Driver Cited After Hitting Broadway Teen Bicyclist

Drivers need to be cautious when driving near residential or public areas as they should anticipate teens and children on their bicycles playing or going to school.
Unfortunately, a man, whose identity was not released, recently became one of those drivers who failed to recognize these dangers as he hit a 16-year-old riding his bike in Irvine Avenue.

According to reports, the boy was biking at Broadway when he was hit and injured by a Jeep Wrangler near the Eastside neighborhood. He was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian with bumps and abrasions but he did not appear to have any serious injuries.

The driver was cited and released after cooperating with authorities and answered questions about the bicycle accident.

It wasn’t clear whether the Wrangler’s driver was speeding but residents of the neighborhood had been complaining about speeding motorists along Broadway as they endanger kids who are either walking or biking to school.

In fact, the federal government has given $1 million to the city’s transportation department so that traffic-calming measures will be added to Broadway. The city is currently designing the project that will narrow down Broadway so that drivers would have to slow down. The road project is expected to be finished in 2012.

Fortunately, the teen only sustained the injuries he had as it could have been a lot worse if the driver was going at a high speed and run the boy over.

Nonetheless, he should compensate the losses incurred by the teen by paying for the hospitalization and medication as well as other expenses that resulted from this accident.

Share |

Suspected Drunken Driver Crashes into Ambulance, Injures Four Paramedics

Ambulances are used to transport people who need immediate medical attention to the hospital. People who drive this vehicle needed to use lights and sirens in order for other road users to be aware of their presence.

A suspected drunken driver who failed to see an ambulance or hear its siren crashed into it, causing at least four paramedics to sustain injuries.

According to reports, the accident occurred in Huntington Beach on Friday afternoon. The ambulance was turning onto Bolsa Chica Street as it was on its way out of a neighborhood along Tasman Drive when it was suddenly hit by a Toyota pickup.

Authorities said two Orange County Fire Authority paramedics and two Huntington Beach Fire Department ambulance drivers sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the hospital to be treated.

Meanwhile, the patient was fortunately spared from injuries and was brought to a hospital using a different ambulance.

However, the pickup driver Tristan Johnson, 36, from Bellflower was uninjured in the crash. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI, said reports.

It is fortunate that no one was seriously or fatally injured in the accident. In order to avoid accidents caused by drunk driving, drivers are advised to follow these tips:

• Avoid drinking at parties or other social gatherings, especially if you are going to drive afterwards
• Know your limit
• If you need to drink at an event, ask your friend or relative to drive your vehicle
• If you are already drunk and no one is there to drive your vehicle, you can take a cab in order to get home

Share |

Nestle Recalls Raisinets Due to Absence of Peanut Warning

Food manufacturing companies are required to produce or make foods that are safe to it. In addition, they should warn the public regarding foods or their certain ingredients which can cause harm to the consumers once consumed.

Nestle announced that it will conduct a voluntary recall on some “Raisinets Fun Size” bags which did not declare certain peanut contents. This move has been done to save people from possible sicknesses or deaths after eating the product

Reports said the company issued a statement informing consumers that it has called for a voluntary recall out of caution. This recall will affect 10-ounce bags of Raisinets that has “a production code of 02015748/UPC number 2800010255.”

According to the statement, people who are severely sensitive to peanuts or are allergic to it are in danger of life-threatening or serious allergic reaction once they eat the product.

The Raisinets that will be affected by were only distributed in the United States. To be more specific, the product was sold at Don Quixote, Shop Rite, and Target retail stores.

Nestle announced that it already received three complaints about the product. Fortunately, no other product was affected.

People with peanut allergies who have bought the affected product should discard it and call Nestle to ask for a refund.

Manufacturers have a big responsibility on their hands because people may die if they failed to do their duties properly. Like in this case, Nestle’s simple mistake could have caused a fatal accident if the consumer is deadly allergic to peanuts. Good thing the company took immediate action in order to prevent injuries or deaths caused by the product.

Share |

Teen Crashes into House, Injures Toddler and Grandfather

An 18-month-old infant and his grandfather were in critical condition after a teen driver who appeared to be drunk made an unsafe turn in a residential neighborhood and hit them.

Authorities reported that the 17-year-old driver, whose identity is yet to be released, apparently sped off after spotting an officer on a motorcycle responding to a disturbance call.

The officer then made a U-turn and started tailing the SUV driven by the teen before he veered into Lake Boulevard where he struck a sign, injured pedestrians along the sidewalk, and crashed into the house.

Reports show that the man was walking his grandson on a stroller when they were hit by the speeding SUV. Rescuers were able to transport the 18-month-old boy and his 50-year-old grandfather to the hospital where they were treated for serious injuries.

The intoxicated driver was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and felony DUI as he tried to drive away from the scene. The three passengers of the SUV fled on foot but authorities were able to apprehend two of them.

The teen’s intoxication, his attempt to elude a police officer, and the unsafe turn he made while speeding can all be blamed for the accident. Teen drivers may feel invincible when they are behind the wheel. Nevertheless, they should keep in mind that their vulnerability to accidents is heightened by their inexperience and dangerous experiments while driving.

Hopefully, the man and his grandson will have a quick recovery and they won’t have to suffer from any permanent damages caused by a single person’s disregard for safety.

Share |

Water Pollution: How the BP Oil Spill Affected the Nation

All life on earth is very dependent on water. Water is significant in every person’s everyday practices and activities such as personal hygiene, eating and cooking. For fishes and corals, different bodies of water also serve as their natural habitat. And in turn, these fresh fishes feed the mouths of many people. But as we have long probably noticed, the world is undergoing crises in water, and it is getting worse by the minute.

Pollution has been the most rampant problem in water. Some of the more prominent water pollutants include dirty sewage water being gushed down to other bodies of water, people dumping garbage on the shore, the discarding of industrial and radioactive waste by industrial facilities or factories, and the accidental leakage from underwater storages. However, lately it seems that oil leaks and spills have also become notorious not only in the US but in other countries as well.

One such incident of oil spill was the recent accident in the Gulf of Mexico that started off with what was known as the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. In April 20, 2010, a drilling rig owned by offshore contractor Transocean and under lease to oil and gas company BP located at the southeast of Louisiana coast exploded and got burned down, causing the death of some employees and a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The leaking lasted for almost three months. After releasing about 185 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the disaster became known as the largest accidental marine oil spill and environmental disaster in the history of petroleum industry. The government of the United States, as well as the concerned parties, did all they can to stop the leaking and disperse the oil, but it was too late as it had already affected the lives of many.

The weakening tourism of some states prompted tourism development councils to launch marketing campaigns for their beaches that were not affected by the spill to attract tourists. Along with this, businesses had to offer discounts and other deals for visitors. But more than tourism, it was marine life that suffered the most.

Commercial and recreational fishing areas of federal waters had to be closed down for the time being because the oil had reached it or to avoid cases of poisoning due to intake of affected fishes. Other species of marine animals like the endangered Kemp's Ridley turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, gulls, egrets, and blue herons became at risk, some of them eventually dying. Of course, who can forget the images of brown pelicans heavily covered by the crude, making them look chocolate-covered. The photos made it to the headlines and served as an eye-opener regarding the gravity of this oil spill.

According to Federal investigators, BP or at least one of the companies involved in the accident will likely face criminal charges because of what happened. More than the $75 million civil liability cap may have to be paid.

While the explosion may have been considered as merely an accident, it could have been prevented or acted upon as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Hopefully, other companies, not just those in the industry of petroleum, and ordinary citizens like us learned a thing or two about the importance of water from this tragedy.

Share |