October 30, 2009 – Searchers have found nothing but a debris field where two military aircraft collided off the coast of San Diego Thursday night.

Nine Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel are missing after the mid-air collision between a Coast Guard transport plane and a USMC light attack helicopter about 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, authorities said.

“The search is still on, but it’s likely taken the lives of nine individuals,” said Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman, calling the collision a “tragic event.”

The Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps are involved in the search, with Coast Guard assets including two MH-60J Jayhawk helicopters, the Cutters Edisto and Petrel, from San Diego, and the Cutter Blackfin from Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Coast Guard aircraft from Air Station Sacramento was engaged in a search and rescue mission and the Marine helicopter from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was conducting a routine training mission at the time of the crash. The Navy reported to the Coast Guard that they observed what appeared to be a midair collision, according to the Coast Guard.

The collision was reported around 7:10 p.m. Thursday, according to USCG Petty Officer Henry Dunphy.

“We are always hopeful … the assumption is always that they are alive,” said USCG Capt. Thomas Farris, noting that a person could survive in the water for 19-20 hours and possibly longer, depending on body type and clothing.

The maritime agency sent three of its cutters and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to the area to search for survivors, while the Navy sent four vessels and multiple helicopters.

Seven people were believed to be aboard the Coast Guard C-130, and two were in the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.

The water temperature overnight was around 64 degrees, according to National Weather Service forecaster Brandt Maxwell. The sky above the crash sight was clear and calm, he said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The missing Coast Guard plane and its crew are from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, said USCG Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta Disco.

Crews from the Sacramento Coast Guard station fly search-and-rescue, law enforcement and logistics missions. According to Farris, the crew involved in the crash was searching for a mission person, who remains missing.

The missing Marine Corps aircraft is an AH-1W Cobra light attack helicopter, said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Michael Stevens at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The Cobra and its crew are part of Marine Aircraft Group 39, based at Camp Pendleton, and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered at Miramar, Stevens said.

The Cobra crew was on a training mission when the accident occurred, Stevens said.

October 30, 2009 – A teen was seriously injured when he was struck by a pickup truck in the Oak Park area Thursday night.

The 18-year-old pedestrian was hit on 54th Street, just north of Euclid Avenue at around 8:15 p.m.  

The suspect fled the scene in a small, red pickup truck with a damaged windshield.

The injured young man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

October 30, 2009 – Charlotte Goldman, 84, was hit  in the 6700 block of Friars Road around 6:40 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

She died about half an hour later at Scripps Mercy Hospital, the Medical Examiner’s Office reported.

San Diego police were investigating the accident. So far there have been no reports as to whether the driver was cited or arrested.

October 29, 2009 – A 94-year-old Riverside man was driving a 2002 Ford Focus north across Indiana Avenue near La Sierra Avenue when about 8:36 a.m. he hit the 2002 Suzuki motorcycle driven by a Fontana man, stated a Riverside Police Department news release.

An ambulance took the 36-year-old motorcycle rider to Riverside Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the release.

The Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the crash.

October 29, 2009 – A freeway wreck killed one Beaumont man and critically injured another this morning along I-10 in Cabazon, according to California Highway Patrol officers and Riverside County Fire Department officials.

“It was a 1982 Camry versus a big-rig,” CHP Officer Jaci Parent said of the 12:50 a.m. collision along the freeway’s westbound lanes near Fields Road. “The (fatally injured) victim was the passenger in the Camry.”

Riverside County coroner’s officials have not released the name of the 26-year-old passenger.

The driver was 26-year-old Robert Martinez, also of Beaumont, who was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and then transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center with what fire officials say are critical injuries.

Witnesses told investigators that the Camry was being driven recklessly before it plowed into the back of the big rig, Parent said. Investigators suspect that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, Parent said.

October 28, 2009 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Blair LLC, of Warren, Pa., are expanding Blair’s voluntary recall of women’s full length chenille robes to include additional chenille robes and three other chenille products all manufactured by A-One Textile & Towel. CPSC and Blair also are re-announcing the earlier recall of women’s robes.

In April 2009, Blair recalled 162,000 chenille robes after it learned of three robes catching on fire, including one report of second degree burns. Blair then received several reports of deaths allegedly due to robes catching fire. This prompted a second news release in June 2009 to again alert consumers to the burn hazard for the chenille robes. After this re-announcement, Blair received four additional reports of deaths allegedly due to the robes catching fire. Three of these victims were cooking and a fourth was tending a pellet stove; three of the four victims were in their 80s and one was in her 70s. All nine reported deaths occurred prior to the April 2009 announcement of the recall.

Blair has received one report involving one of the additional garments described below catching fire; no injuries have been reported related to these garments. Blair decided to expand the recall to include all women’s chenille wearing apparel manufactured by A-One Textile & Towel.

The recall involves the following items:

Full Length Women’s Chenille Robe – One-piece garment made of plush sculpted chenille. The robe has a shaped stand collar, horizontal chenille front and back yolks and cuffs, a full-button front with seven matching button closures, long sleeves with self cuffs, a straight bottom with self hem, and two side seam pockets.  The item number is identified on a label in the garment’s neckline: 1083401 Pastel pink; 1083402 Mint; 1083403 Light lavender; 1371801 Light blue; 1371802 Light purple; 1371803 Indigo; 1743401 Sea foam; 1743402 Medium pink; 1743403 Light blue; 3470311 Blue; 3470312 Coral; 3470313 Yellow; 3927211 Mint; 3927212 Light blue; and 3927213 Light pink.

Women’s Chenille Jacket –  One-piece garment made of plush sculpted chenille. The jacket has three front buttons, pointed lapels, long sleeves, and two front patch pockets.  The item number is identified on a label in the garment’s neckline: 1392801 Gold; 1392802 Red; 1392803 Navy; and 1392804 Hunter Green.

Women’s Chenille Lounge Jacket – One-piece garment made of plush sculpted chenille. The jacket has a shaped stand collar, and horizontal chenille front and back yolks and cuffs, a full-button front with five matching button closures, long sleeves with self cuffs, a straight bottom with self hem, and two side seam pockets.  The item number is identified on a label in the garment’s neckline: 4526401 Lavender; 4526402 Aqua; and 4526403 Light pink.

Women’s Chenille Top – One-piece, pullover garment made of plush sculpted chenille. The top has a rounded neckline, long sleeves, a straight bottom with side vents, and ribbed binding at the neckline and cuffs.  The item number is identified on a label in the garment’s neckline: 1811201 Light purple; 1811202 Rose; 1811203 Dusty blue; and 1811204 Sage green.

These garments also have the words, “100% Cotton, RN 81700, Made in Pakistan,” on the label. 

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

October 28, 2009 – High winds toppled a eucalyptus tree in San Marcos this morning that fell onto a car and briefly trapped two people, officials said.

The tree fell over around 9:30 a.m. on Woodland Parkway near Rancheros Drive, a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said. The couple was extricated from their car by San Marcos firefighters and one person was transported to the hospital, a fire dispatcher said.

TaylorSEOReport090309October 28, 2009 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Target, today announced a voluntary recall of Halloween flashlights manufactured by DGI LLC, of Warren, N.J. and Tien Hsing, of Wanchai, Hong Kong.  The flashlights can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard to consumers.   To date, there have been eight reports of flashlights overheating and melting, including one report of burns to the hand.

This recall involves two types of Halloween-themed flashlights: the mini flashlights and flashlights sold with stencils.  The mini flashlights have a key ring extending from the bottom and were sold in a pack of three colors: orange, green and black. The orange and purple packaging has “Mini Flashlights (3 Pack)” printed on the front and “DGI”, “Made in China” and “DPCI# 234-02-1813” printed on the back.

The standard sized flashlights with a black handle and an orange top. The flashlights were sold with six stencils in various colors and images: a pumpkin, ghost, spider, cat, witch and skull & cross-bones. “Flashlight with Stencil” is printed on the front and “Tien Hsing,” “Made in China” and ”234 02 1838” is printed on the back of the packaging.

These Halloween flashlights were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide from August 2009 through September 2009 for $1 for the mini flashlights and $2.50 for the flashlights with stencils. 

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact the Defective Product lawyers of the Gomez Law Firm today.

October 28, 2009 – A 41-year-old Indio bicyclist died yesterday after colliding with a water tanker truck, according to Riverside County coroner’s officials.

Robert Alexander Escovedo died at the scene of the 3:24 p.m. collision along Eb Avenue, about 45 feet east of Jackson Street, Deputy Coroner M.B. Drafton said in a written statement.

Indio police are investigating.

October 28, 2009 – A 74-year-old Big Bear City woman died last evening after being hurt in a single-car traffic wreck, according to San Bernardino coroner’s officials.

Barbara Lowe was a passenger in a 1999 Ford that was traveling north on Highway 38 in Big Bear City when the car veered off the roadway and hit a tree, investigators said in a written statement.

Lowe was taken to Bear Valley Community Hospital where she died at 6:15 p.m.