Governor: 4 Dead, 63 Hurt In NYC Train Derailment

Map of New York Highlighting New York City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW YORK — A Metro-North train derailed on a curved section of track in the Bronx on Sunday morning, coming to rest just inches from the water and leaving four people dead and 63 injured, authorities said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the deaths at a news conference at the site of the crash near the Spuyten Duyvil station. He said authorities believe everyone at the site has been accounted for and that the National Transportation Safety Board is en route.

Eleven people are believed to be in critical condition, authorities said. The train operator was among the injured, Cuomo said.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said the big curve where the derailment occurred is in a slow speed area. The black box should be able to tell how fast the train was traveling, Anders said.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/news/1023495/Governor:-4-dead-63-hurt-in-NYC-train-derailment

Woman Killed In Apparent Hit-And-Run In Lower Pottsgrove

Location of Lower Pottsgrove Township in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LOWER POTTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, PA — A bus reportedly struck an elderly woman on Mervine Street in an apparent hit-and-run in Lower Pottsgrove early Monday morning.

The woman was apparently struck around 7 a.m. by what police are describing as a bus.

It is unknown if the striking vehicle was a school bus or one from a transportation company, but police are still looking for the vehicle.

Both Pottstown and Pottsgrove School Districts said the bus was not affiliated with them.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130909/NEWS01/130909478/(updated)-breaking-woman-killed-in-apparent-hit-and-run-in-lower-pottsgrove-#full_story

Bicyclist Hit By Tree On Thun Trail During Last Night’s Violent Storm

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A man riding his bicycle on the Thun Trail next to the Schuylkill River was hit on the head and knocked down by a falling tree Thursday night as a powerful thunderstorm roared through Berks County, felling trees, power lines and even street signs.

The rider, a middle-aged man who was not identified by emergency personal, managed to call 9-1-1 for help from under the large tree, which shattered his helmet and mangled his mountain bike.

The accident happened at 7:20 p.m. as the storm knocked down trees and wires across Berks. Transformers blew up, alarms went off in homes and commercial buildings and the lights flickered in the city.

County emergency dispatchers were able to direct city firefighters to a general area along the trail after using cell towers to triangulate the location of the injured man’s cellphone.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=403839

Driver Hurt When Rig Rolls Down Embankment Along Route 422

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A truck driver was critically injured and the westbound lanes of Route 422 in Amity Township were closed Wednesday morning after a tractor-trailer rolled down an embankment along the highway, police said.

Leonard Barnard, 45, of Philadelphia was westbound in a rig hauling produce about 5:15 a.m. when he lost control near River Bridge Road, just west of the merge ramp from the Pottstown Bypass, police said.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=366826

Roy’s Rants And North End Lose Power When Truck Hits Utility Poles

We were without power for about four hours this afternoon when a semi, coming up Hale Street (never a good idea), tried to make a left hand turn on Mineral Street and took out five utility poles.  Above/below are some pictures from the scene.  Took us out of commission all afternoon, on a good writing day….grrrrrr.

One of the firemen on duty said he lives on Grant Street and the power flickered there shortly before he got the call about the accident.  It is amazing how little one can do in this day and age without electricity.  Many thanks to PECO for restoring our power!  Also many thanks to Pottstown police, fire and rescue workers for promptly arriving on the scene!

The Mercury Leaves Out Important Details On Lebanon Crash Involving Pottstown Woman

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I suppose this should not really be a great surprise for anyone but the Mercury’s condensed version of the Lebanon Daily News coverage of an accident on Route 322 in South Annville Township, that involved a Pottstown woman, has some key facts missing.

What the Mercury fails to point out is:

“Burton’s vehicle was pushed into the eastbound lane when it was struck from the rear by a Chevy Equinox driven by Amber Dumond, 32, of 117 E. Cherry St., Palmyra, he said.”  The quote is from South Annville Township Police Chief Ben Sutcliffe

The Mercury tells us Burton’s children were in the car at the time of the accident.  According to the Lebanon Daily News “Burton’s front-seat passenger was Elizabeth Hain, 36, also of Pottstown, Sutcliffe said. She was released after treatment at the hospital. In the back seat were Hain’s children, Dharia, 13, and Delanie, 7. Both were listed in fair condition at HMC, a hospital spokesman said.”

Here is the entire Lebanon Daily News article for you to read and get the correct information.  A friend of Faith Burton’s brought this to my attention so we here in Pottstown have the correct information regarding this tragic event.

 http://www.ldnews.com/ci_17038737

Oil Spill Closer To Home Threatens Harrisburg Water Supply

A tanker truck carrying over 7,000 gallons of fuel had an accident near Clarks Ferry.  Almost all the fuel in the tanker spilled near the confluence of the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers, north of Harrisburg. 

The tanker, owned by Nittany Oil Company of State College, swerved to avoid another vehicle exiting the Clarks Ferry Truck Stop parking lot.  The other vehicle pulled out in front of tanker.  The tanker rolled over and only an inch of fuel remained in the tanker after the accident.  About 7,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel spilled into the Juniata River, creating a “minor” fish kill.  I suppose it’s only minor if you aren’t one of the dead fish.

The fuel spill has spread 8 – 10 miles down river, which is causing Harrisburg to consider shutting off a water intake valve from the Susquehanna.  A boom has been placed on the river to contain the spill.

This sounds eerily familiar.  Fortunately, Tony Hayward is not involved in the cover-up clean-up.