Monday, February 10, 2020

Man leads police on chase, dies after 100 mph, 330-foot jump over river

A California driver fleeing from police died after launching his Mercedes-Benz sedan over the San Joaquin River at nearly 100 miles per hour, according to multiple reports.

The car flew roughly 330 feet across the river, stunning local police. As the silver Mercedes descended, it took the tops off trees and then crashed and rolled into an upright position, witnesses said.

"In my 20 years, I've never seen a vehicle travel close to that distance," California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesman Mike Salas told Fresno's KFSN-TV. He added that it traveled "approximately 337 feet."

David Callahan, 58, was killed on impact, the outlet said. He was the only person in the vehicle.

Before the fatal crash, Callahan was reportedly being pursued by Fresno police around 8:30 a.m., failing to pull over after they noticed his swerving car -- which almost struck a patrol car, the outlet said. CHP said an incident at his home may have prompted his agitated mental state.

"They were able to find that some issues were going on at the house that may have contributed to him leaving erratically from his residence," Salas told the station.

Last July, Fresno police were called to his family's residence after Callahan's wife said he was using drugs and pushed her, according to the outlet.

A witness near the incident said Callahan made a U-turn before sending his vehicle airborne.

“Like at 100 miles per hour, he cleared the whole damn river," Bryan Zollars told Fresno's KSEE-TV.

Friends of the victim told KFSN they were "confused as to why he did what he did," adding that Callahan was a generous person.

“What may have been going through his mind to drive this fast?” CHP Officer Matt Zulim asked, according to the outlet. “And to do what he did in his car today. ... He jumped the San Joaquin River. It’s an absolute tragedy. You never want to see someone die — especially in this fashion.”

Via: https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-dies-jumping-300-feet-california-river-mercedes

Man who killed stepdad with ‘atomic wedgie’ gets 30 years in prison

An Oklahoma man who killed his stepfather after delivering an "atomic wedgie" was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday.

Brad Davis, 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deal with prosecutors in May after his 58-year-old stepdad was found dead at his McLoud home in December 2013.

The former Marine pulled Denver Lee St. Clair's underwear over his head during a fight, but the band got wrapped around his neck and strangled him, Davis told investigators.

Davis did not intend to kill St. Clair, who had bullied him throughout his life and had instigated the fight by insulting his mom, Davis' attorney said in May.

Prosecutors initially charged Davis with first-degree murder, saying he beat St. Clair with an object, before staging the crime scene to make it appear like a fight, the Oklahoman reported.

They later agreed to a deal with the defense, although could not agree about sentencing.

Pottawatomie County District Judge John G. Canavan Jr. sided with prosecutors' recommendations Thursday, rejecting the defense's attempt for a four-year sentence.

The judge found it disturbing that Davis took cellphone pictures of St. Clair as the man was unconscious and in distress.

Via: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-killed-stepdad-atomic-wedgie-30-years-article-1.2295419

Man Devoured By Alligator While Hiding from Police

This headline could have left out the location of this incident and you'd have known it took place in the World's Craziest Peninsula™ anyway. This is quintessential Florida Man: criminal activity, unconventional encounters with police, and an outrageous Floridian twist, usually involving drug use.

In this case, the twist is that would-be burglar Matthew Riggins attempted to hide from police and, in the process, was devoured by a swamp monster from the gates of hell. (Hell, here, is Brevard County, Florida.) "Riggins and an accomplice were spotted lurking behind homes by neighbors who called the police," the Daily Mail reports. A police chase ensued, complete with K-9 units, but both suspects managed to get away—from the cops, anyway.

"He probably went into the lake to hide from the officers and the dog, and came across that gator," said Major Tod Goodyear of the Brevard County sheriff's office.

It's unclear whether Riggins was near Barefoot Bay Pond or in it when he encountered the beast. His family reported him missing that night—November 13—but his body was not found floating in the lake until 10 days later. When divers attempted to retrieve it, they were repeatedly attacked by the alligator, which forced a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to put the animal down. An analysis of its stomach and an autopsy of Riggins' body confirmed that the alligator drowned Riggins and then ate some of the remains.

"To hide somewhere to try and get away, and then meeting up with an animal like that, no, I've never had that happen before," said Major Goodyear, which is almost surprising.

"I would say it's poetic justice, you want to sit there and steal from people," said local Florida Man Chuck Stotes.

Death-by-alligator seems like a harsh penalty for attempted burglary, but what do I know? At least the gator wasn't on bath salts.

Via: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3350360/He-hid-wrong-place-Florida-man-killed-eaten-ALLIGATOR-hiding-police-caught-robbing-homes.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus

Monday, January 13, 2020

Model falls from cliff taking selfie

A British model fell to her death from a popular selfie spot in Australia on Sunday morning.

Madalyn Davis, 21, died after plunging off a 98-foot-high cliff in Diamond Bay Reserve in Sydney at around 6:30am, according to police.

The tourist had been at a party in Vaucluse on Saturday night, before she and seven friends decided to head to the cliffs in the early hours on Sunday.

They are believed to have climbed a fence to sit on the edge of a cliff to watch the sunrise.

NSW Police said that emergency services, including Pol Air and the Marine Area Command, were called at 6.30am.

Madalyn’s body was found in the water four hours after the police were called.

Her death is not the first to have happened on the cliffs, which are a hotspot for tourists looking to take Instagram photos.

Last August, a 27-year-old fell to her death, with witnesses at the time telling police that she may have been taking photos.

Police said in a statement that they are currently investigating Madalyn’s death. “An investigation is underway. A report will be prepared for the coroner.”

Via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/13/british-backpacker-madalyn-davis-plunges-to-her-death-from-popular-selfie-spot-in-australia/

Thursday, December 5, 2019

woman dies after cigarette ignites her oxygen tank

A 61-year-old North Carolina woman was killed when she smoked while hooked up to an oxygen tank, according to a report.

Belinda Coble was smoking a cigarette around 8 a.m. Tuesday as oxygen was being administered at her home in Zebulon, 20 miles northeast of Raleigh, news station WNCN reported.

The cigarette caused her oxygen tank to ignite, which resulted in an explosion, authorities said.

Her husband was asleep when the incident occurred, but called 911 when the blast and smoke alarm woke him, the outlet reported. He then attempted to put out the fire.

Coble was pronounced dead when authorities arrived, WNCN reported.

Via: https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/nash-county-woman-dies-after-cigarette-ignites-oxygen-tank-causing-explosion/

Woman killed by passing car after jumping out of car

A woman was killed when she fell out of a moving car and was struck by another vehicle after initially surviving the fall.

Houston Police said that a woman became upset with her husband when they were driving back from downtown Houston around 1 a.m. Authorities say she started crawling out of the car when it was going full speed and fell out onto the North Freeway.

The woman, whose identity has not yet been revealed, survived the fall out of her vehicle but was then struck by a passing car and killed. Both the woman’s husband and the vehicle that hit her stopped and stayed on scene.

A secondary crash then happened when somebody crashed into one of the cars of the people that stopped to help the victim. A third – and unrelated incident – occurred when a driver was stopped for driving under the influence at the scene of the initial accident.

“This [second] vehicle also stopped to try to help the woman. So the traffic behind them, they had to slam on their brakes and there was an accident that happened here. Unfortunately, one of the drivers in that accident, unrelated to the fatality, left the scene and so we are investigating that accident as well,” said Sgt. David Rose of the Houston Police to ABC News’ Houston station KTRK.

Police say that the woman had been drinking but that her husband, the driver, had not. The northbound lanes near 610 were closed for several hours as police investigated the separate incidents.

Said Sgt. Rose: "You just got to be prepared to make sudden stops on the freeway. You never know what's going to happen."

Via:https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-falls-moving-car-argument-husband-killed-passing/story?id=67084465

Man Killed By Own Booby Trap Thanksgiving Night

A man was shot and killed after he set off a booby trap in his own home on Thanksgiving night.

Ronald Cyr, 65, of Van Buren, Maine, died of injuries sustained at his home on Nov. 28 after a handgun that was designed to fire upon anybody entering the front door of his residence went off.

Officer Chandler Madore and the Van Buren Police Department, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, responded to a call indicating that Cyr had been shot. But when officers arrived on scene they discovered that he had been injured by a booby trap that he had allegedly set up himself, according to a statement released by the Van Buren Police Department.

Several other booby traps were found at Cyr’s residence causing investigators to contact the Maine State Police Bomb Squad.

However, following an extensive investigation that last several hours, it was determined Cyr had been shot unintentionally after discharging his own booby trap.

“Regretfully, Mr. Cyr succumbed to the injuries sustained from the gunshot,” said a statement from the Van Buren Police Department.

It is unknown why Cyr had set up the booby traps at his home or how he managed to accidentally detonate the device.

Via:https://abcnews.go.com/US/booby-trap-kills-man-home-thanksgiving-night/story?id=67414907