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June 29, 2007

Car Accident Kills Tenn State Track Member

Tennessee State University track member Joycelyn R. Gardiner was killed early Saturday morning when a car ran a red light and hit her car. Gardiner was 22 years old. 24-year-old Victor Javier Benitez was driving the car that ran the red light; he is believed to have been drinking.

Car Accident Kills Tenn State Track Member

Benitez suffered only minor injuries. He remains in custody and previously had been convicted on charges of car burglary, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

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June 28, 2007

Siblings Die in Car Accident

Jeffrey Ray and siblings Keith and Sheila Young died after the 2003 Ford Ranger in which they were riding went off the shoulder of the road at about 3:20 AM. Keith Young was driving the vehicle and overcorrected as he tried to get back onto the road, hitting a crossover, and then rolling into westbound traffic about two miles west of Greenup, Illinois.

Siblings with Hartland Ties Die in Illinois Car Accident

Sheila Young and Ray were thrown from the vehicle; neither was wearing a seat belt. Ray remains in the Carle Foundation Hospital where he is listed in critical condition with "life-threatening injuries." Sheila Young and Ray were in the process of planning their April 5 wedding.

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June 27, 2007

Car Hits Family, Kills WW2 Veteran

An out of control vehicle struck George Wolinski, his wife, and his daughter in the parking lot of a church. Wolinski was a respected member of the community and a former member of the Argonne American Legion Post 545 in the late 1970s and had served in the army in World War II. James Kawczynski, who says he had known Wolinski for about 40 years, said that Wolinski was "proud of being in the military and serving his country."

Car Slams into Family; Man Killed Was World War II Veteran

The driver of the vehicle, George Rooney, is believed to have confused the brake pedal and the gas pedal. A service will be held in honor of Wolinski so that fellow veterans can remember him.

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June 26, 2007

SUV Hits Car and Kills Three

Terence Papoutsakis, 34, drove his 2006 Hyundai SUV westbound on a one-way, eastbound at 80 mph. The speed limit on the road was 35 mph. Papoutsakis's vehicle hit a 1999 Ford Contour, killing the driver and two passengers in the car. Paputsakis was able to leave the accident scene without injury. Bradenton Police are working out post-crash examinations of the vehicles and talking to the state attorney's office about charges against Paputsakis.

The Sport Utility Vehicle That Struck a Car and Killed Three Occupants

Anthony Shoats, Papoutsakis' passenger, was hospitalized after the accident with a broken neck. A blood sample was taken from Papoutsakis after the accident; this is the custom in all fatal accidents. Officer Sean O'Leary said that Papoutsakis has declined to speak with the police about the accident until after he has consulted with an attorney. We won't speak with (Papoutsakis) until the possibility's made available," O'Leary said. "We'll be working as diligently as possible, but we won't rush through anything."

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June 25, 2007

Delgado Apologizes for Accident

Edith Delgado apologized publicly for causing the car accident that killed the royal prince of Tonga, the prince's wife, and the couple's driver. Delgado is 19 years old. The car accident occurred last July and four days ago a jury unanimously agreed to acquit her of three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence associated with the accident. Delgado was only convicted on three misdemeanor counts of vehicular manslaughter.

Delgado Apologizes for Accident

Delgado said, "a lot of people have said what they think I'm going through. But they haven't had a chance to hear it from me." The accident occurred when Delgado's Ford Mustang sideswiped the Ford Explorer in which the Tongans were riding. The SUV rolled several times and landed on its roof.

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June 24, 2007

Six Killed in Charity Car Show

For the last 18 years Cars for Kids has held a charity car show in Selmer, Tennessee. The event always has drawn crowds and has been a fun event for everyone involved. However, at this last weekend's event, pro drag racer Troy Warren Critchley lost control of his vehicle and the accident took the lives of six people. All of those who died were in their teens or early 20s. At least 20 others were injured.

Accident Kills 6 in Charity Car Show

Other spectators at the event questioned who decided to allow the driver race down a highway that did not have guard rails to protect spectators who lined both sides of the street. Garett Moore, who witnessed the accident, said, "it ain't really safe to do anything with drag cars on a city street. They shouldn't have done it." The festival was closed after the crash. Cars for Kids holds events through the nation to raise money for charities that help children in need.

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June 22, 2007

Car Crash Kills Students on Eve of Graduation

Two cars carrying students home after a school-sponsored picnic collided in California. The accident killed two students and injured nine others. A Honda carrying four girls and an SUV carrying seven boys collided. The Honda then broke through the guardrail and fell down a 25-foot ravine before rolling over several times and ejecting four boys.

Student Car Crash Kills 2, Injures 9 on Eve of Graduation

A spokeswoman for the sheriff said that the students had been driving too quickly and were weaving in and out of traffic. The accident occurred about half a mile from the entrance to the park where the picnic had taken place. Superintendent Arturo Delgado from the San Bernadino City Unified School said, "we are grieving. This is such a tragedy right before graduation. It reminds us how precious life can be."

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June 21, 2007

Car Crash Involving NBA Player Leaves One in Coma

J.R. Smith, a guard for the Denver Nuggets, has been issued two summonses after his SUV ran a stop sign and hit a car in New Jersey. Sgt. Stephen Jones, of the New Jersey State Police, says that Smith improperly passed another vehicle and did not stop before it entered an intersection. It then collided with a vehicle driven by Lynn Sinatra, 49.

Millstone Car Crash Leaves One in Coma

Smith had two passengers in his SUV at the time of the accident. Smith and Andre Bell, 21, were thrown from the vehicle on impact. Neither man was wearing a seatbelt. Smith was still under hospital care as of Monday, but he was in stable condition. Bell remains in a coma as a result of the accident. The other passenger in Smith's vehicle, Carl Marshall, 23, was treated for lower back pain after the accident. Sinatra was treated for a hip injury after the accident. Smith has been issued two tickets for the accident.

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June 20, 2007

NJ Works to Criminalize Car Accident Fraud

New Jersey legislators are contemplating creating a bill that would impose criminal penalties on those who stage car accidents in order to perpetuate insurance fraud. The bill, State Senate bill S2426, would make staging accidents a criminal offense and would penalize those violating the law with 18 months to 10 years in jail and fines from $10,000 to $150,000.

N.J. Seeks to Criminalize Auto Accident Fraud

The bill would specify that "vehicular collision fraud" could not have sentences conflicting with any other convictions. The bill also makes mention of what would happen in collision fraud where people commit two or more such acts. Richard Strokes, a regional manager and counsel for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America in New Jersey said that "it is critical that New Jersey remain a leader in fighting insurance fraud."

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June 19, 2007

28 Policemen Die in Car Crash in Nigeria

28 policemen and three civilians died in a car accident near Aliade in Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State. The accident occurred at about 4 AM when there was a head on collision between a bus carrying mobile policemen and a truck coming from the opposite direction. The State Police Commissioner, Prince Udom Ekpoudom, said: “I am deeply sad at this moment, especially at a time like this. This is the first time I am seeing something like this. Twenty-eight able-bodied policemen at a go. I am very very sad. The whole police force is sad.”

28 Policemen Die in Auto Crash

An eyewitness from the Nigerian Tribune said that people from the surrounding areas rushed in to help remove the trapped bodies from the wreckage.

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June 18, 2007

Police Identify Victim of Fatal Car Accident

Aubrey W. Dalton, 56, was killed in a one-vehicle accident in Charlottesville, Virgina. According to the police, Dalton's 2000 Chevrolet Impala flipped off an embankment. Dalton had not been wearing a seatbelt and police say that fog may have contributed to the accident. There was no evidence of excessive speed, alcohol, or drugs.

Police Identify Victim of Fatal Auto Wreck

The police department's accident reconstruction team still is investigating the accident.

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June 12, 2007

Car Accident Victim's Cause of Death Unknown

Nellie Jackson, 51, died at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey. Jackson had been driving when her car was hit by a car driven by Tamara Carpenter. Carpenter's vehicle hit the driver's side front fender, sending Jackson's car into a tree on the side of the road. Carpenter left the scene, saying she was not aware she had hit another car.

Car Accident Victim's Cause of Death Unknown

Jackson complained of stomach and chest pain after the accident. She died on Monday; the accident occurred on Sunday. Carpenter is being charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

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June 11, 2007

Car Accident Victim's Cause of Death Unknown

Nellie Jackson, 51, died at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey. Jackson had been driving when her car was hit by a car driven by Tamara Carpenter. Carpenter's vehicle hit the driver's side front fender, sending Jackson's car into a tree on the side of the road. Carpenter left the scene, saying she was not aware she had hit another car.

Car Accident Victim's Cause of Death Unknown

Jackson complained of stomach and chest pain after the accident. She died on Monday; the accident occurred on Sunday. Carpenter is being charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

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