September 30, 2009 – General Motors Co. said today that it would shut down its Saturn brand after an agreement with Penske Automotive Group Inc. to acquire it fell apart.

Penske, citing concerns of whether it could continue to supply vehicles after a manufacturing contract with GM ran out, ended talks with GM Wednesday to acquire the brand.

GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in statement that Saturn and its dealership network will be phased out.

This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality,” Henderson said in a written statement. “PAG’s announcement explained that their decision was not based on interactions with GM or Saturn retailers.”

In a statement, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based auto retailer says an agreement with another manufacturer to continue producing Saturn vehicles after GM stopped making them fell through, leading Penske to terminate talks with GM.

Penske said it negotiated terms and conditions to make Saturn cars with another manufacturer, but that company’s board of directors rejected the agreement. Penske spokesman Anthony Pordon would not identify the other manufacturer.

“Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks and uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction,” the company said in a statement.

In June, GM and Penske agreed to take over the Saturn brand and related dealerships, although GM would produce the vehicles for a limited period of time.

GM said Saturn vehicle owners can still go to their Saturn dealer for service and would be able to go to a certified GM dealer for service once Saturn dealerships are closed.

It was expected that GM would announce the completion of Saturn’s sale to Penske in the coming days.

September 30, 2009 – Antonio Gaspar, 38, of Escondido, was killed Tuesday when the raised bin of the dump truck he’d driven to the Miramar Landfill fell on him, crushing him against the frame of the vehicle, authorities reported.

The fatal accident at the waste-processing yard in the 5100 block of Convoy Street was reported about 11 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Gaspar had just dumped his load of refuse from the modified Dodge 3500 when the mechanism used to tilt the rear bin apparently got stuck, said Jose Ysea, a spokesman for the city Environmental Services Department.

Gaspar was working underneath the raised waste container, trying to fix the problem, when it suddenly fell on top of him, Ysea said. Several Landfill employees rushed over and lifted the bin off the victim, who then fell to the ground.

The workers performed CPR until medics arrived and took over the unsuccessful lifesaving attempt.  Gaspar died at the scene.

Gaspar may have disconnected hydraulic lines connected to the truck’s bin-tilting mechanism just before the accident occurred, officials said.

The death has been ruled an accident, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

September 29, 2009 - The government is warning owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles about safety problems linked to removable floor mats. They say the mats could interfere with the vehicle’s accelerator and cause a crash.

The Transportation Department says owners should take out the floor mats on the driver’s side and not replace them. A large vehicle recall is expected later today.

Toyota did not immediately comment.

The consumer alert affects 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

September 29, 2009  – Two men were killed in a fiery crash in Imperial County Monday night when the big rig they were in crashed into a steep rock wall off I-8.

The driver of the truck, which was carrying frozen foods, was heading east on I-8 west of SR-98 when it crashed about 9 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Pablo Torrez said.

Witnesses said the truck was heading down a steep decline about 55 miles per hour when it drifted to the right shoulder and slammed into the mountainside, Torrez said. The cab of the Freightliner then burst into flames, Torrez said.

Firefighters recovered the body of the driver, a 69-year-old man from Lakehead and his passenger, a 43-year-old from Palmdale. The men’s names have not been released.

The eastbound lanes of I-8 were closed from the Border Patrol checkpoint in Jacumba to the scene of the crash until about 11 p.m.

September 29, 2009 – A 51-year-old City Heights man was found dead near Ramona on a rural road where he crashed his car into a large boulder, authorities said today.

The single-vehicle crash on Mussey Grade Road near Kimball Valley Road in the Fernbrook area was reported shortly after 5:30 p.m. Monday, when the wreckage was discovered, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Evidence at the scene suggest the crash occurred several hours earlier, CHP Officer Brian Pennings said.  A woman who lives along Mussey Grade Road discovered the wrecked 1997 BMW 740i and called 911 after seeing the man unresponsive in the driver’s seat, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Cal Fire paramedics and CHP officers arrived and determined the man was dead, the Medical Examiner’s Office reported.

Speed may have been a factor in the crash, according to the CHP.

The man, who recently lost his job as a car salesman, lived with roommates in a home in City Heights, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

September 28, 2009 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), Ducati is recalling Model Year 2010 F1098S Streetfighter motorcycles. The electronic control unit ground screw may have been improperly tightened during production which can cause the engine to stall.  Stalling while driving can increase the risk of crash.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.

September 28, 2009 – Jacob Orion Ayers, 19, was killed in a motorcycle crash on SR-78, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Ayers was taking the eastbound SR-78 transition to north I-15 Saturday about 3 a.m. when for unknown reasons he lost control of the bike and slid into oncoming traffic where he was struck by a vehicle, officials said. He died shortly after the crash of multiple blunt force injuries, officials said.

Ayers lived with his father in Escondido, officials said.

September 28, 2009 – A Vista teenager fell out of his car and was killed in a crash in Oceanside Friday night, two days before his 18th birthday, authorities said.

Michael Victor Pyper was driving west on Lake Boulevard about 10:25 p.m. at a high speed when he lost control.  The compact car struck several trees that lined the road and rolled over.  Pyper was thrown from the car and died at the scene, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Pyper was a football player for the Rancho Buena Vista football team last year and was leaving the Longhorns’ Friday night game when the crash occurred.

September 28, 2009 – Edward Phillip Ward, an 84-year old Encinitas man, was killed Saturday morning on SR-52, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office

Mr. Ward and his wife had pulled over into the dirt median of the freeway near Santo Road. He walked across eastbound lanes to take pictures of the hills. On the way back, he was struck by a sport utility vehicle. He died at the scene about 11:30 a.m.

September 25, 2009 – A boy riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle in Encanto Thursday afternoon and was taken to a hospital.

The crash was reported on Tarbox Street near Hilger Street about 4:45 p.m., San Diego police said.

The boy, who was wearing a helmet, was unconscious when fire crews arrived, according to fire officials. He was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital with a head injury.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an bicycle accident, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.