Posts Tagged ‘others’

Take the Challenge: We Need Others

Part of the Father’s Day 2009 series. Scott and Rick hold Montana, a giant Burmese python.

10 Who Make a Difference: Others who make a difference

10 Who Make a Difference: Others who make a difference
The Times-Union would like to recognize efforts from everyone nominated for 10 Who Make a Difference for 2010.

Read more on The Florida Times-Union

What’s the story with the giant evergreen tree at Walt Disney World, at least twice as tall as all others?

Saw it from the top of a waterslide at Blizzard Beach. I am talking about a natural tree, NOT the Tree of Life.

Church Bus Returning from Disney Florida Crashes, Killing One and Injuring Sixteen Others

The horrific Florida Church Bus accident on Saturday that has so far resulted in one death and sixteen others injured has left many news readers wondering what really happened.

Including the driver, the whole group aboard the Bus (which was actually a 1999 Ford Van) were members of the Saints Sanctuary Alliance Church in Pompano Beach, Florida. The Church Group had left at about 4a.m. Saturday morning to embark on a day trip to Universal Studios. After safely reaching Universal and spending the day enjoying the sites and the rides the Group left on the Ford Van to return home. At around 8p.m. that Saturday evening the Van was in Osceola County, located about 54 miles south of Orlando and only 8 miles north of the Yeehaw Junction when the 49yo Van driver Jocelyne Jean-Gilles apparently lost control of the 1999 Ford causing the van to swerve, rotate counterclockwise, then overturn and collide with the guardrail, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reported.

Although the incident is currently still under investigation by the FHP, at this initial stage there appears to be a few different possibilities for the Van passengers to recover for their injuries from a crash that undoubtedly has left an indelible mark on the lives of the seventeen passengers on the Saints Sanctuary Alliance Church Van.

Potential driver error;

It is yet unclear whether the Van driver, Jocelyne Jean-Gilles, was negligent in operating the Van and whether this had any correlation to the cause of the crash. For instance the Van could have been carrying too many passengers or the driver’s failure to properly correct the van after a truck sped by making the Van shake could have played a part in the crash.

Was the Van overcapacity or modified? The FHP reports that the Saints Sanctuary Alliance Church Van was a 1999 Ford model but there is no indication as to the total capacity of the Van or if it underwent any conversions before being used and consequently destroyed in this accident.

Survivors and witnesses report that a massive truck sped by the bus as it neared Yeehaw junction , the force from the passing truck was possibly an instigating factor, as WSVN ‘7 News’ reports (Survivors remember victim of turnpike crash);

“The van had made it eight miles north of Yeehaw Junction when, Eline Pierre said, a massive truck sped by them. “I saw a big truck was on the other side, so I felt our car shaking,” she said. The force of that passing truck proved too much for the van’s driver, and she lost control.”

Because it appears that the close-passing truck did not actually contact the Van or otherwise force the Van out of its lane it is unlikely that anyone in connection with that truck can be held legally responsible for this incident. However, the Van driver reasonably should have been able to maintain (or regain) control of the Van after the wind force from the passing truck shook the vehicle.

Proper licensing;

Florida law requires that any driver must have a commercial driver license when driving any of the following vehicles;

1) Trucks or combinations with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that exceeds 26,000 lbs. If present, a towed unit should weigh more than 10,000 lbs.
2) Trucks with a GVWR that exceeds 26,000 lbs.
3) Vehicles transporting hazardous materials in amounts requiring placards, or made to transport more than 15 people (driver included), with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs. or less.

As noted by bus accident attorneys investigating this incident (Church Bus Crashes Returning From Disney, Florida – Bus Accident Kills One & Injuring Others);

“It is unclear whether the driver of the church van had his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Typically, a van used to carry 15 or more passengers is required to have a CDL. IF the driver of the van was negligent in operating the van, the Church’s insurance company will be responsible for all injuries and damages suffered by the victims.”

Product liability lawsuit against Ford Motor Company;

Bus accident attorneys have also begun investigating the possibility of a product liability suit against Ford Motor Company because the bus flipped and rolled several times on the flat road surface;

“Many full size van’s are prone to roll over on the road surface because they are unstable. Product liability lawsuits have been successfully brought against Ford for the roll-over propensity of some of their full sized vans. Our lawyers are currently investigating to determine which make and model of the Ford van was being driven to determine whether a product liability lawsuit against Ford Motor company is appropriate.”

Of the 17 person Church Group, 1 was pronounced dead at the scene and the 16 others were all injured

As mentioned above, all 17 persons on the 1999 Ford Van were members of the Saints Sanctuary Alliance Church and all appear to be residents of Broward County. The one passenger killed in the horrific crash is 68-year-old Paulette Noel. The 16 injured who survived were; Jocelyn Jean Giles, 49 (Van driver); Matieu Jean-Gilles, 58; Gilbert Monestine, 46; Gethro Monestine, 10; Petit-Homme Dieuceul, 45; Jacquelin Honorat, 49; Kirby Jean-Gilles, 24; Deondre Jean-Gilles, 9; Sherline Jean-Gilles, 19; Karen Bastien, 13; Ashley Bastien, 9; Alexis Baptist, 5; Madine Joseph, 37; Beatrice Noel, 34; Eline Pierre, 46 and Emanuel Pierre, 7.

Click here for Google News coverage of the Florida turnpike Church crash

Tron and Others

Image taken on 2010-06-13 13:27:11 by Sam Howzit.

OTHERS SAY: Star wars

OTHERS SAY: Star wars
With Atlantis’ liftoff Friday from Kennedy Space Center for its final journey, the space shuttle program moves closer to the end of nearly three decades in operation—unless some members of Congress can outmuscle President Obama and wrest a reprieve for the program.

Read more on Arkansas News Bureau

Which golf courses should I play at Disney World? Palm, Magnolia, and 2 others are there. Which is the best?