Blog Posts in June, 2014

CPSC Warns: Laundry Liquid Detergent 'Pods' Harmful to Children

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a safety alert regarding liquid laundry detergent packaged in small plastic ‘pod’ containers. A number of major detergent brands offer the detergent pods as as a stain removal booster or as an easy alternative to measuring out detergent. According to the CPSC, the small, soft, liquid packs are attractive to children because they ...

Four Injured in I-10 Big-Rig Crash

A big-rig crash left four injured, including two teenagers, and spilled approximately 100 gallons of fuel on the roadway. The accident occurred on westbound 1-10 near Loma Linda and Redlands. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), in the early morning hours, a 1997 Tacoma pick-up veered into the path of a tractor-trailer. The impact caused the big-rig to cross all westbound lanes of ...

Tragic Truck Crash Kills 14 Y.O. Bicyclist Leyla Beban

At the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas in Redwood City, mourners created a memorial of flowers, cards, and stuffed animals at the site of an accident which claimed the life of 14-year-old bicyclist Leyla Beban. Beban, a freshman at Woodside High School, was riding her bike to class when she was struck and killed by a pick-up truck. Classmates and teachers remember Beban as a ...

ER Doc, Melissa Dowd, Killed in Fresno Pedestrian Accident

Fresno Police are still investigating a tragic crash which killed a 30-year-old emergency room physician resident. Melissa Dowd was struck and killed by a car while crossing the street with a friend. At the time the accident, Dowd and her companion were in a crosswalk at the intersection of Shepherd and Cedar avenues in Fresno. Fresno police have reported that the cause of the crash is still ...

Popular '5-Hour Energy' Drink Cited in 13 Deaths

State and federal investigations have been launched after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received claims that 5-Hour Energy drinks may have led to 13 death and 33 hospitalizations in the past four years. The drinks come in small 2 oz. ‘energy shots’ and equal the amount of caffeine in two cups of coffee. Manoj Bhargava, founder and CEO of 5-Hour Energy, denies the claims that his product ...

St. Helena, Larkspur Tied for Last Place in Bay Area Pavement Quality Survey

According to recent pavement quality rankings published by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Larkspur and Napa’s St. Helena have the worst pavement quality in the Bay Area. City officials claim the low-quality roads are due to a lack of funds. However, Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey points out that, unlike nearby Novato and San Rafael, in recent years Larkspur has not passed ...

Nestle Recalls Nesquik Powder Over Salmonella Concerns

Nestle USA has recalled its popular Nesquik chocolate powder after an ingredient supplier warned of possible salmonella contamination. Nestle is recalling all canisters of the Nesquik powder that were made in October. The recalled cannisters were sold nationwide. Consumers will be able to identify the recalled products by looking on Nesquik containers for an expiration date of October 2014. Nestle ...

Palo Alto High School Student Struck by SUV

A Palo Alto High School student suffered serious injuries after he was struck by an SUV. High school sophomore Ken Shin was on his way to school at the time of the crash. Shin posted on his personal blog that while he was biking he got run over by a Lexus SUV. Shin described both bike wheels going over his head during the collision. He sustained injuries to his ribs and his jaw. Shin credited his ...

Elderly Concord Pedestrian Struck, Killed in Crosswalk by SUV

A 78-year-old Concord man was stuck and killed by an SUV while he attempted to cross the street. The pedestrian was walking north across Clayton Road in Concord. At the time of the accident, the pedestrian was in a marked crosswalk. The pedestrian was taken to John Muir Hospital with major injuries. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Based upon a preliminary police investigation of the crash, ...

Sonoma Driver Denies Striking Two Boys in Crosswalk

A 92-year-old Sonoma man denies that his car struck two boys in a crosswalk, a collision that left one boy with a fractured skull. The accident happened as the two boys, classmates at Sonoma Charter School, were walking to a friend’s house. According to police, as the boys crossed Fifth Street West at a lit pedestrian crosswalk, they were struck by a Toyota sedan. The driver, who was cited by ...

Motorcyclist Deaths Rise 20 Percent in California

New California Highway Patrol (CHP) data reveals that motorcylist deaths in California rose 20% in 2011. This is the first time in four years that the number of motorcylist deaths in California has risen . According to the data, a high percentage of the collisions occurred at intersections. The CHP cautioned motorists to be more vigilant of bikers. CHP officials also warned motorcyclists to wear ...

Nine Big-Rigs Crash on I-5 Freeway

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating two successive accidents on Interstate 5 in Newhall involving nine big-rigs. In the early morning hours, the driver of a dump truck travelling along I-5 lost control of the vehicle causing a crash involving four other big-rigs. A short time later, five big-rigs approached the scene and collided. One driver was trapped in the cab of his truck. ...

Big-Rig Crash Near Gilroy Leaves 7 Y.O. Boy Dead

Tragically, a collision between a big-rig and Toyota sedan killed a 7-year-old Los Banos boy. The crash occurred on Highway 152 west of Dinosaur Point Road. According to the CHP, the sedan was travelling east on the highway when it veered into another lane of traffic and struck the back of a slow-moving big-rig. The 7-year-old boy was in the back seat of the car. He was pronounced dead at the ...

Meningitis Cases Linked to Contaminated Joint-Pain Steroid Injections

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have linked over 200 cases of meningitis in 15 states to contaminated joint-pain steroid injections. Fifteen people have died from meningitis caused by the tainted injections. The injections were sold by New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a warning that ...

CHP: Alcohol Played Role in Fatal Willow Creek Bus Crash

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the bus driver involved in a deadly crash that left one 19-year-old woman dead and seven others injured may have been intoxicated prior to and during the collision. At around 9:50pm on a Friday night, the bus drove off a steep embankment along State Route 96. During an investigation of the crash, CHP officers put the bus driver under arrest for ...

Berkeley Police Warn of Phony Fire Inspection Notices

The Berkeley Police Department Community Services Bureau has issued an advisory message after a North Berkeley resident received a misleading letter claiming to be from the Berkeley Fire Prevention Division. The letter appeared to be an inspection notice and threatened the resident with a fine. Berkeley Fire officials confirmed that the letter was fake. Officials advise residents to contact the ...

Toyota Recalls 2.5M Vehicles in U.S. Due to Window Switch Fires

Toyota has recalled 2.5 million cars in the United States and over 7 million vehicles worldwide, due to defective power window switches which can cause fires. According to Toyota, the window switches may not be adequately greased from the factory which can result in the switches sticking. If after market grease is applied, the switch can short and cause a fire. Several of Toyota’s most popular ...

Two Sonoma Cyclists Hit, Injured on Hwy 29

Two Sonoma cyclists were seriously injured when they were struck by a car on Highway 29. Beatrice McIntosh and Jean Behse were riding their bikes along Highway 29 near St. Helena when a southbound sedan struck them. Both women were taken to Queen of Valley Hospital with moderate to severe injuries. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the bicyclists were in the bike lane at the time ...

Nestle Recalls Packages of Buitoni Ravioli

Nestle has recalled 323 cases of Buitoni Spinach & Portabella Mushroom Ravioli after discovering the packages were mislabelled. The recalled packages may in fact include a variety of Buitoni ravioli including shrimp and lobster. The mislabelling poses an allergen risk to consumers who may be unaware that the ravioli contains shellfish. Nestle has warned customers with shellfish allergies not to ...

CDC: Teens Who Say They Drink and Drive Down 54% from 1991

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds that the prevalence of drinking and driving among teenagers 16 and older declined by 54% between 1991 and 2001. Even so, CDC director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden cautions that teen drinking remains a serious problem in the United States. He noted that while “we are moving in the right direction”, one in ten teenagers still drinks and ...

Big-Rig Crashes into Amtrak Train Injuring 20

At least 20 passengers suffered injuries when a big-rig collided with an Amtrak train. The crash occurred when the driver of a big-rig failed to yield and hit the train. The impact pushed at least one of the train’s passenger cars off the tracks. At the time of the crash, the train was carrying approximately 169 passengers and four crew members from Oakland to Bakersfield. The California Highway ...

Teen Driver Crashes Car into Bicyclists, Kills Solaiman Nuri and 9-Year-old Daughter

UPDATE: A 17-year-old driver has admitted to killing two bicyclists, a father and daughter who were riding their bikes in Concord. Solaiman Nuri and his 9-year-old daughter, Hadessa, were riding their bikes on the sidewalk along Treat Boulevard when a car crashed into them. Nuri’s other daughter, 12-year-old Hannah, was also at the accident site and suffered minor physical injuries. Authorities ...

Blind Xpress Recalls Window Blinds after 2-Year-Old Strangles in Cord

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Blind Xpress is recalling over 450,000 window blinds. The recall comes after a report of a 2-year-old girl strangled to death by the loop of the the vertical blind cord. Blind Xpress’ custom blinds do not have an adjustment cord that attaches to the wall or floor. A child can become entangled in the cord loop and strangle. The CPSC ...

2 Dead, 9 Injured in I-5 Multi-Vehicle Crash

A crash on the Grapevine section of I-5 northbound killed a woman and her young daughter and left 9 others injured. The woman was driving an SUV when she hit the center divider. She and her young daughter were ejected from the vehicle. They were pronounced dead at the scene. CHP officers believe that fatigue may have been the cause of the tragic crash. The pre-dawn accident caused a chain ...

Study Finds Pedestrian Fatalities Due to Car Accidents on the Rise

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a study finding that the number of pedestrian fatalities due to car accidents is increasing. Using numbers gathered in 2010, researchers found that pedestrian fatalities have risen 4 percent overall. In 2010, pedestrians made up 13% of traffic fatalities. Kansas had the lowest percentage of pedestrian deaths while Washington, ...