallas interchange

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A tractor trailer carrying a boat clipped a construction crew's painting supplies on the underside of a bridge on Interstate 635, sending cables streaming down and snarling traffic for much of the day Saturday in northwest Dallas.

Traffic snaked slowly by at the intersection of Interstates 35E and 635 after the 11:40 a.m. accident in what is usually a high-traffic area. A Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman said a contractor was hired to paint the I-635 bridge over I-35E and had placed a series of metal sheets and cables to collect dripping paint.

It was unclear whether any workers were painting at the time of the accident, but no injuries were reported.

Several cars on I-35E were damaged, however, by the cables that dangled from the overpass.

It was not known if the bridge itself sustained damage.

TxDOT spokeswoman Cynthia Northrop White said it's unclear whether the painting contractor, Intech, or the truck driver was at fault. She said that the metal sheets and cables are designed so that they would not impede traffic.

Dallas police were also helping to investigate and filter traffic through the area.

"We're not sure exactly what happened," Northrop White said. "If it is determined that there was negligence on the part of the contractor, they will be liable for any damages."

Cleanup crews shut down the westbound I-635 ramp to I-35E and I-35E northbound traffic was fed through one lane until about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, when all lanes were reopened.

Sexual Assualt | Former Texas Police Chief Charged With Sex Assault

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

MCKINNEY, Texas -- A former North Texas police chief is accused of having sexual relations with a girl between 2001 and 2004.

A Collin County grand jury has indicted 61-year-old ex-Sulphur Springs Chief of Police Donald "Donnie" Gene Lewis of Dallas.

Lewis was jailed Friday with bond set at $250,000. Electronic jail records did not list an attorney for Lewis, who was arrested Thursday on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, eight counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact and five counts of sexual assault of a child. If convicted, Lewis faces up to life in prison.

Plano police have declined to release details of the active case. Lewis was indicted last week.
Lewis served as a Sulphur Springs officer for more than 25 years. He retired in mid-2001.

Motorcycle Accident | Wienermobile to take North Texas motorcycle accident victim to prom

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - It's common for accident victims to have no memory of what happened. Ben Ross is not so fortunate.

He remembers riding his motorcycle on March 19 in North Richland Hills and can't forget trying to avoid two cars that pulled out in front of him.

"So, I just locked up my brakes, flipped over," he said.

He became trapped under a truck.

"I remember them pulling me out from underneath the truck and putting me on the stretcher," he said.

Ben was taken by CareFlite to a Fort Worth hospital. His ribs, collarbone and hips were broken.

"He's got an enormous wound that requires this wound V.A.C. machine," said Jill Ross, Ben's mother.

In the hours by his bedside that followed, his mother thought about his first 17 years of life. She smiled at the memory of when at 4-years-old, he saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

"We pulled up and his eyes got huge and he wanted to stay for an hour," she said.

As a child, Ben played with Wienermobile toy cars. Recently, he joked about pulling up to prom in the Wienermobile. It was that joke that in her anxiety and sadness, Jill latched onto.

"It kept me from entertaining thoughts about how things could go," she said.

She launched an e-mail, Facebook and letter-writing campaign to convince Oscar Mayer to send the giant hot-dogged shaped car to take Ben and his girlfriend to prom on April 30. Jill and Mike Ross hoped it would lift the spirits of their son who used to lift theirs.

"He's the class clown and he's the prankster," his father said.

Hundreds of messages later it paid off.

"On April 30, we'll be pulling up in the world famous Wienermobile," said the voice that called to tell Ben of the news.

Despite a fever and heavy medication, Ben smiled.

"Awesome," he replied.

Texas House backs plan to allow 85 mph speed limit

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas House approved a bill that would allow the speed limit on some highways to be raised to 85 mph, which would be the highest in the nation.

The measure passed Wednesday on a voice vote was part of a larger transportation bill. It would authorize the Texas Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit on designated lanes or entire stretches of roadway after doing engineering and traffic studies, the Dallas Morning News reported Thursday.

The Senate is considering a similar bill.

"They have high-speed roadways in Europe, and there could be some merit in having some of those highways in Texas," said Rep. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, who introduced the bill. "Given the right engineering, we should consider it."

Texas currently has more than 520 miles of interstate highways where the speed limit is 80 mph.

One such stretch of Interstate 10 "is as nice a road as you can build; it's flat with a long line of sight, wide lanes and good shoulders," said Rep. Joe Pickett of El Paso. "For people like us who travel that long distance, it could be good" to raise the limit to 85 mph, he said.

Some auto insurers oppose the measure, citing safety concerns.

"Obviously, the two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol. Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate on those highways where it's implemented," said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service.

He said drivers already exceed 70 mph highway speed limits.

"But 85 mph is simply too fast to drive even on a flat road. Any little hitch can cause an accident at that speed. There is still traffic on those roads, and to drive 85 mph is simply ludicrous," he said.

The Transportation Department hasn't done the speed and safety analyses of roadways the legislation would require, said department spokeswoman Kelli Petras.

"It would be awesome to travel it, but you'd have to look at the safety and other factors," she said.

Source : http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/07/2981624/texas-house-clears-way-for-85.html#ixzz1IqaPmTRA

Car Accident | Car Plows Into Church

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

IRVING, Texas - The leaders of Irving Baptist Fellowship may be thinking about installing a drive-thru lane at their church, now that most of the work is done for them. A car smashed into the building this morning, leaving a gaping hole in the brick siding.

A church employee says the driver of the blue Honda was involved in a three-car accident and hit the gas instead of the brake when she got rear-ended by another car.

No one was in the building on Shady Grove Lane near Story Road, and the car's driver was taken to the hospital for observation. The church, however, has seen better days.

"Oh my word, it's our music room, and the music is just destroyed!" said Jo Goodman of Irving Baptist Fellowship. "We're just thankful that no one was hurt really badly as far as we know."

Sexual Assualt | East Texas father, son, accused of raping girl

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

LUFKIN, Texas - An East Texas man and his teenage son have been charged with the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl during a party.

Clinton John Sr., who's 53, and 17-year-old Clinton "Bubba" Johnson Jr. were in the Angelina County Jail on Tuesday on charges of aggravated sexual assault. Jail records did not list attorneys for the Hudson men. The father was held on $150,000 bond. Bond for the son is $100,000.

Hudson Police Chief Jeff Burns says the attack allegedly happened March 5 at the younger man's home. The girl later told a school counselor. Father and son were arrested Friday.

Burns says the investigation continues into whether other males at the party attacked the girl, who allegedly had been drinking alcohol.

Hudson is about 130 miles northeast of Houston.

A&M student killed in car accident

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Texas A&M student died Friday after his vehicle skid into oncoming traffic along F.M. 1774 in Grimes County, the Department of Public Safety reported.

According to a trooper's report, the accident happened at 4:21 p.m. Friday eight miles south of Plantersville.

A truck traveling south on F.M. 1774 entered a side skid, the trooper wrote, and crossed into northbound traffic.

A vehicle traveling north noticed the other vehicle entering traffic and left the roadway to the right to avoid a collision.

The southbound vehicle continued to skid and collided with the northbound vehicle.

The driver of the southbound vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene at 5 p.m. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.

The deceased's next of kin had not been notified by Friday night so the names of those involved were withheld.

The body of the deceased was taken to the Travis County Medical Examiner in Austin.

April proclamed as the month dedicated to preventing and combating sexual assault and child abuse.

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

The Mayor Raul Salinas and the County Judge Danny Valdez made a joint proclamation declaring April as the month dedicated to preventing and combating sexual assault and child abuse.

"We need to unite to curb these abuses, children and young people are the best we have and we can not have them hurt," said Salinas. For his part, Judge Valdez stated that the abuse of women is another crime that should be stopped and will make every effort to get it. At the signing of these proclamations were District Attorney Isidro Alaniz, Sheriff Martin Cuellar and Police Chief Carlos Maldonado, and representatives of the Center Against Child Abuse and the organization SCAN.

Only in 2010 a total of 791 cases of abuse and neglect against children were confirmed in Webb County while in Texas were 68,326 cases of this type. Sylvia Bruni, director of the Center Against Child Abuse in Webb, said that they have provided services to more than 6,000 families.

"The most regrettable thing is that it is estimated that for every reported case there are another 10 who fail to report, so we call upon the community to break the silence," she said.

The District Attorney Isidro Alaniz noted that he has a unit specializing in addressing, investigating and bringing to trial persons accused of committing physical and sexual assault against minors.

He called on the community to report any suspected abuse of a child because it is required by law to do so. For its part, the organization SCAN performs different activities during the month of April to educate and prevent sexual abuse, encouraging women to report these cases because there are programs that can help.

At the ceremony of proclamation the case of Consuelo Castillo was presented , a retired lieutenant colonel U.S. Army, who was born in Laredo and spoke about how she was a victim of sexual abuse.

She took the opportunity to present her book entitled "Journey to the Future" and autographed a few.

Truck Accident | Tow Truck Driver Struck And Killed On Highway 77

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

REFUGIO COUNTY - A tow truck driver was killed along Highway 77 this morning as he was trying to move a wrecked vehicle off the road. 24-year-old Christian Gutierrez was hit by a UPS 18-wheeler as he stood on the side of the road. The UPS driver kept going and later told Department of Public Safety troopers that he did not realize he had hit anyone. Gutierrez was pronounced dead at the scene, charges are pending against the UPS driver.

Just yesterday, the Texas Senate approved a bill that would require drivers to slow down for tow trucks working accident scenes or picking up disabled cars. Under the measure, drivers would be required to slow down to at least 20 miles under the speed limit or change lanes away from the tow truck to prevent an accident.

Vehicle Accident | Children hurt in Venus bus crash

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

VENUS - Four children and one adult went to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after a recreational vehicle rear-ended a school bus, according to authorities.

None of the injuries were thought to be life-threatening, said Robert Matthews, Venus school district superintendent. There were some cuts and bruises, and one little girl was believed to have a broken leg, Matthews said.

The school bus was carrying about 45 children ranging in age from elementary school to high school students, said James Robinson, an officer with the Venus Police Department.

Both vehicles were northbound on FM 157 traveling near County Road 506 northwest of Venus about 3:50 p.m., when the recreation vehicle slammed into the rear of a school bus that appeared to be stopped, Robinson said.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were investigating the collision Wednesday.

Motorists would have to yield to flashing tow trucks under House bill

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

AUSTIN, Texas - Motorists could face new penalties for passing tow trucks on the highway unless they slowed down or changed lanes.

Without any debate, the Texas House unanimously approved legislation Wednesday adding tow trucks to the law requiring motorists to move over or slow down when passing law enforcement or emergency vehicles, such as police cars or ambulances. The tow trucks would have to have their emergency lights flashing.

Motorists who violate the law would face a fine of up to $200 - akin to a speeding ticket - or more if the violation causes an accident and causes property or bodily damage. Advocates say the bill, pushed by towing interests, is needed to protect tow truck operators who routinely work in extremely dangerous conditions on Texas highways.

TxDOT launches distracted driving campaign

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Lubbock, TX - The Texas Department of Transportation is rolling out a new campaign to combat distracted driving. Statistics show one in four crashes involve drivers who are not paying attention.

Over the next month you will probably see the words "Talk, Text, Crash" on signs on the South Loop, all in hopes of keeping you safe on the road.

"It's trying to get the great people of this state to limit their distractions," TxDOT Traffic Safety Coordinator Karen Peoples explained. TxDOT plans to showcase the new campaign Wednesday in Austin on the steps of the capitol.

TxDOT statistics show that distracted driving contributes to a startling number of accidents. More than 100,000 vehicles were involved in crashes in 2009 where distractions or cell phone use were cited as a cause. That same year, 3,308 crashes were attributed to cell phone use and 41 of those were fatal.

Distracted driving also includes talking, eating, smoking, switching radio stations and even reaching for something else in the vehicle. The campaign which kicks of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month will focus on cell phones because it is one of the most commonly recognized distractions.

A number of teens have been killed in recent years using mobile phones while driving, Peoples said, and these tragedies have captured the nation's attention. One of those tragedies is the 2009 death of Alex Brown, a Seagraves teenager who crashed her truck on the way to school while trying to get a text message.

In Texas, 46 percent of teens in cities talk on cell phones and 42 percent text behind the wheel. In rural areas, those numbers increase slightly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Whenever you are behind the wheel, make it a number one priority to arrive at your destination," Peoples said.

TxDOT will use social media and radio PSAs to spread the message during this campaign. While April is dedicated to preventing distracted driving, TxDOT hopes that it is something people will simply stop doing.

Families of those who have died in distracted driving accidents will be at the state capitol Wednesday to kick off the campaign. The parents of Alex Brown were also invited to attend, but they will be in Nebraska spreading the no-texting-while-driving message to students.

Truck Accident | Wrong-way driver charged in fiery fatality crash that has shut down Interstate 30

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Westbound Interstate 30 just east of downtown Fort Worth could be closed for most of today after a fiery early-morning accident involving a fuel tanker caused massive damage to the roadway and bridge beams.

"We're working on a plan to hopefully get two lanes open by late this afternoon, but it's going to take some time to fix," said Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jodi Hodges, adding that the repairs could take weeks. "Those beams are going to have to be replaced."

The driver of a pickup that slammed into the fully loaded fuel tanker while headed the wrong way on I-30 is under arrest at an area hospital on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and intoxication manslaughter, Fort Worth police said.

The driver has taken a blood test but results were not yet available, said Sgt. Cynthia Blake of the Traffic Investigation Unit.

Police did not yet know where the pickup entered the westbound lanes of I-30, but witnesses calling 911 around 2:30 a.m. Monday described it headed eastbound near Henderson and Cherry streets in downtown Fort Worth, Blake said.

Just east of Interstate 35W, near Riverside Drive, the pickup slammed head-first into the tanker truck, which had just filled up with fuel, Blake said.

The truck exploded, sending flames high into the night. The tanker driver died at the scene. The red pickup was cast aside, with its front end smashed. The driver's condition was not available Monday morning.

Most of the fuel from the tanker truck was allowed to burn off before firefighters extinguished the blaze, Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Tim Hardeman said.

A cleanup crew and an official with the city's environmental department were at the scene, Hardeman said.

The Fire Department's hazardous materials team set up devices in the levee and riverbank underneath the bridge to catch any fuel that seeped into the water but test readings showed low levels of contamination, Hardeman said.

The incident began around 2:30 a.m., when several 911 callers reported seeing a red pickup driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-30 starting west of Interstate 35W, Fort Worth police records show. The crash occurred a few minutes later.

Police blocked all entrances to the freeway near Beach Street and Riverside Drive until 5 a.m., when traffic began moving in the eastbound lanes.

The tanker truck was owned and operated by Petro-Chemical Transport, a fuel tanker company based in Addison, a company spokeswoman said.

Sexual Misconduct | Married Teachers Arrested on Child Sex Charges

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

MESQUITE, Texas - Police in Mesquite arrested a husband and wife, both teachers in the Dallas Independent School District, after they allegedly had improper conduct with several children.

According to police, 50-year-old Jesse Castillo was charged with two counts of indecency with a child and one count of sexual performance by a child. His wife, 46-year-old Virginia Castillo, was charged with one count of sexual performance by a child.

Investigators reportedly collected a significant amount of evidence, including electronic media, at their home in the 2100 block of Bridger Drive in Mesquite.

Police said it appears the victims were part-time employees at a children's party business that the Castillos operated out of their home. That business is no longer in operation.

DISD records show Jesse Castillo teaches at Comstock Middle School while Virginia Castillo teaches at Moseley Elementary School.

The couple is being held in the Dallas County jail on $150,000 bond.

Their 14-year-old son is now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

Victim Of Deadly Central Texas Motorcycle Crash Identified

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

WEST (March 25, 2011)-One man was killed after a crash involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck on a rural Central Texas road near the McLennan-Hill County line.

The accident was reported just after noon Friday on FM 933 near the intersection with FM 2114.

According to Department of Public Safety, the driver of a 2009 Ford pick up truck was headed eastbound on FM 2114.

DPS troopers say the driver failed to yield right of way and crashed into a 2005 Harley Davidson which was headed north on FM 933.

The driver of the motorcycle, James Clay Stone, 49, of Whitney was taken to Hillcrest Hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour after the crash.

The DPS says Stone was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The driver of the truck was not hurt.

Car Accident | Big rig cab left dangling over Fort Worth highway

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH, Texas - Three people have been rescued after a Fort Worth accident in which the cab of an 18-wheeler tanker truck ended up dangling over an elevated Interstate 20 ramp.

Two people in a car that was trapped under the empty water tanker truck were rescued about three hours after the accident happened early Thursday.

A fire department ladder truck was used to help reach the trucker and ease him from the cab. He was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Both people extricated from the car also were receiving medical attention. Further details on their conditions were not immediately available.

The cause of the pre-dawn wreck is sought.

Vehicle Accident | Boy injured when Nacogdoches man rear-ends school bus

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Nacogdoches Police Department investigated an accident early this morning that involved a passenger car and a loaded school bus.

The accident occurred in the 2600 block of Douglass Road (State Highway 21 West) and was logged at 7:44 a.m.

A 2006 Saturn SUV driven by Vincente Marrero, 19, of Nacogdoches was eastbound on Douglass Road and struck the rear of a school bus owned and operated by the Nacogdoches Independent School District. The bus was driven by Larry Reynard, Jr. of Nacogdoches. The bus was stopped to make a pick-up of students. At the time of the accident, the bus was loaded with 63 elementary students, ranging in age from four to eleven years old.

One child, an 8 year old boy, was taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor, non-life threatening injuries.

The remaining students were transferred to another NISD bus and were delivered to school.

No citations have been issued in the accident yet, though the report indicates Marrero failed to control his speed.

"Motorists should pay attention to their surroundings, road conditions and speeds at all times, but it is important to remember that during the school year, the mornings and afternoons are critical due to the bus traffic," police spokesman Sgt. Greg Sowell said. "Motorists should be especially watchful for school buses and mindful of their cargo: our children."

Popular Catholic preacher placed on leave over accusations of sexual misconduct

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Popular Catholic preacher Fr. John Corapi has been placed on administrative leave by leaders of his religious order following an accusation of sexual misconduct and drug abuse.

From a report by Catholic News service:

"We have received an allegation that Father Corapi has behaved in a manner unbecoming of a priest and are duty-bound to conduct an investigation into this accusation," said Father Gerard Sheehan, a spokesman for Father Corapi's community, the Texas-based Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. "It is important to keep in mind that this action in no way implies Father Corapi is guilty of the allegation," Father Sheehan said. "It is equally important to know that, based on the information we have received thus far, the claim of misconduct does not involve minors and does not arise to the level of criminal conduct."

On his Web site, Corapi denied the charges and gave further insight on the nature of the allegations. Here is Corapi's statement:

On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed "credible" in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church's procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors. I am not accused of that, but it seems, once again, that they now don't have to deem the complaint to be credible or not, and it is being applied broadly to respond to all complaints. I have been placed on "administrative leave" as the result of this.

I'll certainly cooperate with the process, but personally believe that it is seriously flawed, and is tantamount to treating the priest as guilty "just in case", then through the process determining if he is innocent. The resultant damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious, especially for someone like myself, since I am so well known. I am not alone in this assessment, as multiple canon lawyers and civil and criminal attorneys have stated publicly that the procedure does grave damage to the accused from the outset, regardless of rhetoric denying this, and has little regard for any form of meaningful due process.

All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned.

Corapi is a celebrated Catholic apologist whose journey from homeless drug addict to Catholic priest infuses his animated sermons. The fact that this famous defender of Catholicism has launched an aggressive critique of the church over its handling of his case has lit up the Catholic blogosphere.

Policies forged in the wake of the church's sexual abuse scandal demand that credibly accused priests be removed from ministry while investigated, but the procedure is applied on the diocesan level, leaving room for interpretation. (In Corapi's case, it's at the level of his religious order.) Some priests (see Corapi's statement above) say that the policy implies guilt at the outset, while victims groups say that the church is often too slow to act on accusations.

Car Accident | Grand Prairie man killed in wreck on Texas 161 frontage road

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Grand Prairie man was killed Tuesday night after he drove his car into the back of a sedan stopped on a Texas 161 frontage road, left the scene and then smashed into a wall.

Authorities say they believe alcohol was a factor.

Grand Prairie police identified the victim as Edgar A. Neri, 23. He was pronounced dead at Methodist Dallas Medical Center shortly after the second accident.

The wrecks were reported shortly before 8 p.m. at Interstate 30 and Texas 161 in Grand Prairie.

Neri was driving a 1999 Buick Century west on the interstate when he took the Texas 161 exit and hit the back of a 2006 Mazda that was stopped at a traffic light on a frontage road, Grand Prairie police said Wednesday.

Neri drove away from that wreck at high speed, lost control of his car and slammed into a noise reduction wall at the frontage road and British Boulevard, just a few hundred feet from the original crash site, Grand Prairie police said.

It was the fifth traffic fatality in Grand Prairie this year.

Car Accident | 3-year-old boy, three others injured in Dallas crash

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A 3-year-old boy is listed in critical condition after a two-vehicle crash in west Dallas Monday afternoon.

The crash happened in the 3000 block of Harry Hines Boulevard at about 1:20 p.m. when a small four-door vehicle driving south on Harry Hines turned in front of a 2007 Lexus also driving south, which caused the Lexus to hit the four-door's rear-end and then spin across the northbound lanes, according to a Dallas Police Department news release.

The Lexus jumped a curb, causing a 3-year-old boy and a 28-year-old woman in the backseat to be thrown out of the vehicle into a grassy area, the release states.

An off-duty Dallas police officer saw the wreck and immediately gave CPR to the 3-year-old boy, the release states.

The child was taken to Children's Hospital where he is in critical condition, Dallas police said.

The 28-year-old woman and two other occupants in the vehicle were taken to Parkland Hospital in conditions ranging from stable to serious, the release states.

A child safety seat was found in the backseat but police are investigating whether the child was not fastened into the seat properly or not seated at all, the release states.

No charges are expected to be filed against the driver of the Lexus but it's not known whether there will be any charges filed against the driver of the four-door vehicle, Dallas police spokesman Kevin Janse said.

New Car Seat Guidelines Suggested – But State Law Lags Behind

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released new guidelines on child safety seats in vehicles, but Texas law hasn't been changed concerning child safety requirements.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children 4 years old and older. About 1,500 children across the United States die in car wrecks every year.

New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics hope to improve that statistic.

According to the AAP, children should ride in rear-facing car seats through 2 years of age. Previously, parents were advised to keep their children in rear-facing car seats until they turned 1.

A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding with their car seat rear-facing.

A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash - because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body.

Basically, children should transition from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness when they reach the maximum weight or height for that seat.

But most parents made the transition when their child turned 1 - before their child reached the weight and height requirements.

The next safety seat transition is to a booster seat. Under these guidelines, most children will need a booster seat until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years old.

Sparky Dean, senior trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety, told KTXS that the DPS agrees with the study and supports it. However, Texas law still states: "If the child is 20 pounds or 12 months, they have to be in a rear facing seat. Once they are 20 pounds or 12 months then you can go forward facing."

Parents caught not following this law will face a class C misdemeanor, which carries a $200 fine.

Dean said that "90 percent of car seats are installed incorrectly," so if you want to make sure yours is installed correctly, you can call the Texas Department of Public Safety at 795-4084 and they will check it for you for free.

Car Accident | Texas man killed in Murray County crash

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Texas man died late Friday night in a single-car crash on Interstate 35 just west of Davis in Murray County, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Dead is Cory Daniel York, 24, of Coppell, Texas.

Troopers said York was a passenger in a southbound 2003 Mazda driven by Yaira Parra, 20, of Oklahoma City, that ran off the road and flipped several times. York was ejected from the vehicle. The accident occurred about 11:15 p.m.

York was transported by helicopter to Pauls Valley General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Parra was transferred by ambulance to the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City in stable condition.

A second passenger in the car, Mikal Senn, 19, of Moore, was transported by ambulance to Mercy Memorial Hospital in Ardmore, where he was admitted for observation with head and arm injuries.

Parra and Senn were wearing seat belts, York was not, according to the OHP report.

Man accuses Arlington police of unjustly using Taser on him

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

ARLINGTON - Police are conducting an internal investigation into a complaint filed Monday by a man alleging that he was unjustly shocked with a Taser outside an Arlington bar by an officer who mistook him for a vehicle theft suspect.

Jonathan Pierce told WFAA that he had gone inside the Rack Daddy's at 844 Secretary Drive to get some money from an automated teller machine and heard a loud crash in the parking lot as he stepped out.

Pierce told the television station that he heard screams and saw a bunch of people running toward the bar's front door, prompting him to head inside the club, too, for his own safety.

Pierce said he was about halfway inside the bar when he was shocked with a Taser by an Arlington police officer, who then jumped on him and ordered him down to the ground. He said the officer handcuffed and took him outside, where they were met by a group of officers who had caught the intended suspect.

He told the news station that the suspect looked nothing like him except that both men were wearing basketball jerseys, albeit from different teams.

Tiara Ellis Richard, an Arlington police spokeswoman, told the Star-Telegram on Monday that officers had been pursuing two suspects who had bailed out of a stolen Honda Accord when the incident occurred in front of Rack Daddy's.

She confirmed that a man was shocked with a Taser by one of the officers, detained, and then released at the scene.

"There was no evidence to suggest that he was involved or (was) the suspect that the officers were pursuing," Richard said.

She said she what prompted the officer to shock the man is being looked at as part of a routine review.

Richard said officers did arrest one man outside the bar. Ronnie Lee Malone, 26, faces a charge of evading arrest, she said.

The second suspect remained at large Monday afternoon, Richard said.

Car Accident | Crash kills one Hereford man, seriously injures another

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Hereford, Texas - One Hereford man is dead and another seriously injured after an early Sunday morning car accident in Deaf Smith County.

DPS Troopers say 24-year-old Raul Guerrero was pronounced dead at the scene on US Highway 60.

According to Troopers, 23-year-old Joe Luis Treadway was driving westbound when his car went off the road, into the median, slid and rolled several times.

Treadway was taken to the hospital with broken bones and internal injuries. Both men were wearing seatbelts.

Man struck and killed by TRE train

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH - A Trinity Railway Express train struck and killed a man sitting on the tracks in north Fort Worth Friday morning.

An unidentified man in his early 40s was sitting on the tracks near Baurline Street at about 9:17 a.m. when he was struck by a TRE train, Fort Worth police spokesman Daniel Segura said.

The man died at the scene, Segura said.

About 60 passengers were on the train at the time and no injuries have been reported, Segura said.

The train originally departed from Union Station in Dallas around 8:30 a.m. and was headed west to the Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Fort Worth from the Richland Hills Station when it struck the man, Hunter said.

The track was cleared at about 11:00 a.m. and passengers were bused to their destinations, TRE spokeswoman Joan Hunter said.

After the incident, other TRE passengers bypassed the area of the tracks by using bus bridges provided by The T, Hunter said.

The TRE and the Federal Railroad Administration will conduct an investigation into the incident, Hunter said.

Car Accident | Fort Worth man dies in fatal wreck

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Fort Worth man is dead after a traffic wreck in west Fort Worth Thursday morning.

Fabian Vallin-Cruz, 22, was driving a Honda Accord east on in the 1600 block of West Biddison Street at about 7:53 a.m. when the car lost control and skidded sideways and slammed into a Ford Mustang driving west, Fort Worth police spokesman Daniel Segura said.

Vallin-Cruz died at the scene, according to a Tarrant County Medical Examiner's report.

The driver of the Mustang was not injured and does not face any charges at this time, Segura said. There were no other passengers in the cars, Segura said.

The Traffic Investigation Unit is investigating the crash, Segura said.

Truck Accident | Granbury woman run over, killed by monster truck at Dallas strip club

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Granbury woman is dead after she was run over at a Dallas strip club early Thursday morning by a custom pickup truck with a lift kit so high the driver told police he couldn't see her.

Kasey McKenzie, 23, was walking through the parking lot of the Spearmint Rhino at 10965 Composite Drive at about 2:18 a.m. when she walked in front of a custom silver Ford F-250 that pulled out of the parking space and ran her over with the front and back tires, according to a Dallas police report.

McKenzie died at the scene, Dallas police spokesman Gerardo Monreal said.

The driver, identified as Eric Crutchfield, 27, of Dallas, told officers that he never saw her and did not know he had run over anything, according to the police report.

Officers arrested Crutchfield on suspicion that he was drunk at the time and he now faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter, Monreal said.

The truck had large tires and a lift kit that raised the frame several feet and limited visibility in the front, Monreal said.

It's not known at this time if McKenzie had worked at the club, Monreal said.

Crutchfield remains in custody in the Dallas County Jail with bail set at $100,000, according to Dallas County Jail records.

Irving student makes miracle recovery from car accident

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

DALLAS - Misael Rico is home with his family after spending more than two months in the hospital, recovering from a serious accident that temporarily left him in a coma.

The six-year-old boy was released from Our Children's House at Baylor Tuesday morning, but before he left, he wanted to say goodbye.

Wearing a cowboy hat and boots, the first-grader walked down the halls, waving, hugging and thanking all the medical team who helped him.

"They are my friends and they help me a lot, and walk," Misael said.

The boy's progress has left his parents overwhelmed with joy.

"My son, he's leaving this place, and he's eating, walking," said Paola Rico, Misael's mother. "It's amazing!"

Paramedics rushed Misael to the hospital on January 13 when a car slammed into him and his mother as they were walking on the sidewalk in front of Farine Elementary School in Irving.

Misael spent 30 days at Children's Medical Center Dallas and was then transferred to Our Children's House.

Three weeks ago, he still faced an uncertain road to recovery.

"He had a very traumatic brain injury with fractures. He wasn't speaking, couldn't swallow effectively, couldn't eat, and he wasn't walking, either," said Dr. Casey Drake. "He just made such a dramatic improvement in just the last three weeks. He exceeded expectations."

Misael still needs more therapy and has to wear an eye patch for his double vision, but he told News 8, he feels great and is anxious to get back to school.

Students, teachers and parents have not forgotten about him. They have raised raised more than $40,000 for his family, because they do not have medical insurance.

Misael's mother also injured her leg in the crash.

The driver involved in the incident was not charged. Police determined it was an accident.

"We don't have the words to say 'thank you' to all the people who were working around Misael - students, parents - around Irving. They were with us," Paola Rico said. "We don't see them in the hospital, but we feel them with us."

Farine Elementary will be holding a "welcome back" pep rally for Misael Monday morning at 8 o'clock.

Denton doctor's license suspended after alleged sexual assault

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

DENTON - A doctor from Denton has had his license temporarily suspended over alleged inappropriate sexual behavior with several patients, read a statement released by the Texas Medical Board Tuesday afternoon.

Four patients reported Dr. Ramon A. Cruz after he allegedly "engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior" with them, the statement read. In at least one case, the patient reported a sexual assault.

A panel with the Texas Medical board made the decision "after determining that Dr. Cruz's continuation in the practice of medicine constitutes a continuing threat to the public welfare."

Auto Insurance Penalties for Driving Under the Influence Proposed in Texas

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Austin, TX - Texans already face relatively strict penalties for driving under the influence that include losing driving privileges, spending at least three days in jail, seeing what can be expected to be dramatic increases in the price of car insurance and having to pay thousands of dollars in fines and legal fees. Legislation introduced this session to the state legislature would add one more penalty to that list.

HB 1020, introduced by state Rep. Sid Miller, would increase by $25,000 the minimum required amounts of Texas liability coverage for drivers convicted of driving under the influence. So motorists convicted of a DUI would not only have to pay more for their existing coverage, but they would also have to increase the minimum amounts of coverage that they carry.

This practice is already in place in some states. Florida auto insurance law, for instance, dramatically increases the minimum amount of liability coverage that motorists must carry if they are convicted of driving under the influence. If a Florida driver has a clean record, he or she is required to carry only $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability. But if that same driver is convicted of a DUI, he or she will also need to buy bodily injury liability coverage that covers at least up to $100,000 for injury or death to one person and $300,000 per accident.

The basic logic behind these measures is that those who have driven drunk have identified themselves through their actions as high-risk car insurance liabilities. And since the steps governments can take to prevent them from driving drunk again are limited, they are trying to make sure that at least any damages that may be caused in the future will be paid for.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, more than 96,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence in the state in 2009.

Source: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/2009CIT.pdf

Source : http://www.emailwire.com/release/59700-Auto-Insurance-Penalties-for-Driving-Under-the-Influence-Proposed-in-Texas.html

Car Accident | Reality TV star Jewel unharmed in terrible car accident

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Reality TV star and singer/songwriter Jewel, two months pregnant, was fortunate to survive a horrifying two-vehicle collision in Texas.

The accident occurred Friday afternoon in Stephenville, Texas, as a fire truck rammed the passenger side of her car.

Jewel's representative said in a statement, "The singer was taken to the hospital and current medical tests conducted indicate that she and the baby are doing fine."

Jewel is married to Ty Murray, a nine-time world champion pro rodeo cowboy who she appeared with on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," the couple live in Texas.

Murray and Jewel were cast in the eighth season of "Dancing" until an injury sidelined Jewel, and she was unable to perform. Her husband made it to fourth place with pro dancer Chelsie Hightower.

Jewel will be seen on Bravo's new reality TV seres, "Going Platinum," a new reality competition for singer-songwriters.

Along with Kara DioGuardi, Jewel will serve on the judging panel.

"Hit songs are the backbone of the music industry, and as a publisher, nothing excites me more than finding new songwriting talent," DioGuardi said in a Bravo press statement. "I am happy to be a part of a show that helps up and coming songwriters pursue their dreams, while giving the public a look into the creative process."

"I am excited to be a part of this show because as a songwriter, I understand the dedication and struggle these musicians are going through," Jewel added. "This series will showcase the passion, talent and determination it requires to become a hit songwriter, and in the end we will find the next big music star."

"Going Platinum's" winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize, a publishing deal and a recording deal with RCA/Jive. The series is currently scheduled to premiere in early summer 2011, according to Bravo.

It is not clear if Jewel will make an appearance at the previously announced SXSW scheduled Bravo panel on March 16, from Broadcast & Cable:

"On March 16, Bravo will host a SXSW panel on 'How to Become the Next Big Hitmaker' featuring Jewel, the host and judge of Platinum Hit, songwriter Evan Bogart, Keith Naftaly, SVP of A&R for RCA/Jive at Sony Music Entertainment and Jenn Levy, Bravo VP of development and production. Bravo will also premiere the first trailer for the show, which debuts in early summer 2011."

Sexual Assault | Texas man accused in brutal 13-day assault

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

CORSICANA, Texas - Jeffrey Allan Maxwell, the former neighbor and rejected suitor of a Texas woman, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault after authorities say he abducted the 62-year-old woman at gunpoint, and then beat her at his home for 13 days.

"This is a horrendous case," Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said in a press release, according to CBS affiliate KTVT. "We are... glad she is getting the treatment necessary to overcome a horrific ordeal."

Maxwell, 58, was arrested Saturday in Navarro County, more than 100 miles from Parker County where the woman was abducted, according to authorities.

Parker County officials, along with the Texas Rangers, began investigating the woman's disappearance March 3 when her house reportedly burned to the ground and she was nowhere to be found.

According to investigators, the woman had been taken from her home at gunpoint, shackled, and repeatedly assaulted, reports KTVT. Officials took the woman to a hospital where she was treated and released. She is currently in protective custody.

Authorities say the woman ran out of Maxwell's house screaming when she was rescued Saturday after a tip led police to the suspect's Corsicana home. Fowler says he doesn't know how much longer the woman could have made it.

Maxwell is being held in Navarro County Jail, but is expected to be transferred to Parker County, where the investigation continues and further charges are pending.

Military officer dies in car accident

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Master Sgt. Jeffrey Campbell died Saturday in a single-car accident in Parker Heights, Texas while traveling back to Texas A&M. He was an active duty non-commissioned officer at A&M teaching military science. During Campbell's tenure as a military officer, he served as a platoon sergeant, Bradley commander and first sergeant.

He has also been in deployments for combat in Iraq. "Master Sgt. Campbell was very passionate about instructing and developing cadets to serve the U.S. Army in the future," said Major Hazard, Campbell's direct supervisor. "It's a frustrating and unfortunate event for me and the entire Corps of Cadets." The Corps of Cadets performed an Echo Taps Tuesday night in Campbell's honor. During the Echo Taps, cadets assemble to formation at the quad.

There will be a memorial ceremony to honor Campbell at 3 p.m. today in Rudder Theatre. The ceremony will feature a 21-gun salute. Between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., there will be multiple occasions where the guns will be fired during the ceremony.

Jackknifed truck blocks 114/121

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A semi-truck jackknifed on Texas 114 and Texas 121 Monday afternoon causing a diesel spill that shut down westbound highway lanes for five hours.

No injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were hit as the truck careened across four lanes of traffic just past Texan Trail in the DFW Connector construction zone. But the accident caused major traffic headaches during rush hour as westbound traffic was diverted to frontage roads.

The truck was traveling in the far right lane at 2:10 p.m. when it hit a crash cushion, which ripped off the fuel tank and ruptured it, said Lt. Todd Dearing, public information officer for Grapevine police.

The driver told police he was trying to stay farther to the right to give cars more room, Dearing said.

"He left the roadway and his truck struck the crash cushion," Dearing said. "When he did that, it ripped off his right-side saddle tank."

The driver lost control and struck the left barrier wall. The jackknifed truck blocked the two left lanes of traffic and fuel spilled across all four lanes. The fuel caught fire, but Grapevine fire crews put it out quickly.

The next several hours were spent waiting for the hazardous materials crews to arrive to clean up the spill, Dearing said.

"It took them a long time to get there," he said.

Selma Stockstill, speaking for the connector project's NorthGate Constructors, said that while the accident blocked drivers, it did not affect construction work except for causing some delay in workers moving around within the project. Work on the driving lanes begins after 8 p.m., she said. By then the accident scene had been cleaned up.

"During the day time, the majority of our work is behind the barriers," Stockstill said.

One-car accident kills passenger, injures driver in Little Elm

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Little Elm woman lost her life Saturday morning in a one-car accident on Eldorado Parkway in front of the post office.

Little Elm resident Anita Reyes, 23, was a passenger in her own 2007 Honda Accord. The car was driven by Michael Johnson, 23, also of Little Elm.

The car came off the Little Elm Bridge eastbound on Eldorado Parkway. It hit the new fire hydrant in front of the post office. The car began to flip over, driver side over passenger side and became airborne. Reyes was thrown clear of the vehicle and was dead at the scene. She was not wearing her seat belt.

Johnson, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported to the hospital by CareFlite. A blood test has been submitted to the Department of Public Safety laboratory in Garland.

Witnesses to the accident state the car was traveling more than 70 mph.

“Any time there is a crash that involves death or serious bodily injury we do a mandatory blood draw. The state of Texas allows us to do that,” Little Elm Police Sgt. Brad Wilcox said.

Wilcox said he suspects the accident was alcohol-related.

The accident is under investigation pending the results of the blood test. Johnson has not been charged with anything.

“I can't think of a more perfect example of how a seat belt would have saved a life,” Wilcox said.

Reyes' death is the first traffic fatality in Little Elm this year. Last year there was only one traffic fatality in Little Elm. That death resulted from a motorcycle accident on U.S. Highway 380.

One victim of van crash is identified

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

HALTOM CITY -- One of the three victims in a fatal crash on Airport Freeway has been identified as a 42-year-old Fort Worth man, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's website on Sunday.

Kenneth Johnson, 42, was a passenger in the van that crashed at about 4 p.m. Friday. He died from blunt-force trauma and his death was ruled an accident, according to the website. An official with the medical examiner's office said that the release of the identities of the other two victims -- a man and a woman -- was pending notification of relatives.

The three people killed and seven injured in the one-vehicle accident had apparently been hired for the day to distribute advertisements door to door, and they were being transported in a van without seats or seat belts when the driver lost control and hit a tree.

There was no information Sunday on the seven people injured in the accident.

The six men and one woman injured were taken to two Fort Worth hospitals.

3 dead in wreck on Airport Freeway in Haltom City

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

HALTOM CITY -- Three people have died and five other passengers from a cargo van have been taken to area hospitals after a one-vehicle wreck on Airport Freeway near Haltom Road.
The van's driver lost control about 4 p.m. Friday while southbound on Airport Freeway, left the roadway and hit a tree between Haltom Road and Carson Street, police said.
The southbound lanes of the service road and all but one southbound lane on Airport Freeway have been closed until further notice, said Sgt. Eric Peters, a Haltom City police spokesman.

3 dead in wreck on Airport Freeway in Haltom City

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

HALTOM CITY -- Three people have died and five other passengers from a cargo van have been taken to area hospitals after a one-vehicle wreck on Airport Freeway near Haltom Road.

The van's driver lost control about 4 p.m. Friday while southbound on Airport Freeway, left the roadway and hit a tree between Haltom Road and Carson Street, police said.

The southbound lanes of the service road and all but one southbound lane on Airport Freeway have been closed until further notice, said Sgt. Eric Peters, a Haltom City police spokesman.

Source : http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/04/2897015/3-dead-in-wreck-on-airport-freeway.html#ixzz1FftCW7M1

Fort Campbell soldier accused of rape awaits his release

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Fort Campbell soldier who allegedly raped another soldier in his company can get out of jail whenever a superior officer comes to pick him up, a judge ruled last week. But eight days after the judge’s ruling, the soldier still waits behind bars.

Deltwon Ferguson, 21, who lived in Texas before moving to Fort Campbell’s barracks, was indicted in November on a first-degree rape charge. The indictment remained sealed until Oak Grove police arrested Ferguson on Feb. 11.

The indictment indicates that Ferguson raped a woman in July 2009, “while she was physically helpless.” Attorneys confirmed in court Wednesday that the victim belonged to Ferguson’s company. The Army later moved him to a different company, but not because of the rape accusation, said Brian Hill, the Clarksville, Tenn., attorney defending Ferguson.

Ferguson and the victim have each been deployed since the incident, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kathi Adams said in court.

Three days after Ferguson’s arrest, Hill asked to have him released to his commanding officer. The unit would give Ferguson a room in the barracks and restrict him from leaving post, Hill wrote in his motion.

Christian Circuit Judge Andrew Self granted the motion on Feb. 16. But because no one has come for Ferguson, Hill requested Wednesday to have him released without an officer’s help, Adams protested.

“It sounds like they don’t want to vouch for him,” she said of Ferguson’s unit.

“I don’t care if they vouch for him, as long as they control him,” Self replied.

Both attorneys agreed to check with Ferguson’s unit and discuss the case again on March 2.

Texas DPS urges spring breakers to avoid Mexico because of drug cartel violence

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

In light of the continued drug cartel violence raging in Mexico , particularly the border areas, the Texas Department of Public Safety has put out an advisory urging folks to think twice before heading across the Rio Grande to whoop it up on Spring Break.

They're particularly urging caution to those thinking of hitting Falcon Lake, which straddles the Texas-Mexico border, where David Hartley was killed last fall. Authorities are still trying to identify his killers.

Two weeks ago, the American embassy in Mexico put out a similar alert after the cartel murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata.

Of course, as in past years, some revelers won't heed the warnings.

Click below to read today's travel advisory from the DPS.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is urging Spring Breakers to avoid traveling to Mexico because of continued violence--and reminding boaters to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake.
Falcon Lake has been the scene of several robberies and a U.S. citizen's murder, and DPS is again warning boaters to steer clear of the Mexican side of the lake. Cartel activity remains high in that area.

"While drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it is prominent in other parts of the country as well," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw. "Various crime problems also exist in many popular resort areas, such as Acapulco and Cancun, and crimes against U.S citizens often go unpunished."

So far this year, an ICE agent was killed and another injured in a suspected ambush near San Luis Potosi February 15. Two El Paso teens were gunned down February 5 in Ciudad Juarez. In January, a Texas missionary was shot in the head when she and her husband ran an illegal road block in Nuevo Leon.

In addition to U.S citizens killed so far this year, preliminary figures show as many as 65 Americans were killed in Mexico in 2010. Kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and carjacking also are threats in parts of Mexico. Suspects have not been prosecuted in many of the cases. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Mexican citizens have died in drug-related violence since 2006, and the violence shows no signs of abating

"Drug violence has not discriminated--innocent bystanders and people who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time are among the casualties. Underestimating the violence in Mexico would be a mistake for parents and students," said McCraw. "Our safety message is simple: avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."

DPS acknowledges that many travel to Mexico without incident, but the risks cannot be ignored. Travelers are encouraged to carefully research any planned trips.

Travelers should always check the U.S. State Department website for the most up-to-date information related to security issues in Mexico.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through their website.

Texas DPS urges spring breakers to avoid Mexico because of drug cartel violence

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two weeks ago, the American embassy in Mexico put out a similar alert after the cartel murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata.

Of course, as in past years, some revelers won't heed the warnings.

Click below to read today's travel advisory from the DPS.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is urging Spring Breakers to avoid traveling to Mexico because of continued violence--and reminding boaters to stay on the U.S. side of Falcon Lake.

Falcon Lake has been the scene of several robberies and a U.S. citizen's murder, and DPS is again warning boaters to steer clear of the Mexican side of the lake. Cartel activity remains high in that area.

"While drug cartel violence is most severe in northern Mexico, it is prominent in other parts of the country as well," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw. "Various crime problems also exist in many popular resort areas, such as Acapulco and Cancun, and crimes against U.S citizens often go unpunished."

So far this year, an ICE agent was killed and another injured in a suspected ambush near San Luis Potosi February 15. Two El Paso teens were gunned down February 5 in Ciudad Juarez. In January, a Texas missionary was shot in the head when she and her husband ran an illegal road block in Nuevo Leon.

In addition to U.S citizens killed so far this year, preliminary figures show as many as 65 Americans were killed in Mexico in 2010. Kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and carjacking also are threats in parts of Mexico. Suspects have not been prosecuted in many of the cases. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Mexican citizens have died in drug-related violence since 2006, and the violence shows no signs of abating

"Drug violence has not discriminated--innocent bystanders and people who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time are among the casualties. Underestimating the violence in Mexico would be a mistake for parents and students," said McCraw. "Our safety message is simple: avoid traveling to Mexico during Spring Break and stay alive."

DPS acknowledges that many travel to Mexico without incident, but the risks cannot be ignored. Travelers are encouraged to carefully research any planned trips.

Travelers should always check the U.S. State Department website for the most up-to-date information related to security issues in Mexico.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Mexico are urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through their website.

Fires Wreak Havoc in Texas

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

A Texas wildfire destroyed 60 homes on Monday, burning 130,000 acres, and resulting in an accident in which a 5-year-old died. The fire broke out on Sunday, and state forestry officials believe it was originally caused by power lines that fell due to gusting winds.

The Texas Forest Service assisted local fire departments in handling 63 fires which covered 132,854 acres, most of which occurred across the Texas Panhandle. According to Potter Country Sheriff Brian Thomas, a 61,000-acre fire was ignited in his county by a man who cut a pipe with a metal grinder in spite of soaring winds. The man, Austin Lynn Stephens, 52, was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing because he had used the grinder on private property.

35,000-acres were affected in Matador West in Motley County and the fire also spread across 21,000-acres in Andrews County. The counties of Haskell, Tom Green, Randall, Howard, Midland, Scurry, Crockett, Mitchell, and Eastland, were also casualties of the inferno.

Due to smoke-induced limited visibility, Interstate 20 was shut down for many hours on Sunday. According to Sgt. Pete Cordova, the thick, dark smoke resulted in many accidents on the highway, including an eight-vehicle pileup, where a 5-year-old girl was killed; she is so far, the only known human casualty.

Lewis Kearney, the forest service's Texas State Lone Star Incident Management Team spokesperson, said the high winds made it extremely difficult for firefighters to contain the flames.

A family of seven in Matador lost their home to the fire after being gone only 20 minutes and returning to a desperate, chaotic neighborhood.

"I'm glad our family wasn't home when it happened," Rosemary Segovia, owner of the home, said to CNN associate KCBD.

"That's all I care about is I have my family," said Segovia before she cried in her husband’s arms.

A dog kennel near Amarillo was destroyed by the fire, and authorities are still trying to account for animals that are missing or dead. Some animals were saved from incineration by firefighters who were able to free them just in time.

Deputy Kevin Parvin scarcely avoided danger by evacuating a burning home he was searching. Upon exiting the house, smoke was so thick that he could not find his patrol car. Parvin later located it by radioing his police station and listening for the sounds of a car engine. He was then treated at a hospital for minor smoke inhalation.

Why Texas Needs True Loser Pay Litigation

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

The case for true loser pay litigation is clear, unequivocal and compelling.

Everyone has heard of the famous "McDonald's hot coffee case" and even though most are not aware of the real facts surrounding that case, it stands for the proposition in most people's minds that people get money for frivolous lawsuits.

On top of the seemingly unlimited press given to "tort reform" advocates most people feel that our court system is burdened by frivolous lawsuits and less than meritorious claims.

In Texas, there is another sad truth to the tort reform story.

The reality of Texas's civil justice system after tort reform is that innocent victims with legitimate and compelling claims against wrongdoers or their own insurance company are being penalized and more and more often, forced to hire lawyers and file expensive lawsuits just to get any part of fairness.

Why is that the case? Because tort reform has given the insurance companies a green light to force expensive litigation on Texas families by mounting frivolous defenses without adverse consequences to the insurance company. Too most now have "employee" attorneys defend the case in an effort to reduce their litigation costs while at the same time running up the cost to the victim.

The frivolous defense that is used each and every day in Texas by many insurers has the effect of radically increasing costs to Texas families just to obtain basic, fundamental fairness.

It costs you 15,000 to replace your car with another just like it but the insurance company says 11,500. Don't like it- sue us!

Claims that should have been fairly resolved when made are now forced intolitigation or the Texas consumer takes the loss. Why- because while Texas regulates victims in their claims- it gives insurance companies a green light in forcing expensive litigation on Texas families.

Some large insurance companies have taken the position that they would rather pay for frivolous defenses to run up the cost for legitimate claims (and thus deter other legitimate claims) than enter into reasonable negotiations or settlement of a meritorious claim with a Texas family with out an attorney.

The effects are that drunk drivers, criminals and irresponsible parties are,thorough their insurers, mounting frivolous defenses, making more and more lawsuits necessary. Texas after tort reform has a frivolous lawsuit problem and it is frivolous defenses by insurance companies.

Texas needs true loser pay lawsuits.

If a victim takes an unreasonable or frivolous position and loses the case then they should be required to pay the litigation expenses of the defendant. On the other hand, if your insurance company takes an unreasonable position with you and you get more at trial than you asked them for-and they refused to pay-they should have to pay your litigation expenses that they made you incur by denying the claim.

In effect, with real loser pay litigation, anyone taking a frivolous position will be penalized and the meritorious claims or defenses will be recognized and our courts will not be clogged with cases that should have been resolved without litigation or should not have been brought at all.

True loser pay lawsuits will hold everyone accountable and reduce frivolous claims and defenses and will benefit Texas families and our community.

Mandatory Minimum Liability Coverage for Auto Policies Increases in Texas

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 25, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Texans may have recently noticed their automobile insurance premiums rise. As of January 1, 2011, the state has increased the mandatory minimum liability coverage for auto policies.

Jerry Hagins of the Department of Insurance said policy holders should see an increase of about two to three percent on their policy. Charles Law, an insurance agent, told KBTX that most customers would see about a $40 increase per year on their motor vehicle insurance.

Minimum Auto Liability Coverage

The Texas Department of Insurance reported that liability coverage needed to increase because the previous liability limits no longer paid for all expenses after an automobile accident. Minimum liability coverage rates had not been adjusted since 1983. This new increase was called for in a 2007 law which directed increases in January 2011.

In Texas, liability insurance provides coverage for some or all of the medical expenses of the driver who is not at fault in an auto accident; this coverage is also used to make payments to repair or replace the vehicle of the driver who is not at fault. The at-fault driver is not covered by liability insurance for medical bills or property damage. Unless there is other insurance in place, the at-fault driver is responsible for his or her medical and property repair expenses out-of-pocket.

Previously, drivers were required to carry 25/50/25 coverage - or minimum liability limits of $25,000 for each injured person and $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. Those minimum limits have now been increased to $30,000 for each insured person and $60,000 per accident; property damage limits remain at $25,000.

Protecting Texas Auto Accident Victims

Consumer group Texas Watch supports the increase in coverage, saying that drivers should be sure their insurance policies are sufficient to completely cover their liability if they are in an accident.

Jeff Weinstein, a car and truck wreck lawyer, agreed that this is a good move in the right direction. A simple car wreck can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills and, in many cases, $30,000 does not even go very far today in paying all the expenses that an innocent victim can incur from a simple car wreck. Wrecks that cause more serious injuries or even death can easily exceed these minimum limits. Weinstein says that not only should families consider raising liability limits above the minimum, they should also consider raising uninsured motorist limits to account for the one in five Texans that are driving without any liability insurance.

The insurance industry appears to be largely satisfied as well. Mark Hanna of the Insurance Council of Texas says the additional coverage insulates motorists from the increases in the costs of automobile repair and emergency medical services.

However, Justin Weaver, an auto policy holder, lamented to KBTX that he already pays enough bills and was not looking forward to rate hikes if he would not see a direct benefit. For some though, there are other considerations. Eric Marion said in a difficult economy, he is not taking any chances. "I have full coverage because I have a little girl," and "[a] lot of people don't even have liability on the road."

Industry data indicates that roughly 7.5 million, or half, of all Texas vehicles are minimally insured with liability coverage, and approximately 20 percent are uninsured. Uninsured drivers risk financial ruin from a serious car accident. Even those with minimum liability coverage can face personal liability after policy limits are exceeded if there are extensive injuries, more than one accident victim or substantial property damage.

Underinsured or uninsured motorists also pose a financial threat to other drivers. Unless the uninsured driver has the ability to pay for medical expenses or property damage, the victim may initially have to look to his or her own insurance or own finances to cover bills. Anna Eicher knows well how quickly a liability policy limit may be usurped. A single accident in 2008 left three dead and 12 injured, including Eicher, an Amish woman who refused to sue the distracted truck driver who caused the crash. The carrier's liability insurance limit of $1 million was quickly reached and exceeded because of the large accident. Although the medical center wrote off her hospital fees, which totaled more than $23,000, as a charity deduction, she still ended up owing thousands to a radiology group and chiropractor.

Those who have been in a car accident should contact a motor vehicle accident lawyer to discuss the crash. There are important investigative, evaluative and legal steps to take in order to protect any claim for damages that may exist. Compensation for immediate and ongoing medical expenses will allow an accident victim to concentrate on treatment and healing.

Mandatory Minimum Liability Coverage for Auto Policies Increases in Texas

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Former youth minister indicted in sex assault of Plano girl, 15

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

A former youth ministry director has been indicted on charges of sexual assault involving a 15-year-old girl he met at church.

Matthew Jonas Overstreet, 26, faces three counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. All are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Overstreet has worked at several North Texas churches. Plano police say Overstreet met the girl in 2007, when he was a youth-group intern at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano.

After he left the church later that year, he started sending “sexual remarks” to the girl via Facebook and text message, according to documents.

The girl told police that Overstreet came to her house at 3 a.m. Dec. 19, 2009, and had sex with her in her bedroom. She was 15 at the time. Police arrested Overstreet last March. He is free on $15,000 bail.

Overstreet also spent two years as youth director at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Garland. Before his arrest, he worked at Spring Valley United Methodist Church in Far North Dallas.

Pentagon, Peace Corps Face Similar Charges of Covering Up Rape, Sexual Assault

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Two recent reports from major news organizations suggest that women’s safety is not a priority for both the Pentagon and the U.S. Peace Corps.

NBC reported Tuesday on a lawsuit that seventeen former and current members of the U.S. military filed against the Pentagon, claiming that their rape and sexual assault charges made against fellow service members were never seriously addressed. Of the women filing the lawsuit, none of their alleged attackers have been convicted, as all charges were either never pursued or dropped. At least one woman filing the lawsuit was forced to work in the same office as her alleged rapist, even after reporting the incident. Another, after gaining weight due to depression associated with rape, was assigned to a weight loss program of which her alleged rapist was in charge.

The women’s descriptions of rape and sexual assault by fellow service members are egregious, and their responses of depression, loneliness, and fear—typical of sexual violence survivors—were amplified by their surroundings while on active duty.

The Pentagon itself has been frank about the fact that sexual assault within the troops is both increasing and underreported. In fiscal year 2009, reports of sexual abuse increased 11 percent from the prior year, while the Pentagon acknowledged that most cases go unreported and of those reported cases, less than 25 percent are criminally prosecuted.

Last month, ABC News broke the story of over 1,000 women who reported rape and sexual assault while serving with the U.S. Peace Corps, and the subsequent victim blaming and mishandling of their cases by Peace Corps officials.

In an interview, one former Corps volunteer recounts how a group of village men gang raped her, and upon reporting the traumatic incident, she received counseling approved by the Corps about what she must do differently to avoid rape. Other former Corps members reported pleading with Corps officials to change their locations after having been raped, and never hearing back. More than one female Corps member has been murdered while serving, with the Corps typically handing prosecution over to the host country’s judicial system, which has resulted in virtually no convictions. Similar to women who experience rape while on active duty, Peace Corps members’ status as cultural outsiders with little legal recourse increases the trauma associated with sexual violence.

Both stories are completely anger inducing, and unfortunately responses from the Pentagon and the Peace Corps haven’t been all that placating. Major General David Quantock, commanding general of the Missouri Army post, commented that “young kids make mistakes, but they have to understand that in the Army, those mistakes … will not be tolerated.”

I’m not entirely sure Quantock knows what rape is, because I’m sure he’d be convinced that forcibly penetrating someone is, by definition, an intentional, violent act and therefore not a mistake. In ABC’s report, the Peace Corps denied any comment, stating that they couldn’t comment on open investigations. However, two Representatives—Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Rep. Rohrabacher (R-California)—have pledged to investigate the Peace Corps procedures around sexual violence as part of the House sub-committee on Oversight and Investigations.

The parallels in these two stories are shocking and underline the same point: women’s lives and bodies aren’t taken seriously in either the Pentagon or Peace Corps. Organizations that by some measures couldn’t be more dissimilar share, it seems, far too much when it comes to delegitimizing women’s experiences, perpetuating sexist and violent working environments, and ignoring their needs for urgent medical and mental healthcare.

Women are more likely to be raped by a fellow officer than to be killed by enemy fire, yet rape is not taken seriously within the Armed Forces nor are women allowed to serve in some frontline positions. The logic is befuddling at best and baldly misogynistic at worst. One positive takeaway, however, is that these brave women are speaking out publically, giving voice to so many others’ experiences and bringing much-needed media attention to their claims. As we watch the Congressional hearings on the Peace Corps unfold, as well as the lawsuit against the Pentagon, let’s hope that those women and the tens of thousands like them will find the justice they deserve.

Semi Truck Accident Statistics Continue to Rise in U.S. for 2010

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The statistics are out for 2010 for Semi Truck, Tractor Trailer, and Commercial Vehicle accidents in the U.S. And the numbers continue to go up. In 2010 over 500,000 Large Truck and Commercial Vehicles were involved in accidents; with over 100,000 people sustaining serious injuries, and over 5000 people dying in these crashes. This was compared to only 3200 deaths involving large trucks in 2009, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Don't expect these numbers to "flatten out" in the near future as over 20% more Trucks are expected to hit the roads by 2012. One industry that tracks Semi Truck Accident statistics is the Legal Funding Industry, who have seen a large spike in Semi Truck Accident Lawsuit Funding due to these increases.

Legal-Bay LLC, is an industry leader in assisting Semi Truck Accident victims with much needed Lawsuit Funding to obtain cash before their cases settle. Legal-Bay's CEO, Dave Kole, commented on the statistics, "We have seen a large increase in plaintiffs seeking a lawsuit cash advance for commercial vehicle accidents recently. The problem is alarming since the more accidents that continue to occur, the more lawsuits are then filed, and the more backed up the court systems get. It is a problem for everyone across the board, since insurance companies in these types of cases are very slow to settle. However, most affected by this are the many innocent accident victims who have been seriously injured by commercial vehicles and desperately need lawsuit funding just to pay for basic living needs. Unfortunately, these statistics are troubling for accident victims since the trend only seems to be going higher and higher each year."

Many safety groups have called for the U.S. DOT to increase safety regulations to stem the death toll due to the increasing high number of Semi Truck, Tractor Trailer, and Commercial Vehicle Accidents that continue to rise year over year. This is especially true in large states with large commercial truck traffic such as: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

Source : http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/semi-truck-accident-statistics-continue-to-rise-in-us-for-2010-116668889.html

Ex-Rams player Terrell jailed in Texas City rape

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

GALVESTON — Former St. Louis Rams guard and La Marque football all-star Claude Terrell is accused of beating and forcing sex on a Texas City woman at gunpoint during a seven-hour ordeal, Texas City police said on Thursday.

Terrell, released by the Rams in 2007 after his arrest on charges of assaulting his wife, was arrested Monday night in Houston, Texas City police spokesman Cpt. Brian Goetschius said.

Terrell was arrested Nov. 19 on charges of assaulting the same woman, he said. No attorney had been appointed to represent Terrell on the latest charges.

The woman, whose name is being withheld because she is a sexual assault victim, was attacked Monday after dropping her children off at school and returning to her Texas City apartment at about 8:30 a.m., Goetschius said.

Terrell, 28, was waiting for her when she arrived and had found her .38-caliber handgun, he said.

Terrell is accused of beating and sexually assaulting her until about 3:30 p.m., Goetschius said.

"It was a day full of terror and torment," he said.

Police received a call about 5 p.m. from Mainland Medical Center, where they found the badly bruised woman, he said.

At the request of prosecutors, Terrell's $25,000 bail for the Nov. 19 assault was revoked Thursday, then doubled to $50,000, Galveston County Assistant District Attorney James Haugh said.

Terrell remains in the Galveston County jail with bail set at $600,000 on the latest charges: burglary with intended sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, each a felony carrying a sentence of from five to 99 years imprisonment or life. He also is charged with enhanced family violence with a sentence ranging from two to 10 years.

Terrell is serving three years probation from Harris County for a 2007 family assault charge, Haugh said.

Lawmaker proposes eliminating slower night time, truck speed limits

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

AUSTIN, Texas – While Texas already has some of the highest speed limits in the country, one state lawmaker argues sending them even higher could save the state money.

"It just doesn't make sense to drop down,” said State Rep. Gary Elkins, R-Houston, who believes the black-and-white nighttime speed limit signs on Texas highways are a relic Texas should leave in its rear-view mirror.

“With the new technology on the headlights, with the halogen, cars can drive safely at 75 miles per hour at night,” he said.

The speed limits on most rural highways would go up to 75 day and night. The speed limit on I-10 between Kerr County and El Paso County would remain at 80; the highest legal speed limit in the country, which would be in affect 24 hours a day.

Heavily populated cities and counties, however, would still have the authority to set a lower limit on highways, meaning the speed limit on parts of I-35 in Austin might not change.

Elkins said his bill will not cost the state anything. In fact he said it could actually save the state come cash. As the nighttime speed limit signs age, he says the Texas Department of Transportation just should not replace them.

"When we only have to make one sign instead of two or three at each posting,” he said. “It’ll save the state millions of dollars for all those signs all over the state.”

Elkins' bill would also do away with lower speed limits for trucks. In many parts of the state, big rig drivers can legally go no faster than 60 miles per hour.

However, a change in the speed limit for trucks would not necessarily mean a change in speed for trucks.

"Just because the speed limit's there, doesn't mean he needs to run that fast," said truck driver Gary Babbitt.

The Rowlett trucker says he has safely driven 4.2 million miles over the last 40 years – most of them in Texas. He and other industry leaders were giving a trucking safety presentation on the Capitol grounds.

“You want that mile per gallon to last you as long as it can. Once you start topping 65, you’re not getting the most efficient use of your fuel," said John Esparza, president of the Texas Motor Transportation Association.

Data from the Federal Highway Administration indicated as speed limits go up, so does the number of deadly accidents.

Texas Budget Cuts Could Affect Domestic Violence Victims

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Victims of sexual assault and domestic violence met with state lawmakers in Austin Monday, asking that they not cut funding for those services even in tight budget times.

Leandra Krueger says those services helped her recover from what happened to her five years ago today.

“It was them that helped me learn to trust again, to laugh again, to enjoy my life, something he took from me,” she said. “He robbed me of the joy that I once had with my children, with my family.”

Krueger was sexually assaulted while she was heavily sedated by her doctor in an exam room. She says her recovery wouldn’t have happened without those services supported in part by state funding.

Why Not Cap Malpractice Premiums or Insurance Company Profits Rather Than Victim Awards

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Representative Phil Gingrey has introduced legislation "to limit medical malpractice awards, arguing that such cases are often frivolous." There is considerable debate as to whether or not medical malpractice awards have any appreciable effect upon national health care costs and the extent to which "frivolous" claims contribute to that cost. But for the purpose of this discussion I am prepared to accept that there are frivolous suits and that they add to the overall cost. Under what other circumstances would we punish persons who have legitimate claims because others have filed frivolous ones? Do we reduce Medicare payments to honest doctors because others have made fraudulent claims? I suspect that Medicare fraud claims both in number and amount exceed frivolous malpractice claims a thousand fold.

The medical profession should be reminded that no medical malpractice case is begun or survives without one of its own members confirming that the defendant doctor or hospital is guilty of malpractice. Lawyers do not make those decisions; doctors do.

As to lawyers, Dr. Gingrey also argues that the system "allows law firms to reap huge percentages of rewards instead of the injured parties who need them the most." If that is truly a concern of the legislation, here is an easy answer to that: Require that the carrier (the doctor) pay the victim's legal fees! Then the victim will receive full recovery. It is difficult to understand how reducing the lawyers fees will, in turn, reduce the amount of awards, since the fee is predicated upon the amount of the award. It likewise merely seems to be a way to punish and discourage lawyers from bringing such suits. (Incidentally, who pays the lawyers for all of those suits that result in judgments for the defendant-doctor? They cannot all be frivolous.)

I recognize that it is an undisputed fact that doctors are giving up or changing the nature of their practice due to rising malpractice insurance premiums. But to me the idea of punishing those with legitimate claims and reducing the awards they would otherwise receive hardly seems a fair way to address the problem. The courts have a mechanism for dealing with excessive verdicts that has the merit of deciding them on a case-by-case basis predicated upon the evidence rather than some arbitrary cap. Better to place a cap on malpractice premiums and require the carriers to justify increases rather than reduce the compensation of those who have been injured. Of the three involved, the victim of malpractice, the doctor or hospital guilty of malpractice and the carrier insuring that guilty doctor or hospital, the victim should not be the first, but rather the last, to be punished.

Prosecution rests in youth prison sex abuse case

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

LUBBOCK, Texas — The prosecution rested Wednesday in the trial of a former principal at a Texas juvenile prison accused of sexually abusing inmates in 2004 and 2005.

Prosecutors called more than a dozen witnesses, including the five young men who say they were abused by John Paul Hernandez in darkened classrooms and closets at the West Texas State School in Pyote.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, including one sexual assault charge. His attorney has said the inmates made up the allegations so they would be released from the facility, which closed last summer.

Prosecutors alleged that Hernandez, 45, and Ray Brookins, a former administrator at the school, gave inmates special treatment, candy and promises of financial aid before sexually abusing them. A 2005 report from Texas Rangers investigators said the two summoned young male inmates from their dorms late at night and from classrooms and took them to ball fields, darkened conference rooms, closets or storage units and offices for sexual encounters.

Brookins was sentenced last April to 10 years in prison.

The allegations of abuse and subsequent investigations prompted the resignations or firings of several top state officials responsible for overseeing the state's juvenile prison system, and upended the Texas Youth Commission. It led to accusations of a cover-up, reports exposing lax medical care, beatings, and a culture of retaliation against whistle-blowers. Lawmakers eventually ordered an overhaul of the system.

During the eight days of the prosecution's case, several of the alleged victims cried on the stand while describing their alleged encounters with Hernandez. They testified they did not tell anyone at the prison about the alleged abuse because they were embarrassed and feared retaliation.

One alleged victim eventually told a corrections officer he was abused but then denied his story when he was summoned to Brookins' office in October 2004, a few months before Texas Rangers began their investigation.

Authorities said the cases against Brookins and Hernandez were investigated separately because they had different accusers.

The Associated Press generally doesn't identify victims of sexual abuse.

Several teachers at the school at the time of the alleged abuse testified that they warned Hernandez about being behind closed doors with inmates alone after finding him in such situations.

Hernandez's family members have been in the gallery each day since the trial began Feb. 7.

Walk like Madd Event

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Walk like MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s signature walk, is a fun, community-driven 5k walk that raises funds and awareness to support MADD’s life-saving mission to eliminate drunk driving, prevent underage drinking and support victims and their families.

JOIN A WALK in your city. Noteboom Law Firm Supports this Event find out more by visiting www.noteboom.com and clicking the link.

Dallas County deputy constable loses sex harassment suit against county, wins judgment against harasser

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Lois Martin, a Dallas County deputy constable, won a judgment on Friday of $35,000 against a former deputy who she says sexually harassed her for about eight months in 2008.

But the federal jury also ruled that Dallas County was not liable for the actions of the deputy, Mario Guevara. The county had argued that it took immediate action in the form of an investigation as soon as Martin reported the abuse.

Guevara, who spent nearly two decades as a Texas Parks and Wildlife officer, resigned from the county in October 2008 -- the same day Martin filed a harassment complaint with the county. He now works as a peace officer in the Fort Worth city marshal's office, state records show.

Martin joined the Precinct 5 constable office in 2002. In early 2008, the new constable, Jaime Cortes, transferred her to the office's civil division where she was to be trained by Guevara, a Cortes crony, court records show.

Shortly after Cortes took office, he "implemented his version of the spoils system" and her dream job "turned into a nightmare," Martin said in a motion.

Martin claimed in her suit that Guevara began making sexual advances towards her almost immediately and that it happened several times a week. He tried to touch her and told her "she looked fine and had a nice butt," the lawsuit said. Guevara also said he wanted to give her a massage and made repeated suggestive remarks about her body and her smell, court records show.

Martin says she told Guevara she was happily married but that the harassment continued after Guevara was no longer supervising her.

Cortes hired Guevara, who Martin claims is a close personal friend, four months after Cortes was appointed in 2007 to replace Mike Dupree, who resigned in the midst of a scandal. Cortes promoted Guevara to sergeant about eight months after hiring him, the lawsuit said.

Martin, who had to take medical leave due to stress, said she feared retaliation if she reported the harassment to Cortes -- especially if she didn't have proof. But after Guevara sent her inappropriate text messages, Martin reported it in October 2008 to human resources, records show, and Guevara resigned immediately.

Martin said the retaliation she feared soon began and she found herself being investigated for such things as parking in a no-parking area. Martin filed a grievance with the county and was later moved to another precinct.

The jury reached its decision after a week-long trial. It awarded $25,000 in damages and $10,000 in pain and mental anguish.

Martin and two other deputies had filed a petition to remove Cortes from office about one year ago, accusing him of misconduct, criminal conduct, retaliation, incompetence, official oppression and misuse of county property.

Cortes resigned last summer. Beth Villarreal, who defeated him in the Democratic primary last year, was appointed to serve out the remainder of his term before her term started in January.

Martin remains at the Precinct 2 constable's office.

House Of Yahweh: A Darker Sect Than FLDS

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Behind guarded, ornate gates at the end of a rural road, a self-proclaimed prophet warns his followers about the end of time and rails against a dangerous and unclean world outside their West Texas compound.

The women are covered in long skirts and long-sleeve shirts. Many of the children have different mothers and share the same father.

But this isn't the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' ranch, which authorities raided last month in Eldorado after receiving reports that underage girls were being forced to marry much older men.

This is the House of Yahweh: a different, even darker sect that the state has been investigating for years. Authorities in February charged the group's 73-year-old leader with performing polygamous weddings and forcing about 40 children - some as young as 11 - to work jobs at his 44-acre compound.

"If a bunch of adults want to get together and follow some con man and throw their lives away, that's their right in this country," said Callahan County District Attorney Shane Deel. "But to me, when you do that to children and they don't have a chance, that's where the biggest concern is."

If convicted on the most serious charges, Yisrayl Hawkins faces up to 20 years in prison.

Another sect leader, Yedidiyah Hawkins, goes to court this summer on charges of sexually abusing a teenager, bigamy and welfare fraud.

Questions have also been raised about at least two deaths within the sect.

A 7-year-old died in 2003 after her mother and another member performed home surgery on her infected leg. Both women were convicted of injury to a child.

And in 2006, a woman bled to death after giving birth because she was prevented from going to the hospital, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by her husband.

Although members deny they practice polygamy, former members say Yisrayl Hawkins has at least two dozen wives - and state records show he fathered two babies last year with women ages 19 and 22.

Yisrayl Hawkins, who has pleaded not guilty in his criminal case, told The Associated Press that he and his church are misunderstood and persecuted because of their religious beliefs.

"We have nothing to hide," said the bearded, white-haired Hawkins, who declined to address specific allegations against him and his sect.

The House of Yahweh compound, about 120 miles northeast of the FLDS ranch, has wind generators, a cafeteria, a food-processing plant and dozens of tractor-trailer rigs holding canned goods. It also has a few stores carrying homemade toiletries and clothing.

Unlike the FLDS members who stay on the 1,700-acre ranch, most House of Yahweh followers live in mobile homes surrounding the sect's compound, which is occupied only by a few caretakers. Other members own homes nearby or live in trailer parks owned by Hawkins in Abilene.

"Anyone can come here and can leave at any time," Hawkins said.

After the April 3 raid on the FLDS ranch, Child Protective Services took more than 460 children into custody.

Child-welfare officials said they cannot comment on possible investigations of House of Yahweh members unless youngsters have been removed. Only one such case has occurred: Four children living in Yedidiyah Hawkins' home are now in foster care.

Yisrayl Hawkins was born Buffalo Bill Hawkins but legally changed his name. He founded the House of Yahweh in 1980 - three years after the former Abilene police officer was fired for having beer in his patrol car. The group moved to rural Clyde several years later so they would have room to celebrate weeklong Old Testament feasts.

Hawkins began preaching polygamy in the early 1990s, saying women had to accept it or leave and forfeit heaven, several former members said.

"It's definitely a cult that follows mind-control techniques," said Miryam Martin, a House of Yahweh member from 1986 to 2000. "So many people's lives have been destroyed by what's been going on over there."

But Tanah Hawkins, a member for 20 years, said its Scripture-based beliefs offer something missing in mainstream churches. She blames disgruntled former members for the criminal investigations.

"When people leave the House of Yahweh, they go out and feed the rumors and add more lies," she said. "But I actually pray for them."

The sect claims to have hundreds of members scattered worldwide. One group in Kenya gained international attention in 2006 by building nuclear fallout shelters, believing Hawkins' apocalyptic prophecy.

Former members describe Hawkins as a zealot whose teachings are a blend of Old Testament directives on diet and cleanliness, New Testament beliefs in Jesus, and Hawkins' own prophecies rooted in the Book of Revelation.

Hundreds of his followers have legally changed their last names to Hawkins - including Yedidiyah and Tanah. Many have taken biblical first names that - like their leader's - include the letter "y."

Some former members also say Hawkins' followers tithe nearly a third of their incomes to the church. Many purchase the church's organically grown food, herbal drinks and dairy products, believing similar items available elsewhere are "unclean."

Public records show Yisrayl Hawkins owns at least $2.1 million in land, housing and mobile homes.

Nowhere is his influence more apparent than in the sect's 1,200-seat warehouse-like sanctuary, where a dozen poster-size pictures of Hawkins adorn the front wall.

Worshippers must first remove their shoes, and feet and hands are then sprayed with disinfectant before they come in. Men and women are seated on separate sides of an 8-foot wall dividing the sanctuary. Women wear long clothing and veils for modesty, and everyone wears gloves for cleanliness.

Some authorities fear Hawkins will lead his group to a tragic end like David Koresh, who the government said urged his Branch Davidian followers to set their compound on fire and kill themselves in 1993, when federal authorities tried to end a 51-day siege. Survivors blame the deaths on federal agents.

Concerned about a similar confrontation, police did not arrest Hawkins until nearly three months after obtaining the warrant - when they spotted him driving through town.

Bail was initially set at $10 million, partly because of a perceived threat in a sermon.

"I'm not asking much out of you - I'm just asking that you be willing to die rather than leave this house," Hawkins told his congregation in November.

A judge later relented, and Hawkins was released on $100,000 bond after testifying that his security guards are unarmed and suicide is counter to the church's teachings.

Here comes the latest winter blast

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH, Tx. — - A huge storm is assaulting the country on an eastward path that has experts forecasting ice, sleet and snowfall in record amounts according to the Weather Channel. Some speculate that it will be the worst winter storm in some places since records began.

My friend Denise in Detroit told me they were expecting at least 17.5” of snow. Another friend Dawn who is outside Chicago says the oncoming blizzard may be worse than the all time record snowfall that hit in 1967. According to msnbc.msn.com Missouri Governor Jay Nixon already declared a state of emergency and called out the National Guard.

Here in north central Texas food and water is flying off the shelves. My husband went to pick up prescriptions and said there seemed to be at least 50 people waiting in line.

In other parts of the country snow shovels and de-icing salt is disappearing as well. And as of 8:11 pm CST there is no precipitation in Fort Worth as yet but the snow and ice should be falling before first light.

Earlier myfoxdfw.com reported that the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers arrived at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport today for their Super Bowl XLV matchup in Arlington, Texas on Sunday.

By virtue of where these guys are from winter weather is usually no big deal to them. But it’s a good thing they got here when they did.

Winter weather in north central Texas usually means ice, sleet and more ice. If we’re lucky we get snow. And although it’s not uncommon to get our kind of precipitation once or twice a year it usually stays just a day and then it’s gone. This means people here don’t get the winter driving experience that our northern neighbors get.

And it doesn’t help that our overpasses are the height of a two or three story building or more depending on how many other roads and bridges intersect beneath. Can you imagine being a truck driver and jackknifing on one of those? My truck driving friend Jan calls our frozen overpasses, “Scary stuff” and she tries to stay away from them no matter what. Who could blame her?

And although we may not have to shovel our roofs the pipes tend to break once the mercury hits the teens and below since they are only two feet beneath the ground surface.

Almost all older homes and many newer homes here have electric heat. So if the power goes out covering is the only way to keep warm unless you have a fireplace. Then you had better have enough fuel.

Bridges and overpasses are the only places that get any salt. Salt and sand together melt the ice and help with traction. Not to mention the many, many car accidents.

As awful as that is North Texans shouldn’t get it as bad as some of our friends to the north.

North and South Dakota are supposed to get temperatures in the minus forty range. Wisconsin, Illinois and northwestern Indiana will most likely see five to ten foot snow drifts and sixty mile an hour winds.

The Weather Channel reports, “In Idaho, an arctic air mass is expected to push wind chills to 20 below zero and colder Monday night and Tuesday.

Ranching communities in Upper Snake River Plain and Snake Highlands on the Montana border will be hardest hit with wind chills 45 degrees below zero. A similar winter freezing wind storm in 1989 killed hundreds of Idaho cattle in their tracks. Some ranchers are already double-feeding and taking what measures they can to protect livestock.”

This storm may affect approximately one hundred million people according to The Weather Channel.

This winter tempest will reach from the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies to the Ohio Valley to the coast of New England. And remember that New England is still digging out and enjoying newly returned power after a blizzard last week.

So if you have to get out make it a quick trip and if it’s long take precautions and prepare carefully. If you’ve lived in your area for any length of time you know what you need to do to prepare for bad storms. If you’re new to an area ask friend, co-workers or neighbors. What you learn just may save your life. Most state’s Department of Public Safety can tell you the best way to deal with winter weather according to your area.

When the storm is over dig out what you’re able and then go out with the kids and enjoy it if you can. Hopefully there will be no devastating aftereffects to make it easier and/or tolerable.

Until then keep as warm as you can, make and savor your comfort foods and remember that before you know it we’ll all wonder if the thermometer can get any higher.

Former Sex Slave Helping Find Helpless Girls

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

There is a massive undercover effort underway across North Texas to stop sex trafficking. In this last week leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, organizations estimate that thousands of underage girls will be brought here as sex slaves. And among those people trying to find these young girls is a woman named Amanda… who knows the life all too well.

Abused as a child, Amanda ran away from home at age 13. “I didn’t have any clothes. I didn’t have any money. I didn’t have a job.”

She met a man who appeared to be a friend and helped take care of her. What she didn’t know was that he was a pimp. Before she knew it, he dropped her off at brothel. “I was scared and I didn’t know what was happening.”

An older female prostitute showed her the way and explained why they were both there. The pimp picked her back up that night. “He took me back to the hotel that night. He took all that money and he basically sexually assaulted me all night.”

By age 15, Amanda was pregnant with the pimp’s baby and the abuse began. “I didn’t have any where to go. At that point, he knew he was in full control.”

Amanda says he took her to a tattoo parlor on Harry Hines. He told her she had to get his name tattooed on her neck. A red flower now covers the name. Amanda finally got away from the pimp just before her baby was born. She says escaping became a necessity for her because of her unborn child.

While North Texas is celebrating, Amanda says she is watching…behind the scenes…for the thousands of young women who are now arriving here from all over the country. She says their lives, and the lives’ of their ones, have all been threatened if they try to escape. She says this is big business for prostitution. Amanda says she made up to $3,000 a night.

Now, in North Texas, money and men have gathered in one place.

Amanda is part of New Friends, New Life. It’s an advocacy group dedicated to finding these young girls and letting them know that there is another choice. Katie Pedigo is the Executive Director. “Every two minutes a child is sold into sex slavery,” says Pedigo. “It’s a 32-billion dollar industry. They are all over town and we need to look for them.”

Amanda says the Super Bowl has given her a mission. She is watching for these young girls…who’ve been brought here just about every state. She says, for her, it’s easy to recognize them.

–The girls are wearing inappropriate clothes for their ages.
–They typically have tattoos on their necks. Like Amanda, it’s usually their pimp’s name.
–Bleached blonde hair is common.
–They usually are in groups with three or four other girls and one man.
–Amanda says they looking down. They do not make eye contact.

“A lot of times, you can see it in their faces. They are not there,” Amanda explains.

Irie Session knows that look well. Following our conversation with Amanda, she said, “When you were interviewing her, one of the things she said was you can look in their eyes and they’re not there…that is what she looked like.” Session was talking about Amanda. Sessions remembers that look on Amanda’s face seven years ago. That’s when Amanda came to New Friends, New Life to get help. Sessions is an advocate for New Friends, New Life. She’s been a counselor to Amanda every since then.

Sessions, Pedigo, and Amanda all have hope that Amanda’s story will now be heard. Amanda says she prays that “some of these women that do come here, see this and realize there is hope out there. They don’t have to be scared anymore.”

New Friends, New Life will primarily focus on finding the young girls who are left behind once the Super Bowl has come and gone. Pedigo says past Super Bowls have proven that many of them will be left here with no place to turn. In the meantime, Amanda is making it her personally mission to search now.

Love 146 and Traffick 9-1-1 are two other organizations also focusing on the undercover efforts to find these women now. Based on statistics and experience from past Super Bowls in Tampa and Miami, they have learned where to be to help stop the crime before it starts. Both organizations say the Arlington Police Department has also been actively involved in the investigations.

Love 146 warns North Texans that the men are in their older teens, 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. The men are recruiting young women at malls, bus stops, schools, parties…even places like bake sales and middle school basketball games.

If you know someone who may be a victim or a perpetrator, you should contact the local police department and call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline (888) 373-7888. According to federal law, anyone under the age of 18 involved in Child Slavery is considered to victim of human trafficking.

Love 146 says traffickers often exploit young girls in hotel or motel rooms, apartments and even houses. If you notice a lot of cars and men coming and going late into the night, Love 146 organizers say it’s quite possible it’s a brothel. Rather than calling the police and complaining that there are prostitutes, the group say it’s important you let them know you suspect commercial sexual exploitation.

All of the advocacy groups warn you not to approach the girls if you suspect this activity. It is dangerous for them…and for you. Again call police, the hotline above, and contact one of these organizations to help.

Thousands of Rape Kits Sit Untested for Decades, but Change Would Be Costly

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

When rape victims come into D’An Anders’s office, they are traumatized and emotional. After enduring a devastating assault, they have also spent hours being prodded and swabbed in a hospital emergency room, providing evidence that they hope will help track down their attacker.

Ms. Anders, a specialist with the Texas Advocacy Project, which provides free legal services to victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse, is often the first to give them shocking news: the DNA from the rape kit they just spent hours providing may not be tested — ever.

In police departments across Texas, tens of thousands of rape kits have been sitting on the shelves of property storage rooms for years, the result of strained budgets, overworked crime labs and a law enforcement philosophy that rape kits are primarily useful as evidence if a stranger committed the assault.

Victims’ rights advocates and some lawmakers say they will work to pass legislation this year to take all of that evidence out of storage and create a DNA database that would help track rapists and perhaps even identify those who have been wrongly convicted. State Senator Wendy Davis, Democrat of Fort Worth, is preparing a bill that would require police departments to test all rape kits in their possession and every one they get in the future.

“I think we owe it to every person who has been raped,” Ms. Davis said.

Officials at big-city police departments say they are working to reduce the backlog of rape kits in their evidence rooms and to test evidence from unsolved cases. But processing each of the tens of thousands of rape kits from as far back as the 1980s — the total number is not known — is, they say, unrealistic.

Also, testing the hundreds of kits that each metropolitan police department receives every year would take much more money, equipment and staff than is currently available. (Ms. Davis has not established a price tag for her proposed legislation.) Nor is it clear, some police officials say, that DNA evidence in all cases would be useful to prosecutors.

“It’s not reasonable, and it’s not an effective use of their investigators’ time or their labs’ time,” said Sgt. Elizabeth Donegan, who runs the sex crimes unit at the Austin Police Department.

In Houston, about 16,000 rape kits, some dating back decades, sit in the police department’s property room, said Irma Rios, assistant director of the department’s crime lab. Ms. Rios could not say how many had been tested.

“There’s a portion that are never tested,” she said. “We don’t have the resources right now to test every single” rape kit that comes into the department.

The decision whether to test the DNA in a rape kit typically rests with the investigator. In most rapes, the victim knows her attacker, and the DNA evidence often goes untested. Generally, the question in those cases, Ms. Rios said, is not whether a sex act occurred but whether it was consensual. In those instances, the DNA is not helpful for the prosecution — it can only confirm that two people had sexual contact.

The Houston police have identified about 4,200 old rape kits that meet the testing criteria, and Ms. Rios said the department was using a federal grant of about $1.14 million to hire more lab staff members and test biological material in about 2,300 of those cases before the statute of limitations expires.

“Our property room is very full — very, very full,” said Lt. Eno U. Fite of the special investigations unit at the Dallas Police Department.

Lieutenant Fite estimated that 17,000 to 21,000 rape kits filled the room. At least half were collected before 1996, from what are now considered cold cases, she said. Of those, only about 25 percent would fit the department’s criteria for DNA testing.

The department is working to get money to test some of those cold-case kits, she said.

Of the estimated 7,000 to 9,000 rape kits collected from 1996 to 2010, about 40 percent have been or will be submitted for DNA testing. It takes about a year to get the results of a full DNA test, which costs $750 to $1,000 a test.

“The backlog is bad,” Lieutenant Fite said.

Rape victims would not endure the humiliation of a post-assault exam if they understood that the evidence might not be tested and that they did not have the right to decide whether the kit was tested, said Victoria Camp, deputy director of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

“All of the kits need to be tested,” Ms. Camp said. “That costs money, and I know it takes time, but I think we should prioritize the kits and start working on that backlog until they are all tested.”

Testing the DNA from rape kits in all assaults, Ms. Camp said, would give the police a better chance of finding serial rapists. The same perpetrator could attack both someone he knew and a stranger. But if the police test only the DNA in the stranger case, they may not be able to determine that the same person has assaulted someone else.

The testing could do more than help sexual assault victims, advocates say. It could exonerate wrongly convicted prisoners. Earlier this month, Cornelius Dupree Jr. became the latest Texan to be released from prison after DNA evidence proved he did not commit the rape he was convicted of in 1980.

Sergeant Donegan agreed that more testing ought to be done. In 2004, she established one of the most aggressive rape kit testing policies in the state. The Austin department tests each rape kit for which the investigator determines that analysis is warranted, whether the assault was committed by a stranger or someone known to the victim.

But, she said, requiring DNA analysis for all rape kits also has the potential to do more harm than good. There are many cases, Sergeant Donegan said, where that evidence will not help, and often the victims decide not to prosecute. Forcing all those kits into the lab, she said, would clog the system without helping the police catch more perpetrators.

“It’s incredible what we ask” of rape victims, she said, “and to me, the kit is just a piece of it you should be testing.”

Texas' drunk driving epidemic: Police concerned about Super Bowl traffic

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

It is now considered an epidemic in Texas. Drunk driving, just in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, claims hundreds of lives every month. With the Super Bowl approaching, police officers are more concerned than ever about the safety of our metroplex roads.

Assistant Police Chief, Todd Taylor, said Lewisville averages 40 drunk driving arrests every month and many of the impaired drivers are under 21 years of age. On any given evening, one in ten vehicles traveling on I35E is operated by someone with a blood alcohol level that is well over the .08 limit, reported Mike Bryan, a Dallas police officer. Bryan also stated that he makes at least two drunk driving arrests every day.

Even though the cost of getting a DWI is $10,000-$12,000, Texas leads the nation in drunk driving injuries and deaths. No longer considered “accidents”, Cathy Quaid, Program Specialist for the North Texas Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, explained that if a person drinks and chooses to drive while intoxicated, a collision is considered a “crash”. “An accident”, Quaid said, “is NOT intentional while drunk driving IS.”

There are alternatives for folks who should not be getting behind the wheel. Safe-R, a new designated driver service, offers rides for people who are impaired. More convenient than a taxi, Safe-R gets people home with their vehicles. There is no need to retrieve a car the next day. Because Safe-R is a non-profit organization, costs for rides are low and volunteer opportunities are available. The organization operates 24 hours a day, seven days per week and covers the entire Dallas / Fort Worth area.

Ex-Student's Lawsuit Against TCU Heads For Trial

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

FORT WORTH (AP) – A judge says a lawsuit filed against Texas Christian University by a former student who says she was gang-raped by three athletes can go to trial.

Also Thursday, the judge granted TCU’s request for more time to prepare. A trial date hasn’t been set.

The case stems from a student’s 2006 allegations that she was drugged and raped while visiting a dorm room.

The three athletes were kicked out of the Fort Worth university after their arrests.

But prosecutors dropped the sexual assault charges in 2008 and never proceeded with a criminal case.

The lawsuit says TCU officials should have known that two of the athletes had criminal histories and posed a threat.

George Haratsis, an attorney for TCU, says the suit has no merit and he hopes it will be dismissed.

Arlington officer arrested on assault charge has past complaints

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

by CRAIG CIVALE

WFAA

ARLINGTON - An Arlington Police officer who was already on paid leave and facing criminal charges is in trouble once again.

Tibor Kovacs is now in the Dallas County Jail on sexual assault charges. He is also accused of threatening the officers who arrested him.
.
The 42-year-old Arlington police officer was arrested Wednesday on an aggravated sexual assault charge. The SWAT team brought him in because officers said they were concerned about his extensive weapons background and military training.

WFAA has learned that since 2004, the Arlington officer has had 21 complaints filed against him, including one made last October for "unbecoming conduct." A woman he pulled over claimed he made sexual advances towards her, and he was placed on leave due to the complaint.

He was later suspended without pay for another stop in which supervisors said he arrested the wrong man.

Now, he's accused of choking and sexually assaulting a woman. Kovacs also faces two other charges for reportedly threatening the officers who made the arrest.

E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com

Huge verdict against nursing home

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Huge verdict shakes up nursing home industry

By PAUL ELIAS

Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO — During Cindy Cool's almost daily visits to the nursing home, she would routinely find her Alzheimer's-suffering father wearing urine-soaked clothes.

The Blue Lake, Calif. resident said it would take upwards of 20 minutes for the apparently short-handed staff of Eureka Healthcare and Rehabilitation to respond and help Cool clean her father. Other patients fared worse, she said.

"A lot of times I walked out of there crying because of the things I saw," Cool said an interview.

She provided key testimony before a Humboldt County jury last month slammed the owners of her father's nursing home with a $677 million verdict, sending shock waves through the industry and rekindling calls for tort reform.

The verdict as it stands is already thought to be the largest in the country this year and its ramifications are still being sorted out weeks after the jury surprised even the plantiffs' lawyers with the size of their verdict. Tort reformers have seized on the verdict as the latest example of litigation abuse.

The company's stock price has plunged on fears it will have to file bankruptcy. Cool, 58, was part of a class-action lawsuit representing 32,000 patients that blamed the nursing home staff shortage for the misery she encountered - echoing a common complaint across the country that for-profit nursing homes are too concerned with the bottom line.

After Wall Street investment firms went on a nursing home buying spree during the early years of the new century, critics charge that many companies drastically cut payroll expenses to prop up stock prices.

"The major problem for most nursing homes in California and in the nation is staffing," said Pat McGinnis, executive director and founder of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Many of the 16,100 homes nationwide are owned by public companies. The home where Cool father's lived and died in 2006 is owned by Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

On July 6, the Humboldt County jury found that Skilled Healthcare on numerous occasions violated state regulations requiring it to keep a minimum number of nurses on duty at its 22 homes in the state.

James Gomez, president and chief executive of the California Association of Health Facilities, called the verdict "outlandish, excessive and extreme" and said a "good provider of skilled nursing care" is likely bound for bankruptcy if the verdict holds up, threatening the livelihoods of 14,000 California workers.

The lawsuit accused Orange County-based Skilled Healthcare of failing to maintain 3.2 nursing hours per patient per day at its 22 nursing homes in California. The company is just the 10th largest, based on beds, in an industry that struggles to keep workers.

"The verdict is a statement that facilities must follow the law and meet minimum standards," McGinnis said.

McGinnis said the 3.2 nursing hours required by California should be an easy standard to meet because it's nearly a full hour less than the federal recommendation of 4.1 nursing hours per patient.

August 28, 2010

Women sues Farmer Insurance

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Jefferson County Woman sues Farmers Insurance after Collision

September 7, 2010

A woman has filed suit against her insurance company, alleging it did not pay her for damages she incurred during a collision with an under insured driver.

Celia Morales claims she was riding in a vehicle driven by Pablo Morales south on Memorial Boulevard in Port Arthur in the left lane on Sept. 11, 2008. The suit states Nichole M. Powell, who was also driving on the same road but in the right lane, attempted to make a left turn.

Instead, Powell struck the vehicle in which Morales was riding, causing Morales injury to her neck, shoulders and back, according to the complaint filed Aug. 19 in Jefferson County District Court.

In addition to her injuries, Morales incurred hospital and medical costs and experienced extreme physical pain, suffering and mental anguish, the suit states.

Morales says the accident is Powell's fault because Powell negligently failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to drive in a safe manner, made a left turn from an improper lane and failed to look to her left before making the turn.

In addition, Powell failed to apply her brakes and failed to turn to the right to avoid a collision, the complaint says.

At the time of the collision, Morales had protection through her insurance company, defendant Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Co., that was supposed to protect her if she got into an accident with an under insured driver, she claims.

However, when Morales attempted to make a claim to recover damages from the collision with Powell, Farmers refused to respond to her claim, according to Morales' complaint.

In her suit, Morales is seeking an unspecified judgment, plus pre- and post-judgment interest at the legal rate, attorney's fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.

Claims against automakers increase

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST

Defect claims against big automakers have risen, but winning hefty settlements an uphill battle

By ERIC TORBENSON / The Dallas Morning News
etorbenson@dallasnews.com

With Toyota Motor Co. making grim headlines over sudden acceleration of its cars and with nearly 20 million vehicles recalled this year, it would seem to be high season for auto defect lawyers.

Although Toyota's struggles have brought more than 200 new suits nationally and "given a breath of fresh air" to the specialty, according to Dallas attorney Todd Tracy, it's not a smooth road to easy wins or hefty settlements with automakers.

The hits to Toyota's reputation plus the financial struggles of General Motors Co. may have primed juries to award plaintiffs in these kinds of cases, but some attorneys say the carmakers are using a "scorched earth" approach to handling the suits by never settling cases and exhausting every appeal. That tactical change, plus friendlier appeals courts, have emboldened the companies.

In states such as Texas, where the mood toward plaintiff suits has soured, automakers may see little downside in fighting cases to the bitter end.

Spokespeople for GM, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota, the largest three automakers, each declined to comment on their respective legal strategies or the landscape for auto defect claims.

But Kurt C. Kern, a Dallas lawyer whose firm represents nearly all major carmakers, doesn't agree that there's been a shift in legal tactics, though there has been a noticeable increase in suits filed against carmakers.

"While there are certainly some unique circumstances that have arisen in the automotive industry recently, I don't necessarily believe there has been some universal shift in the approach automotive manufacturers take with respect to defending product liability cases," said Kern of Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern LLP. "Clearly, the manufacturers believe in the products they design, build and sell and so they have, and I expect they will continue to aggressively defend claims brought against them."

Suits increasing

After a lull the last few years, suits against the big automakers have risen in recent months, the Dallas attorneys said. The bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler Motor Co. damped activity for two years, but the economic recovery for carmakers plus the recall publicity has auto defect lawyers much busier.

The last flurry of auto defect suits came in 1998 and centered on Ford and its Firestone tire issue. The tire company's approach was to settle some of the cases quietly, Brown said, but Ford "took a very hard line" against lawsuits challenging the design of the Ford Explorer, and that approach has evolved into today's legal stances, he said.

Jurors are upset at companies such as Toyota and BP PLC because of the bad press they've received, Brown said. That gives Toyota a big incentive to drag events out as long as possible so its newest safety-focused marketing messages can combat its image problem, he said.

Even with the bad publicity, the Toyota cases won't be slam dunks. Indeed, a report this month regarding sudden acceleration cases may make it harder for plaintiffs to win against Toyota.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's examination of 58 cases of sudden acceleration suggested no defect with Toyota's electronics in many of the crashes and incidents studied.

Fort Worth officer in fatal crash had been drinking with up to 20 colleagues

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

By DEANNA BOYD

dboyd@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH — As many as 20 Fort Worth police officers are under investigation by police internal affairs on reports that they were celebrating with an off-duty officer before he was involved in a collision in his unmarked city vehicle that killed a mother of two, officials said Tuesday.

Also Tuesday, the department released more details about the Dec. 11 crash, including that officer Jesus Cisneros was traveling at least twice the posted speed limit of 35 mph when his vehicle and Sonia Baker’s PT Cruiser collided.

The department has already reported that Cisneros’ blood-alcohol content measured 0.17, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Cisneros resigned Monday, the same day that he turned himself in on a warrant accusing him of intoxication manslaughter. Cisneros was released from jail on $25,000 bail.

Police Chief Jeff Halstead said Tuesday that he reluctantly accepted Cisneros’ resignation because he was in the final steps of firing the officer.

An internal investigation will continue to determine where Cisneros was before the crash, why he was driving his city vehicle without authorization, and whether the officers he was with that night violated department policy, Halstead said.

"I’m sending a signal out to everyone that works within this organization — civilians, sworn [officers], administrative, supervisory — everyone has a duty to step in and take care of one another," Halstead said.

"I think that night it didn’t happen, and that’s frustrating."

Cisneros was driving a Toyota Highlander west in the 3800 block of Columbus Trail about 2:25 a.m. when Baker, who was southbound on Evening Star Drive, tried to turn in front of him onto Columbus Trail. She was headed for a fast-food restaurant.

After the collision, Baker was pronounced dead at the scene, and Cisneros was injured. Tests on blood taken at a hospital emergency room found the 0.17 blood-alcohol level.

Lt. Paul Henderson, Halstead’s chief of staff, said the preliminary investigation has found no evidence to suggest that Baker ran a stop sign or had any fault in the collision.

"Right now the preliminary reports are showing that because he was driving twice the speed limit, she did not have a chance to see him," Henderson said.

Determining culpability

Cisneros evidently was at a party at The Pour House on West Seventh Street before the crash. Henderson said investigators are looking into reports that 10 to 20 other officers were also present. The investigation also involves three off-duty officers, including two sergeants, who were working security at the bar that night.

"Culpability is what it’s really about," Henderson said. "Determining culpability of those present, whether they were working there off-duty or whether they were attending the celebration.

"We’re trying to determine what their culpability is, if they had any."

Halstead said the internal investigators are exploring whether officers knowingly let Cisneros leave the bar intoxicated and whether they were aware that he was driving a city vehicle without authorization.

"If there are other violations of policy that existed that night, every single one of them will be addressed in a manner consistent with the way the organization has addressed them in the past," Halstead said.

The chief said he is also ordering an audit of vehicle procedures "to ascertain what steps can be taken from this point to ensure officers who are not authorized to use department vehicles outside of their duty hours are in compliance."

"Preliminary information indicates [Cisneros] was not authorized to use this vehicle after hours and does not have take-home privileges," Halstead said.

Carolyn Beck, a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission spokeswoman, confirmed Tuesday that the state agency is investigating where Cisneros had been drinking.

'This needs to stop’

Police officers should be held to a high standard of scrutiny 24 hours a day, Halstead said.

"I want all our employees to understand I expect their behavior off-duty to be just as exceptional as their behavior on-duty," he said.

The chief said he plans to work with the department’s peer counselors, chaplain and employee groups to encourage employees to report off-duty behavior that violates department policy and the law. He said he also hopes to create a culture in which employees seek help for themselves and their colleagues.

"We stand here with photos and depictions of fallen officers, some of those killed by drivers, and yet this still occurred?" Halstead said as he spoke to reporters gathered in the department’s memorial room in the downtown headquarters. "I think that’s the point of the investigation."

This year, three Fort Worth officers have been indefinitely suspended after being arrested on DWI charges while off-duty. Officers Autumn Wheat and P. Payton were initially given 30-day suspensions in lieu of indefinite suspensions but were later fired after being convicted on the DWI charges.

The third officer, E.G. Carr, was indefinitely suspended just over a month after his arrest. Halstead has told the Star-Telegram that he fired Carr before his case went to trial because a dash-cam video shows that the off-duty officer was combative with Keller police.

"In my tenure as chief, there have been too many arrests of our personnel for DWI incidents," Halstead said Tuesday. "This needs to stop. I will not tolerate it."

Halstead said he talked to Baker’s husband, Demond "Mario" Baker, Tuesday afternoon and promised to do everything he can to see that justice prevails. Halstead said he told Baker that he would be honored to walk with him and his family in a Mothers Against Drunk Driving event in April in memory of Sonia Baker.

Affidavit: Fort Worth police officer accused in fatal crash was speeding.

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

By Deanna Boyd and Anthony Spangler

Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH -- In addition to being intoxicated, a Fort Worth police officer was speeding when he collided with a car earlier this month, killing its 27-year-old driver, according to an arrest warrant affidavit released Tuesday.

Jesus Cisneros is believed to have been traveling at least twice the posted speed limit when his unmarked city vehicle struck Sonia Baker’s PT Cruiser at the intersection of Columbus Trail and Evening Star, according to the affidavit, written by traffic investigator R.L. Wangler.

“The collision was of such a violent nature that the vehicles traveled at least 100 feet to rest,” the affidavit states.

The posted speed limit, according to an accident report, is 35 mph.

Cisneros surrendered Monday to the Tarrant County Jail on an arrest warrant for intoxication manslaughter. He was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

As conditions of his bail, he will be required to install a Breathalyzer in his vehicle within 30 days, cannot drive without the device and is prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages, according to Tarrant County probation department records.

Cisneros, 37, who police say has submitted his resignation, is accused of driving intoxicated in his unmarked patrol car on Dec. 11 before the crash that killed Sonia Baker. Fort Worth police said Cisneros’ blood-alcohol content was 0.17.

Jail records show a warrant was issued for Cisneros’ arrest on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter, a felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Lt. Paul Henderson, a Fort Worth police spokesman, said the department will issue a statement today about Cisneros’ case.

"Regardless of who you are or who you work for, DWI is a crime and we will pursue it," he said.

Baker’s husband, Demond Baker, said Monday night that he was unaware Cisneros is facing charges.

"Of course I want him to be prosecuted to the fullest," Baker said. "I will leave it in God’s hands."

Fort Worth Police Chief Jeff Halstead issued a statement last week saying the department was "embarrassed by this tragic incident." Mayor Mike Moncrief was also critical of the incident.

Baker was driving to a fast-food restaurant near her southwest Fort Worth home about 2:30 a.m. when she turned in front of Cisneros’ Toyota Highlander. Baker had two sons, ages 4 and 5.

Police, who consulted a private accident reconstruction company that works with the Tarrant County district attorney, have not said whether speed was a factor or whether Baker was at fault in the crash. Police have also not released the findings of an internal affairs investigation, which is examining what Cisneros was doing before the crash.

Part of I-30 closed after fatal semi accident

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST

September 29, 2009

MORRIS COUNTY, TX (KSLA) - An early morning accident in NE Texas killed the driver of one 18-wheeler and injured two people in a second tractor-trailer,

The accident happened about 7 am Tuesday in the westbound lane of Interstate 30 in Morris County just west of the Bowie County line.

Troopers with the Texas Department of Transportation say one 18-wheeler had just pulled onto the interstate from a rest area when it was rear-ended by another 18-wheeler.

The driver of the second truck died at the scene. Two people in the cab of the first truck were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Right now, that stretch of I-30 is closed as troopers investigate the accident. They say it could be closed the rest of the day.

Traffic traveling west on I-30 from Texarkana is being rerouted onto Highway 561. From there drivers continue to Highway 256, which takes them back to I-30.

Authorities have not released the names of the victims nor what was being transported by the 18-wheelers.