Volkswagen Corp. Agrees To Pay $14.7 billion After False Computer Data Revealed; More Criminal And Civil Liability Pending

Daniel Carder (pictured) conducted a $50,000 study at West Virginia University that set off the scandal.

[From article]
Volkswagen has agreed to pay out $14.7 billion over its emissions-cheating diesel-powered cars in one of the largest consumer class-action settlements in US history.
The settlement filed in federal court calls for the German auto giant to pay each owner up to $10,000 in cash, and either buy back or fix the 'clean diesel' cars designed to trick air-quality tests.
The company has agreed to spend a maximum of $10.03billion compensating owners. Volkswagen will pay an environmental penalty of $2.7billion and spend another $2billion on promoting eco-friendly cars.
The payout will affect owners of 2009 to 2015 diesel models of Volkswagen Jettas, Passats, Golfs and Beetles. The TDI Audi A3 is also included.
The $2.0 billion will go towards 'creating infrastructure for and promoting public awareness of zero emission vehicles,' the court filing showed.
The huge settlement, which still needs to be approved by a federal judge in San Francisco, could affect some 480,000 owners of Volkswagens and Audis with 2.0-liter diesel engines.
Volkswagen agreed to buy back the emissions-cheating vehicles at their market prices before the scandal broke.
For qualifying Jetta Sedans, owners can receive $12,475, while some Audi models will fetch more than $44,000.
The owners also have the option of letting Volkswagen modify the cars to meet US pollution standards.
In either case, the owners would also get a cash settlement ranging from $5,100 to $10,000 depending on the vehicle.
While the deal only covers a small portion of the 11million cars around the world that have been fitted with the cheating software, law professor David Uhlmann told the NYTimes it was a 'remarkable deal' for VW owners in the US.
Daniel Carder conducted a $50,000 study at West Virginia University in 2012 to 2013 that produced early evidence that Volkswagen was cheating on US. vehicle emissions tests.
The study found one vehicle with 15 to 35 times the reported emissions levels, setting off a scandal that reverberated throughout the auto industry.
Volkswagen admitted in September that it had installed software in the vehicles that tricked US emissions tests into showing the cars met environmental standards.
The device switched off after testing, enabling the vehicles to spew up to 40 times the permitted amounts of nitrogen oxides.
At a press conference in December, company chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said he would not name any individuals involved, but added: 'We are talking here not about a one-off mistake but a chain of errors.'
Volkswagen has set aside $17.9 billion to cover costs from the scandal including the legal risks.
Despite the settlement, however, Volkswagen faces more troubles in the United States.
The company faces fines from US regulators that may run to tens of billions of dollars while a criminal investigation over the scandal is also pending.
Volkswagen has yet to face similar charges over its 3.0 liter diesel cars with emissions-cheating devices, in addition to lawsuits and charges in other countries around the world.
Tuesday's settlement filed with Judge Charles Breyer would settle claims from the US government as well as a large number of plaintiffs including owners, lessees, and dealers.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3664121/VW-agrees-14-7-bn-payout-US-emissions-probe.html

Volkswagen agrees to $14.7 BILLION payout over emissions-cheating cars in the US in largest-ever settlement by an auto company
Company agreed to pay $10b to compensate owners, $2.7b in fines and $2b to promote zero-emission cars
VW agreed to either fix the cars installed with cheating software, or buy them back from owners at rates before the scandal
Qualifying owners can also receive cash compensation from $5.1k to $10k
Settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge in San Francisco
Could affect 480k owners of Volkswagens, Audis with 2.0L diesel engines
VW faces a slew of other investigations, lawsuits both in US and worldwide
By AFP and JESSICA CHIA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:47 EST, 28 June 2016 | UPDATED: 13:13 EST, 28 June 2016

Driverless Uber Vehicles On Streets of Pittsburgh, PA

[From article]

If you're looking forward to the day when an Uber whisks you across town without anyone behind the wheel, then good news: the ride-sharing company has shown off its first autonomous vehicle.
The car -- a Ford Fusion Hybrid -- has been shown taking to the streets of Pittsburgh. It's equipped with sensors, radars, laser scanners and high-resolution cameras, and is designed to gather mapping data as well as test its self-driving capabilities, Uber writes on its blog.
"When it's in self-driving mode, a trained driver will be in the driver's seat monitoring operations," the company explains. "Real-world testing is critical to our efforts to develop self-driving technology. We believe this technology will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in car accidents."



Uber says it's still in the very early days of testing, so don't expect a driverless car pulling up at your door anytime soon. Somehow, the company managed to get this prototype out the door just in time to lay claim to being the first ride-sharing company to dabble in autonomy. Within the next year, Lyft plans to roll out autonomous electric Chevrolet Bolts, in an expansion of the partnership between the two companies.
Roadshow's own Tim Stevens thinks that this field is going to get even thicker, thanks to Apple. By investing $1 billion into China's home-brew Uber competitor, Didi Chuxing, it's possible that Apple isn't interested in creating cars that compete with traditional automakers. Instead, its foray into the auto industry could come as a sort of ride-sharing or car-sharing service, meant to compete with Uber and Lyft.

http://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ubers-first-self-driving-car-takes-to-the-streets-of-pittsburgh/

Uber's first self-driving car pulls out onto the streets of Pittsburgh
The ride-sharing company hopes its autonomous vehicles will help cut congestion in cities and reduce the number of traffic accidents.
May 19, 2016

Woman In Wheelchair Using Streets Due to Impassable Sidewalks Killed By Hit and Run Driver

[This comment was deleted by Cambridge Chronicle editors. It was posted a second time.]
Usual reason people who use wheelchairs ride in the street is because sidewalks are not passable. Imagine if black people or homosexuals were unable to use sidewalks. How long would that last? Parents with strollers carrying babies and toddlers also avoid the broken sidewalks by walking in the street. Much of this can be resolved by replacing brick sidewalks with concrete. But limousine liberals whose values rule Cambridge, dictate bricks because they are pretty. Dorothy might still be alive if the sidewalks were ADA compliant.

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20160315/somerville-man-charged-in-death-of-cambridge-woman-in-hit-and-run-of-wheelchair

Somerville man charged in death of Cambridge woman in hit-and-run of wheelchair
An elderly Cambridge woman in a wheelchair who was struck by a car last month has died of her injuries, and a Somerville man has been charged in the death.
Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 6:25 PM
Updated at 6:30 PM

CEO Of Energy Corporation, Dies In Car Accident, Day After He Was Indicted

[From article]
Aubrey McClendon, the founder and former CEO of oil and gas giant Chesapeake Energy, died Wednesday in a single-car crash in Oklahoma City, a day after he was charged with bid-rigging in the energy markets.
McClendon, 56, was driving at a “high rate of speed” at about 9 a.m. when he drove through a grassy area and crashed head-on into a wall, dying instantly in a 2013 Chevy Tahoe, Oklahoma City police Capt. Paco Balderrama said at a press conference.
The car erupted into a fireball after, charring the crushed hull of the vehicle, according to photos of the scene.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the crash was an accident.
McClendon’s death comes one day after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of conspiring to rig the price of oil and gas leases in Oklahoma.
“While serving as CEO of a major oil and gas company, the defendant formed and led a conspiracy to suppress prices paid to leaseholders in northwest Oklahoma,” US Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer said in a statement Tuesday.

http://nypost.com/2016/03/02/ex-chesapeake-ceo-dies-in-car-crash-day-after-indictment/

Energy mogul dies in fiery car crash day after indictment
By Kevin Dugan
New York Post
March 2, 2016 | 3:19pm

Donald Trump And The New Nationalism

[From article]
The crisis in world markets seems related not only to a sinking Chinese economy, but also to what Beijing is saying to the world; i.e., China will save herself first even if it means throwing others out of the life boat.
[. . .]



Indeed, with Marxism-Leninism dead, nationalism is the Communist Party’s fallback faith.
[. . .]
On issues from mass migrations from the Third World, to deeper political integration of Europe, to the EU’s paltry contributions to a U.S.-led NATO that defends the continent, nationalistic resistance is rising.
Enter the Donald. If there is a single theme behind his message, it would seem to be a call for a New Nationalism or New Patriotism.
[. . .]
They took our jobs and factories; now we are going to take them back. And if that Ford plant stays in Mexico, then Ford will have to climb a 35-percent tariff wall to get its trucks and cars back into the USA.
Trump to Ford: Bring that factory back to Michigan!
[. . .]



Asked by adviser Dick Allen for a summation of U.S. policy toward the Soviets, Ronald Reagan said: “We win; they lose.”
That it is not an unfair summation of what Trump is saying about Mexico, Japan and China.
[. . .]
He has not joined the Republican herd that says it will cancel the Iran nuclear deal the day they take office, re-impose U.S. sanctions and renegotiate the deal.
Trump says he would insure that Iran lives up to the terms.
[. . .]

Whatever becomes of Trump the candidate, Trumpism, i.e., economic and foreign policy nationalism, appears ascendant.

http://buchanan.org/blog/is-trumpism-the-new-nationalism-16413

Is Trumpism the New Nationalism?
Tuesday - August 25, 2015 at 12:03 am
By Patrick J. Buchanan

Support For Cambridge, MA Street and Roadway Redesign

Western Avenue, Cambridge, MA during construction

Priorities should be determined by usage. In some areas sidewalks are seldom used. They should be removed to make room for more cars to go faster. No sidewalks would eliminate car-pedestrian accidents and injuries too. City ordinance can ban pedestrians, and require immediate entry to a vehicle when leaving a building. In winter no sidewalks requires no snow removal. Heavy car usage of streets must get priority over light usage by bicyclists. Car owners pay more taxes and should get proper value for their taxes.

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20150709/NEWS/150706812

LETTER: Cambridge's leaders should celebrate new Western Avenue
Mariko Davidson, candidate for Cambridge City Council; Jan Devereux, candidate for City Council; Nadeem Mazen, City Councilor; John Sanzone, candidate for City Council
Posted Jul. 9, 2015 at 3:49 PM
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle
Letter To the editor:

Updated: NBC Bans Broadcasting Trump Pageant, US Rep. Joins Boston Columnist In Personal Attacks; NASCAR Moves Meeting

Posted June 30, 2015 9:09 PM ET; Last updated July 6, 2015 8:17 PM ET



NBC indicates it does not support the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of the First Amendment, i.e., the concept of free speech is to protect speech you hate. NBC interprets the idea as protecting speech they love and censoring speech they do not like. Bad enough for an individual, but this is one of six major broadcast corporations which used to keep Americans and others informed. Now they mislead and confuse. Shameful.

Glad to see that U.S. Rep. Capuano uses personal attacks to help inform voters in his district. Just what is needed in a one party state. Keeping voters and taxpayers dumbed down helps incumbents keep their jobs. 

[From article]
“I know plenty of people like that, and at any local bar, you can find some loud-mouth jerk at the end of the bar who’s willing to say such stupid, idiotic things,” the Somerville Democrat told Boston Herald Radio “Morning Meeting” hosts Hillary Chabot and Scott Ferson. “The fact that he’s running for president, I actually think if I was a Republican running for president I’d be embarrassed that he was in the field — and being taken seriously by some people.”
[. . .]
Trump’s comments on Mexican immigrants are not only unnecessary, Capuano said but “insulting,” especially given Trump has refused to back down from them.
“For him to double down and say, ‘I meant it’ — fine, you meant it, but now you go down as an official jerk in my book,” he said .
[. . .]
He is exciting on some level, he’s a celebrity and he does say crazy, stupid things. He will attract some people.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/07/mike_capuano_compares_donald_trump_to_loud_mouth_jerk_at_bar

Mike Capuano compares Donald Trump to ‘loud-mouth jerk’ at bar
Monday, July 6, 2015
By: Matt Stout
Boston Herald

* * *

It is perplexing that journalists who ridicule billionaires, speak for everyone else. How do they know what others think? Atkins says "Few would argue that Trump is anything but a fringe candidate. It pains me to even waste good newspaper ink writing about him." Really? How does she know what Trump thinks? Instead of answering claims about criminals entering the United States committing crimes Americans won't commit, journalists and politicians join in personal attacks. Immigration is only one issue which these two powerful groups refuse to discuss facts and policy so that voters and taxpayers can make responsible decisions to keep themselves safe. Using polling numbers this early is lame at best. In 2013 the NYC mayoral election was won by about 20 percent of eligible voters. The issue is a dumbed down population which is a product of misguided journalists who use personal attacks (like this one) and cute talk instead of factual arguments to keep voters informed. 

[From article]
Few would argue that Trump is anything but a fringe candidate. It pains me to even waste good newspaper ink writing about him.
Still, it seems Trump honestly thinks he speaks for a large swath of Americans yearning for a candidate who speaks truth to power and who won’t let political correctness stand in the way. Who he actually speaks to is a tiny segment of the populace who mistakes bigoted drivel for frankness and egotism for authority. Remember, he was the king of the anti-Obama birther movement. Everything about him, including his professed business acumen and even his hairstyle, is artificially inflated for effect.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/kimberly_atkins/2015/07/atkins_gop_must_deal_with_donald_trump_train_wreck

Atkins: GOP must deal with Donald Trump train wreck
Trumped-up pol a monster of GOP's creation
Monday, July 6, 2015
By: Kimberly AtkinsBoston Herald

* * *

[From article]
The presidential hopeful placed ahead of perceived front-runner Jeb Bush in a new aggregated 'poll of polls' with 13.6 per cent support compared to the former Florida governor's 13.3.
The rise comes as public figures and businesses continue to admonish Trump because of the comments saying that those crossing the border from Mexico illegally were 'rapists'.
Former Republican candidate Mitt Romney told CNN Saturday that the businessman 'made a severe error in saying what he did about Mexican-Americans'.
Trump defended the remarks,and used an interview on Fox and Friends Saturday morning to take a dig at fellow presidential hopeful Marco Rubio.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3149611/Donald-Trump-polls-Republicans-defends-comments-immigration-despite-increasing-opposition-Mitt-Romney-saying-remarks-hurt-GOP.html

Trump comes up top in 'poll of polls' of Republican voters - despite growing backlash over his anti-immigrant comments
'Poll of polls' shows Trump ahead of front-runner Jeb Bush
He defended comments calling Mexican immigrants 'rapists' despite some saying that phrases in his presidential campaign announcement were racist
Former candidate Romney said that Trump made 'severe error' and hurt the Republican party with the remarks
He also blasted candidate Marco Rubio for being 'weak on immigration'
By CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 15:04 EST, 4 July 2015 | UPDATED: 17:45 EST, 4 July 2015

* * *

[From article]

On the same day one of its top sponsors called on NASCAR to take a stance against Trump, the motorsports series said it will not hold its season-ending awards ceremony at the Trump National Doral Miami.
'We looked at everything we saw coming down and what we heard from our sponsors and our partners and what we feel we should be doing, and that's what led us to the decision today,' NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3148982/NASCAR-distances-Donald-Trump-remarks.html

Can't speed away fast enough: NASCAR becomes latest business to distance itself from Donald Trump after Mexican remarks
NASCAR will no longer host awards ceremony at Trump's hotel in Miami
It responded to letter from sponsor about 'bigoted and racist comments'
Trump has defended comments saying that immigrants from Mexico are 'bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS and DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 16:36 EST, 3 July 2015 | UPDATED: 11:36 EST, 4 July 2015

* * *

[From article]
Mexico is “sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems to us. They are bringing drugs and bringing crime and their rapists,’’ Trump asserted during his campaign launch earlier this month.
NBC said it will now no longer air the annual Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, which were joint ventures between NBC and Trump.
Trump has already said he wouldn’t be appearing on the network’s show “The Apprentice” because of his presidential bid.
But NBC said the spinoff “Celebrity Apprentice” will continue without him.
[. . .]
“You have to stop illegal immigration. I know NBC might disagree with me, but you cannot have illegal immigration. You do not have a country if you do. I told NBC I can’t change my stance. My stance on immigration is correct.”

http://nypost.com/2015/06/29/nbc-drops-donald-trump-over-comments-about-mexicans/

NBC drops Donald Trump over comments about immigrants
By Kate Sheehy
June 29, 2015 | 2:34pm

Austrian Uses Car To Kill People, While Americans Still Use Guns

Just as conservative Americans blame mass murder on  mental illness, Austrians blame deliberate killings using automobiles on mental illness. Quite a creative family of ailments, no?

[From article]
The driver, identified by police as a 26-year-old Austrian man of Bosnian heritage, has been arrested. He works as a professional driver and is married with two children.
Police are not currently investigating terrorism as a motive and the suspect is believed to be suffering from mental illness.
[. . .]
Josef Klamminger, the director of police, said the driver's motive was not yet known but he appeared to be "psychotic" following problems at home.
[. . .]
Hermann Schützenhöfer, the governor of Styria state, called the driver a "deranged lone assassin".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/at-least-two-killed-in-austria-after-man-drives-into-crowd-before-stabbing-passersby-in-graz-10333891.html

At least three killed in Austria after man drives into crowd before 'stabbing passers-by' in Graz
LIZZIE DEARDEN
Sunday 21 June 20115

UK Testing Driverless Cars, Google and Uber Too

Driverless cars trialled on UK roads for first time
Driverless cars are being officially trialled on UK roads for the first time as the Government considers changes to the Highway Code to allow them to be used by the public. By 2030, the technology is expected to reach a level of safety and sophistication to allow all drivers to effectively become passengers as cars take over, being able to work, talk to friends or entertain themselves on the internet as they are driven around.

And then there is this:

Google to take on Uber with car-sharing app, Uber to build its own self-driving cars
Google’s investment arm is invested in Uber and the two new projects are likely to be complementary. But Uber’s move into self-driving cars shows how important the technology is likely to become. While Uber did not mention practical uses of the technology in its announcement of the new project, the self-driving cars could ultimately replace Uber’s fleet of taxi drivers

Man In Women's Clothes Shot Dead at NSA

[From article]
An NSA officer gunned down the unidentified pair after they crashed the Ford Escape into the entrance and then opened fire just before 9 am, according to NBC ’s Washington affiliate .
Federal officials said that both men were wearing women’s clothes and wigs at the time of the assault. Drugs and at least one gun were found inside the SUV, which the pair had stolen.
One of the gate-crashers died on the scene and the other was rushed to Baltimore’s Shock Trauma unit with potentially fatal injuries, authorities said.
An NSA officer was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
[. . .]
While there is currently no explanation of what motivated the attack, the FBI says the shooting is not believed to be related to terrorism. The incident was being treated as a “local criminal matter,” according to federal officials.

http://nypost.com/2015/03/30/shots-fired-after-suv-rams-gates-at-nsa-headquarters/

Man in drag killed after plowing into gates at NSA headquarters
By Chris Perez
New York Post
March 30, 2015 | 10:20am

* * *

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FORT_MEADE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-31-12-14-07

Mar 31, 4:58 PM EDT
FBI IDENTIFIES MAN KILLED IN NSA SHOOTING
BY MEREDITH SOMERS
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NJ Policeman Killed in Wrong Way Crash Honored By Fellow Officers

Frank Viggiano

Photo: AP
[From article]
The New Jersey police officer who was killed in last week’s deadly wrong-way crash in Staten Island was remembered at his funeral Thursday, which was packed with hundreds of cops from around the region.
Police Officer Frank Viggiano’s casket was carried into Linden Presbyterian Church while bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” and family and friends sobbed.
[. . .]
Viggiano and pal Joseph Rodriguez were killed last Friday when fellow cop Pedro Abad drove the wrong way on a Staten Island highway after a long night of partying.
Abad and his partner, Officer Patrik Kudlac, survived the wreck but are still in critical condition at Staten Island hospitals.
Abad had been previously charged twice with driving drunk — once in 2011 when he plowed through a Roselle, NJ, deli, and again in 2013 when he hit a row of parked cars in Rahway.
He had been in a total of eight accidents since 2005, according to state DMV records.

http://nypost.com/2015/03/26/hundreds-of-cops-mourn-officer-killed-in-wrong-way-crash/

Hundreds at funeral mourn officer killed in wrong-way crash
By Lorena Mongelli and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post
March 26, 2015 | 1:27pm

New LASER Weapon Demonstration Destroys Cars

Lockheed Martin ATHENA laser weapon system defeats a truck target by disabling the engine, demonstrating its military effectiveness against enemy ground vehicles. 

(Lockheed Martin)
This is latest demonstration of a weapon used by criminals in and out of government to attack humans, and electronic devices for many years. It was alleged that Russian military used a LASER to shoot down a US satellite. They may have been used to disable civilian aircraft. But with the dumbed down media, and politicians who remain  obsessed with same sex marriage and racism, who knows? Electromagnetic pulse weapons are also used to disable automobiles.    

[From article]
In the demonstration, the 30-kilowatt fiber laser weapon was able to disable the truck’s engine. The purpose of the test was to show the company’s innovations in developing weapons technology that is more precise.
“Fiber-optics lasers are revolutionizing direct energy systems,” Keoki Jackson, Lockheed Martin’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “We are investing in every component of the system – from the optics and beam control to the laser itself – to drive size, weight, and power efficiencies.”
ATHENA is a ground-based prototype system. In the test, the laser burnt through the engine in a just a few seconds, after being fired from over a mile away.
[. . .]
The military is already testing laser weapons. The Office of Naval Research, for example, is building a laser weapon that will be able to shoot down aerial drones.

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/03/06/lockheed-martin-demos-high-powered-laser-weapon-blasts-through-truck/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fmost-popular+%28Internal+-+Most+Popular+Content%29

Laser weapon blasts through truck
Published March 06, 2015

FoxNews.com

Muslim Terror Attacks Continue in Israel

Getty Images

[From article]
A Palestinian man plowed his car into a crowd of border policewomen in East Jerusalem on Friday morning — injuring seven people, including four cops, before fleeing the vehicle while brandishing a knife, according to reports.
Mohammed Salayma of East Jerusalem was shot and critically injured after he allegedly drove into the group of Border Police officers near a light rail station serving the Old City’s Damascus Gate, Haaretz reported.

http://nypost.com/2015/03/06/palestinian-rams-car-into-israeli-pedestrians-injuring-5/

Palestinian rams car into Israeli pedestrians, injuring 7
By Yaron Steinbuch
New York Post
March 6, 2015 | 9:16am

Feds Urge Scrutiny of Railroad Grade Crossings After Third Incident in New York

Sounds like a good job for the FBI, instead of protecting criminals and harassing law abiding citizens, they might save some lives.

[From article]
On Tuesday, an LIRR Montauk-branch train was heading east from Patchogue when the front end of the driver’s Ford Focus went beyond the lowered warning gate at Rider Avenue just after noon, the MTA said.
The oncoming train demolished the hatchback and dragged it.
“The car went airborne like it was a toy,” said Wayne Berry, who was headed to lunch when the crash took place.
“The driver just went through the gate like there was no train coming at all. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. [The car] got spun around and dragged like a rag doll.”
None of the 13 passengers aboard the train’s four passenger cars was injured.
The driver, identified as 67-year-old Garry Calderon, of Shirley, LI, was rushed to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

http://nypost.com/2015/03/04/feds-call-for-crossing-crackdown-after-third-ny-train-collision/

Feds call for crossing crackdown after third NY train collision
By Victor Alcorn and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post
March 4, 2015 | 1:36am

Updated: Road Rager Shoots Dead Las Vegas Mother of Four, Suspect Arrested, Knew Victim

Posted February 16, 2015 9:33 PM ET; Last updated February 20, 2015 3:28 PM ET

Tammy Meyers, Las Vegas Mother of Four

[From article]
The family of a woman killed in an apparent road rage shooting said they knew the suspect arrested for her death, but didn’t tell police that information until Thursday.
Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. was arrested Thursday afternoon after SWAT teams surrounded his home a block away from the residence of Tammy Meyers, the woman killed. The suspect’s mother owns the home and tipped off police, according to CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.
The 19-year-old Nowsch faces charges of murder, attempted murder and discharging a gun within a vehicle in connection with the Feb. 13 shooting.

http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2015/02/20/you-made-my-wife-look-like-an-animal-husband-of-road-rage-victim-snaps-at-media/

You Made My Wife Look Like An Animal': Husband Of Road Rage Victim Snaps At Media
February 20, 2015 4:45 AM

Published on Feb 20, 2015
After a two-hour standoff Thursday, Las Vegas police arrested a suspect in the apparent road rage shooting that left a mother of four dead. The case took a turn after it was revealed that the suspect and the mom knew each other. John Blackstone reports.

* * *

[From article]
Kristal Meyers told police that her mother was driving them slowly home from the parking lot when a car sped up from behind, and that she reached over and honked their horn as it passed.
"She figured that this person was speeding, and needed to be corrected. Right or wrong, she beeped the horn," Steiber said.
The man then blocked their car, got out and said "some words" that "frightened Mrs. Meyers and her daughter, at which time Mrs. Meyers sped past him" and went home, Steiber said.
"Here's what happens when she gets home," the lieutenant continued. "Mrs. Meyers is scared, but she's upset. She tells her daughter to go wake up her son, 22, to wake him up and have him come outside and get in the car with her so later they can find who frightened them and her daughter out on the roadway."
"They left the house in search of that person," Steiber said, and found a grey or silver four-door sedan matching the description of the car in the earlier confrontation. She followed the "suspect vehicle," then they broke apart and she drove home. Then the vehicle came into their cul-de-sac.
"There was a volley of rounds fired from that vehicle," and Brandon Meyers "returned fire," the officer said. "When the firing was done, he found that his mother had been struck by gunfire. The suspect vehicle then backed out and sped away. That's what happened. Tammy is a victim."

https://news.yahoo.com/police-vegas-mom-son-searched-vehicle-shooting-082511921.html

Vegas police, family defend mom killed in road-rage shootout
By KEN RITTER
February 18, 2015

* * *

[From article]
A 44-year-old woman who was teaching her teenage daughter to drive has died after being shot in the head in an apparent road-rage attack outside her Las Vegas home.
Tammy Meyers died after being taken off life support Saturday night at University Medical Center, family members said at a news conference. Police are still pursuing a suspect in her shooting.
The mother of four and former California nurse gave her 14-year-old daughter a driving lesson in a school parking lot and was driving back home when she almost crashed with another vehicle Thursday night, police said.
After an argument, Meyers drove home and asked her adult son for help as her daughter went inside the home.
The suspect vehicle appeared outside the home, and someone inside fired multiple shots, one of which struck Meyers, investigators said.
[. . .]
The suspect was described as a 6-foot, 180-pound white man in his mid-20s with dirty blond hair in a spiked style. The suspect vehicle was described as a four-door gray or silver sedan with possible bullet holes and damage to the front driver's side of the vehicle.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ROAD_RAGE_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-16-09-59-54

Feb 16, 9:59 AM EST
WOMAN DIES AFTER APPARENT ROAD-RAGE ATTACK IN LAS VEGAS
AP

Angry Alabama Husband Drives Car Into House, Pedestrian Neighbors, Too

Daniel Alan Hickey (Contributed by the Morgan County Sheriff's Office)

Guess who's wife was not keeping her husband happy?

[From article]
Those investigators reported that Hickey, who they also determined was drunk, went on a rampage after getting angry at his spouse. They said he started by damaging furniture in the home. They determined he then got in the vehicle and deliberately ran into other vehicles outside and another mobile home.
Franklin said when the homeowner confronted him about this, Hickey intentionally drove into him. She said when the victim's wife tried to help him up, Hickey ran into her too. Investigators said another woman was injured when Hickey hit a nearby porch next.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/02/falkville_man_wearing_devil_dr.html

Falkville man wearing 'DevilDriver' shirt accused of running over couple, ramming other vehicles and mobile home
By Jonathan Grass | jgrass (at) al.com
on February 18, 2015 at 5:13 PM, updated February 18, 2015 at 8:26 PM

Woman Dies Stopping To Help Crash Victim On Connecticut Highway

Lauren A. Mohr, 34, of Wallingford, fell to her death Thursday morning while attempting to help two motorists near exit 7 of I-91 north, according to state police at the Troop I barracks in Bethany. 

(Courtesy of Quinnipiac University)
[From article]
The accident happened about 12:30 a.m. near exit 7 of I-91 north, according to state police at the Troop I barracks in Bethany.
Lauren A. Mohr, 34, stopped to assist two motorists and fell off a concrete wall and then off a bridge, they said. She dropped about 40 feet, state police said, calling Mohr a good Samaritan.
[. . .]
Mohr was a temporary worker in the undergraduate admissions office of Quinnipiac University, according to university spokesman John Morgan.
"She comes in during our busy season," he said.
She was the stepdaughter of Joan Isaac Mohr, vice president for Admissions and Financial Aid.
A graduate of Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Mohr earned her associates degree from Middlesex Community College, Morgan said. She planned to study social work at Southern Connecticut State University in the fall.
At the time of the accident, she was returning from her job at Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar, Joan Mohr told Morgan.
[. . .]
State police tweeted a warning to motorists Thursday morning: People should refrain from getting out of their cars when on a highway, they said.
If a motorist's car becomes disabled, he or she should pull as far to the right as possible and call 911, they say.

http://touch.courant.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82862017/

Motorist Stops To Help Crash Victims, Drops To Her Death
CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
1:43 pm, February 19, 2015

Gentleman, Shoots Cars Parked In Spaces He Shoveled In Snowy Massachusetts. Charged With Unlawful Gun Possession

Arrest: Jose Osorio, pictured, was arrested on Friday after witnesses reported he fired multiple shots at two parked cars.

Will this be a hate crime for shooting vulnerable cars which cannot defend themselves?

[From article]

A Massachusetts man faces multiple charges after allegedly shooting cars left in parking spots that had been shoveled of snow after the blizzard.
Jose Osorio was arrested on Friday after witnesses reported that he fired multiple shots at two parked cars that were in spaces that had been shoveled on a street in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Neighbors also overhead him banging on doors and yelling about the cars that were parked in the street shortly before he opened fire.
Lt. Ronald Furtado, of the Fall River Police Department told ABC News: 'During the course of the investigation the fact came up that he was observed yelling and banging on doors in the neighborhood about vehicles parked out in the street.
He added: 'Additional facts came to light that he had produced a handgun and fired at two of the vehicles.'
Furtado believes that Osorio had shoveled the parking spaces that were then occupied. He added that when officers arrived they found Osorio in the area and later found a handgun at his address.
The gunman now faces multiple charges, including carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a firearm after being convicted of a violent crime and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.

Blizzard: A pedestrian walks in the middle of the street following a winter blizzard in Massachusetts, the state was walloped with snowfall of up to two to three feet across eastern Massachusetts.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2935299/Man-faces-charges-shooting-parked-cars-blizzard.html

Gunman who 'shot up parked cars in spots that had that had been cleared of snow' is arrested
Jose Osorio was arrested after he fired shots at two parked cars
He was observed yelling and banging on doors in the neighborhood
He seemed to be angry about the vehicles that were parked in the street
He now faces charges of including carrying a firearm without a license
By BELINDA ROBINSON FOR MAIL ONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:04 EST, 1 February 2015 | UPDATED: 11:37 EST, 1 February 2015

Bob Simon, CBS News, 60 Minutes Host Dead In NYC Car Crash

Bob Simon poses on the roof of the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, in March 5, 1999.

Photo: AP

[From article]
The CBS reporter died when the Lincoln Town Car he was riding in crashed with a Mercedes and then lost control and plowed into a pedestrian expansion near 30th Street at about 7 p.m., according to sources.
Cops had to cut off the top of the Lincoln to free Simon and the driver, who, according to a law enforcement sources, was treated for a possible heart attack by EMTs.
The driver of the Mercedes said the livery driver was driving erratically.

http://nypost.com/2015/02/11/60-minutes-bob-simon-killed-in-car-crash/

60 Minutes’ Bob Simon killed in car crash
By Larry Celona and C.J. Sullivan
February 11, 2015 | 9:24pm

New York Post

BMW Testing See Through Car Glasses

[From article]
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ec04f00-a2fd-11e4-9c06-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3R0SMk0FC
BMW has found a solution to the perils of parallel parking that could have been lifted from a 1950s joke shop: X-ray specs.
The Germany-based carmaker is joining the ranks of Google and Microsoft by launching a pair of augmented reality glasses that will allow drivers to see “through” the car when parking.
[. . .] High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ec04f00-a2fd-11e4-9c06-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3R0SbEStt
The German carmaker has been developing the glasses at its research and development laboratory in the heart of Silicon Valley, according to three people familiar with the company’s plans, and will demonstrate the technology at the Shanghai motor show in April.
Details of the new product are limited, but the goggles are expected to include real-time information from the car such as speed. They are also expected to offer car-sharing information and public transport updates, suggesting that they are intended to be worn outside the car as well.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ec04f00-a2fd-11e4-9c06-00144feab7de.html#axzz3R0S2HFSq

February 6, 2015 6:06 pm
BMW sees future through X-ray specs
Andy Sharman in Mountain View, California