Woman Swept Off Rooftop While Peeing

A young woman was seriously injured after she reportedly went to a Washington Heights roof to urinate and fell two stories onto the roof of an adjacent building. Her friend reportedly told 911 that she was blown off the roof by strong winds.

Police say the incident happened around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday at an apartment building on W. 179th Street near Audubon Avenue. The Daily News reports that Meri Marabyan, 19, and Jesus Plata, 21, had gone to the building to visit a resident there. Police sources told the News the three were drinking rum and beer in the stairwell.

Both women reportedly went to the roof of the five-story building to urinate when Marabyan fell off and landed on the rooftop of the next door building, which is two stories lower. "[Marabyan] was blown off the roof by the wind," Plata told a 911 operator shortly afterwards. The wind speed was around 7 MPH at that time in the city (the wind gust, which is was not recorded at that time and location by Weather Underground, was likely higher).

Marabyan suffered internal injuries, and was taken to Harlem Hospital, where she is listed in critical but stable condition. According to the NY Post, investigators aren't sure whether she was blown off by the wind or if she simply lost her balance and fell.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, 57-year-old Clifford M. Lemay died after falling from the roof of a seven-story office building in Teaneck, NJ. Police have attributed his death to a "horrific accident," with a peak wind gust around 32 MPH in the area around the time of the fall.

Via: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/woman-hurt-falling-5-story-nyc-building-article-1.2582127

Used Car Salesman Killed in Test Drive

One never knows what fate the day might bring when they leave for work in the morning. Imagine the shock of witnessing a fellow used car salesperson pull off the lot to test-drive a used Corvette and learn shortly afterward the customer crashed the Corvette in a high-speed accident, and killed the salesman.

After the smoke clears all of the details of this senseless, fatal accident will come to light, but for now the events that led up to the death of 43-year-old Warren Smale a used car salesperson for CarMax’s Ontario, California location are the following…

According to witnesses at the scene, the driver of the Corvette careened into a tree at speeds estimated to be in excess of 70mph. This man was 28 year-old Alex Demetro of Union City, California. Of note, Union City is a suburb of San Francisco, over 400-miles north of Ontario and it’s not known if Demetro had the means to buy the Corvette, or why he chose such a far away location to shop. Demetro was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence of drugs. Police inspectors did not say if Demetro was injured, but did say he was not suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, but suspect illegal drugs were involved.

The victim, Warren Smale of Montclair, was transported in critical condition to San Antonio Regional Hospital, in nearby Upland, where he died.

CarMax spokesperson Catherine Gryp stated the loss was “an incredibly sad day for the CarMax family. Our hearts and prayers go out to our associate's family. CarMax is working closely with the authorities on the investigation.”

Via: http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/drug-addled-test-driver-crashes-corvette-into-tree-kills-carmax-salesman/ar-BBpYoQB

Man shoots self with gun while taking selfies

A 43-year-old Washington state man died Sunday after accidentally shooting himself in the face with what he thought was an unloaded gun.

The man and his girlfriend were at a residence in the 46000 block of Baker Loop Road taking photos of themselves with the gun when the incident occurred, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Patrol Chad Clark said.

The girlfriend reported that the pair had done this several times during the day, with the man apparently removing the bullets and then reloading the gun multiple times.

After the last time, however, a bullet apparently remained in the gun, Clark said.

The death is being investigated as accidental, Clark said.


Via: http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/man-accidentally-kills-himself-while-taking-photos-with-gun/article_9d800601-988c-5ba7-b898-3cd211eb874a.html

Woman in video promoting prescription drug abuse found dead of prescription drug abuse

A 25-year-old Staten Island woman who appeared in a bizarre rap video about prescription drug abuse was found dead by her boyfriend in her Staten Island home yesterday afternoon. The NYPD said officers responding to a 911 call found Sharissa Turk "unconscious and unresponsive with no apparent trauma" inside the house at 535 Jefferson Boulevard in Annadale. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, but police sources tell the tabloids Turk's death is being investigated as a drug overdose.

When Turk was 22 she portrayed a blue drug fairy in a widely-viewed YouTube music video by Staten Island's White Trash Clan. Shortly after the video went viral in 2013, Turk was arrested for selling oxycodone to an undercover investigator. Turk, who was employed by Edible Arrangements at the time, avoided prison time by agreeing to participate in a drug-treatment program.

Incite DaRiot, Turk's fiance at the time and the producer of the "My World Is Blue" video, told Gothamist shortly after Turk's arrest that "the video was made to show the downfall of drug users, and bring attention to the epidemic that every Staten Islander is fully aware of. We thought, 'Let's take a risk, let's address something that's really serious.' We know people have family members that have died because of this shit, so we didn't want to make fun of it."

Turk is the second person who participated in the video to wind up dead. Last August, Gerard Kelly, a rapper in the video, died of “probable acute drug intoxication,” according to the city Medical Examiner’s office.

Via: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/s-woman-played-blue-fairy-drug-video-found-dead-article-1.2549764

Proactive Move to Prevent Selfie Deaths in Mumbai

The Indian city of Mumbai has established 16 no-selfie zones in an effort to curb a spike in selfie-related incidents. As the Associated Press reports, the ban applies to areas that police consider particularly dangerous, including parts of the coastline that are not protected by railings. Those who enter the no-selfie zones face a fine of 1,200 rupees ($17.50), even if they don't take any photos.

According to data from the San Francisco company Priceonomics, India accounts for 19 of the 49 selfie-related deaths recorded around the world since 2014, including two recent fatalities. This month, an 18-year-old student died after trying to take a selfie on top of a rock near a dam. He fell into the water and drowned, as did another person who tried to save him. And in January, an 18-year-old woman drowned after trying to take a selfie in front of a popular tourist site in Mumbai.

"THIS IS A NEW PROBLEM FOR US."

"This is a new problem for us," Mumbai police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni told CNN this week. "We have identified spots in Mumbai. We want to restrain people from going there so that mishaps don't happen."

Other countries have taken measures to deter risk-takers from snapping photos of themselves in dangerous locations. Selfie sticks have been banned at some train stations in Japan, amid fears that they could cause people to lose their balance and fall onto the tracks. Last year, Russia launched an entire selfie safety campaign that warned of the most dangerous spots to take a selfie, including rooftops and busy roadways.

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi has been a frequent selfie-taker, as well, albeit in decidedly less dangerous circumstances.

Via: http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/26/11118946/mumbai-no-selfie-zone-india-death

Man walking behind truck falls into sinkhole

A man in Queen Creek, AZ, apparently lost his life Friday when a sinkhole opened up behind his vehicle as he was walking, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

The man, whose name has not been released, disappeared between 3 and 3:30 p.m. ET in a farm field as it was being irrigated, witnesses told Queen Creek city officials. When the witnesses tried to locate the man, they found only a large hole behind his truck.

The man was walking to the back of the truck and taking off his work belt when he was swallowed, said a sheriff’s office spokesman, Detective Doug Matteson. Matteson acknowledged it was incredibly bad luck for the ground to give way just as the man was walking in the area.

“It’s kind of like getting stuck by lightning,” the detective said. Queen Creek is about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix.

Rescuers later found a body in the sinkhole that was about 50 feet wide and at least 15 feet deep but have had trouble extracting it. Water and mud were flowing through because of the irrigation, Matteson said.

Via: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/05/arizona-sinkhole/79909726/

Referee ‘shot dead by player he sent off’ during amateur match

Police in Argentina are searching for a footballer who is said to have shot and killed a referee after being sent off in a match played in the Córdoba province.

According to local reports, the player retrieved a gun from his bag after being shown a red card, returned to the pitch and shot 48-year-old César Flores dead.

A police source told the Efe news agency: “It all happened during the football match. We don’t know [exactly what took place], but it appears the player was angry, fetched a gun and killed him.”

Local reports said Flores was shot three times, in the head, chest and neck, while another player, Walter Zárate, was injured, but is understood to be out of danger.

Authorities in Argentina continue to struggle with violence in football. In June last year a match between Ferro and Tiro Federal was abandoned after a played punched a referee unconscious after being shown a yellow card.

Last month, five players were sent off during a friendly between River Plate and Boca Juniors. The referee Patricio Loustau booked nine others during the game.

Via: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/16/referee-shot-dead-by-player-sent-off-argentina?CMP=share_btn_tw