Man fights for life after fire truck accident in Queens

A wild accident left a trucker critically injured and five firefighters hurt when a tractor-trailer smashed into a fire engine in Queens this afternoon, police said. The impact spun the FDNY rig - which was racing to a blaze with its sirens blaring - almost 180 degrees, sending it through a wooden fence and into the front yard of a house in Laurelton.

A taxi suffered minor damage when it rear-ended the truck at the intersection of 225th St. and N. Conduit Ave., which has a light. But the truck's jackknifed cab was crumpled.

"They had to cut the cabin to get \[the driver\] out," said Jacob Lifshitz, 45, a witness. "It's very sad."

The truck driver was fighting for his life at Jamaica Hospital. The firefighters, from Engine 311 in Queens, were taken to the same hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The truck is owned by MT Transportation of Bay Shore, L.I. Source

Virginia legislation would limit drivers test to English

Out of concern for safety on the state’s roads, a Virginia lawmaker has offered legislation intended to help ensure that people issued driver’s licenses in the state understand English.Another bill up for consideration this session would designate English as the official language in the state.

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Toll study raises questions safety of alternate routes

Increasing tolls and privatization of public roads will lead to more traffic and dangerous conditions on alternate routes, the authors of an academic study stated in a report released Tuesday, Jan. 15.

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One dead in I-29 accident

An 18-year-old Platte City woman died from injuries suffered Wednesday evening in a accident that closed Interstate 29 for hours. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Kelsey Ryan died after the she lost control of the 2000 Ford Escort she was driving and struck a tractor-trailer driven by Robert Wolford of Rupert, Idaho.

The wreck happened at 7 p.m. at the Interstate 435 junction. The interstate had opened back up by 10:45 p.m.

The accident reportedly involved two cars and a tractor-trailer. A dispatcher said injuries were serious but that no fatalities had been reported.Source

Crash closes I-95 south near I-895 split

Morning rush-hour traffic was snarled this morning as the southbound lanes of Intestate 95 in Northeast Baltimore remained closed at 9 a.m., two hours after a collision that left a box truck on top of a sport utility vehicle, according to police. An occupant of a Jeep SUV was flown by Maryland State Police medevac helicopter to an area hospital after emergency workers extricated him from the wreckage. They had to use a winch to lift the truck off the SUV to get the person out.

The injuries to that person, however, are not considered life threatening, said Cpl. Jonathan Green, a spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.Two others involved in the crash near Moravia Road were taken by ambulance to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and two more were taken by ambulance to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Green said their injuries are not considered serious.

Green said the cause of the accident remains under investigation. He said it occurred about 7:10 a.m. on I-95 just north of the I-895 split. Four vehicles were involved, he said, with the truck ending up overturned on top of the Jeep SUV.

The highway was quickly shut down with traffic diverted onto Interstate 895. The closure snarled traffic on other roads as well, causing significant backups on the Baltimore Beltway and U.S. 40.

As of 9 a.m., tow trucks and other heavy vehicles were working to clear the wreckage.Source

Rain Leads To Multiple Crashes Across Central Florida

The rainy weather Thursday morning has already been dangerous on Central Florida roadways. Before 4 a.m, the Florida Highway Patrol told News 13 it had already received eight emergency calls.

A seven-vehicle crash on Interstate 4 near Fairbanks involved a jackknifed tractor-trailer and closed both sides of the interstate early Thursday morning.

The semi was traveling in the westbound lane of I-4 around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when it hydroplaned, went out of control, jackknifed and ran into the center median. The impact of the crash caused several pieces of the concrete wall to fly across the eastbound side of I-4, hitting six cars.

None of the drivers were injured, but all of their cars had to be towed.

The driver of the semi is also uninjured. However, 300 gallons of his load of diesel fuel was spilled in the accident. An environmental assessment agency was called in to take a look at the damage because anytime more than 50 gallons is spilled it is considered an environmental hazard. The agency will return later in the day to take samples of the soil, because of concerns that that fuel could contaminate the groundwater in the area.

Another crash snarled traffic on Interstate 95 this morning in Brevard County, this time in Port St. John.

Authorities said a tractor-trailer crashed into a construction truck. Both drivers were hurt and were hospitalized. The driver of the tractor-trailer is in critical condition. The driver of the construction truck suffered minor injuries.

There was also a serious crash with entrapment on the Turnpike northbound near I-4. It was cleared up by 6:30 a.m., but there were four mile backups.

As the morning continued, so did the accidents. As of 8:30 a.m., two lanes of I-4 were closed westbound near the Central Florida Parkway, one lane was blocked on I-4 between Lee Road and Maitland, there was a blockage on Kirkman Road near I-4 and the Beachline approaching S.R. 436 was experiencing major delays.

A coastal flood watch has been issued for Flagler County. The National Weather Service says the surf will be rough off the coast today. Right now waves are breaking at around 4 to 6 feet. Minor beach erosion and rip currents are possible on Thursday.Source

Big rig's flatbed snaps, kills motorist

Investigators are trying to determine why a tractor-trailer's flatbed broke apart, causing an accident that killed one person and injured two others.McDowell County Sheriff's Deputy J.R. England said a 6-foot to 8-foot piece of the flatbed snapped, flew across U.S. 52 and hit a pickup truck.

England said the pickup's driver, a 46-year-old Mingo County man, died at the scene of Tuesday's accident. Two passengers, the man's wife and son, were taken to Charleston Area Medical Center.

England said the wife was in critical condition Wednesday. He did not know the son's condition.

The victims were not identified pending notification of relatives.Source

Road Closed After Truck Crash in Winston-Salem

A section of Reidsville Rd. was closed Wednesday afternoon after a Ford Explorer collided head-on with a tractor trailer. The tractor trailer, which was carrying bread, erupted into flames and the trailer was completely burned. Both drivers were taken to the hospital. The driver of the Explorer was taken to Wake Forest Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Ronald Caucier, 40, the driver of the truck was not injured in the crash.

According to police, the driver of the Explorer crossed the center line of the road and hit the truck.

The portion of Reidsville Rd. between Old Belews Creek Rd. and Old Greensboro Rd. was closed in both directions for a couple of hours while the truck was removed.

The accident was reported shortly after noon on Wednesday.Source

Multi-vehicle crash blocks I-10 near Sierra Blanca

A major traffic crash involving one semi-tractor trailers, one RV, two pickups and two cars blocked Interstate 10 West near Sierra Blanca, Texas, for several hours this morning, Department of Public Safety and Hudspeth County dispatchers confirmed. One unidentified person died in the accident. Two pickups heading toward El Paso collided near mile mark 95, west of the border patrol station. The drivers exited their vehicles and while they were surveying the damage, an 18-wheeler headed toward them, unable to stop and slammed into both pickups. That started a chain of events, in which three more vehicles crashed, but sustained minor damage.

Four people, including an infant, were taken to Thomason. One man was taken to a hospital in Culberson County. One person died.

Three of the victims are believed to be from Van Horn.

Hudspeth County Sheriff Department is investigating.

Traffic is still tied up in the area. Only one lane is open in each direction. Westbound traffic is backed up for at least one mile.

Though some lanes are now open, the left lane of I-10 West between mile marker 94 and mile marker 102 remains closed.Source

Toll Road crash sparks beer-truck fire

A tractor-trailer rig hauling beer apparently hit a highway maintenance truck on the Indiana Toll Road on Wednesday morning, sparking a fire and traffic snarl that took an hour and 15 minutes to clear up. Orland Community Volunteer Fire Department firefighters and rescue units were called to the crash scene at the 136-mile marker shortly after 9 a.m.

Safety crews found the front of the rig engulfed in flames and the trailer full of beer beginning to burn.

The highway truck had a barrier device that cushioned the impact, according to a written statement from the fire department.

No serious injuries were reported, although one driver was taken to a Steuben County hospital.

Orland Fire and Rescue units have responded to three serious or fatal accidents in the last few months within a few hundred yards of Wednesday’s accident, according to the statement.

The Indiana State Police and Toll Road maintenance units assisted at the scene of Wednesday’s crash.Source