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Enforce federal safety standards for automobile interior partition safety and watch me put people to work.
PLEASE: Sign the petition to enforce federal laws concerning partition safety! Click the link below the image labeled "Partition Safety Petition". The search bar is at the top of the side menu.
GoFundMe site for Partition Safety
Click here to read and sign petition
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
SOMEBODY is MISSING Something...
There is an apathy that
pervades the subject of automobile interior partition risk.
When taxi passengers strike
the partitions’ hard edges and protrusions, the reaction has been (in NYC) and
is (in Boston) to raise the liability limits rather than address the problem, then
- somebody is missing something. Also, constant admonitions that the reason
that any partition impact injury occurred, is only because the passenger did
not wear a seat belt… do nothing to address the true problem, hard and
dangerous surfaces on the partition.
When police car prisoners are
hurled into the steel grid of the partition with the force of a third floor
nose dive, and official reactions to officers who have bragged about doing
this, are muted at best, then - somebody is missing something. At worst, we
hear; “Hey, off the record, they’re just prisoners, they deserve no better.”
When police officers are
rendered unconscious due to a rear end collision causing the partition to
strike the back of the officers’ head, where they frequently remain in cars
that are catching on fire and many (70+) have perished this way, the reaction
is - horror that gasoline would ignite in a 100 MPH collision, then - somebody
is missing something. Nobody is questioning why so few officers, rear ended
this way, actually get out of the cruiser in time.
When frisked, disarmed, handcuffed, seat belted prisoners drive away (300 times in ten years) with the cruiser, usually crashing it, when the reporters, on eight of those occasions, characterize the prisoner as a latter day “Houdini” then - somebody is missing something.
When mandated taxi partition installation requirements do nothing to help, and actually result in more murders, we are told; “It’s better than nothing.” or when it is pointed out that murders continue with partition mandates, we are told; “Just imagine how bad it would have been… if we didn’t have them at all!” then - somebody is missing something.
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Partition related losses in police cruisers
The number of trooper deaths due to partition impact is astounding.
"You have officers who survive the trauma of a crash, but they die by fire and that should never happen,"
Clarence Ditlow, president of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington, D.C., group focused on the U.S. automotive industry which has unsuccessfully tried to get the Crown Victoria recalled after the fiery deaths and injuries of dozens of law enforcement officers around the country.
Researching fallen officers memorial pages reveals numerous deaths by fire after rear-end collisions.
Most of these officers died because they suffered fatal burn injuries indirectly because of the partition.
Some (3) survived with the head injury.
Nearly eighty did not survive.
We believe the partition is clearly the surface which contacts the back of the head - causing loss of consciousness at the time of impact.
Unconscious officers remain in burning vehicles and die.
This must end.
Auxiliary Trooper Truelove was killed when
his patrol car was rear ended by a tractor trailer and burst into flames.
Officer Julia was killed when his patrol car was struck by a dump
truck while stopped to help a disabled truck. The dump truck struck his patrol
car from behind while traveling in the wrong lane of traffic. Officer Julia was
killed on impact and the patrol car and the truck were engulfed in flames.
Corporal Paul Sweeney succumbed to injuries and burns received one
month earlier when his patrol car was struck from behind and burst into flames.
Trooper Patrick Ambroise was killed when his patrol car was struck
from behind while he was stopped on the shoulder of the Florida Turnpike, near
Okeechobee Road. A vehicle being driven on the turnpike suddenly veered onto
the shoulder and struck Trooper Ambroise's 2006 Crown Victoria from behind,
causing it to burst into flames, and trapping him inside.
Deputy Jefferson Davis succumbed to injuries received the previous
night in an automobile accident while responding to a burglary-in-progress
call. He was responding on County
Road 133 when he swerved to avoid three juveniles who were walking against
traffic in his lane of travel on the unlit road at 2301 hours. His patrol car
left the roadway and struck a pine tree and burst into flames. Deputy Davis
received burns over 65% of his body.
Officer Garret Davis was killed in an automobile accident when his
patrol car was rear-ended on H-1, near the Kaonohi Street overpass, at
approximately 8:20 pm. He had stopped his marked patrol car behind a stalled
vehicle on the left shoulder. Before he was able to exit his car it was struck
from behind by another vehicle and burst into flames.
Trooper James Sauter was killed when a semi-trailer truck struck
his cruiser on Interstate 294 south of Willow Road shortly after 11:00 p.m. The trooper was stopped in the left
shoulder of the south-bound lanes when the semi rear-ended his cruiser, causing
both vehicles to burst into flames. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A semi-trailer truck driver, having fallen
asleep behind the wheel, slammed into Trooper Skeeters' squad car. Trooper
Skeeters' squad car was forced
into the IDOT paint truck which was carrying flammable paints and thinners. Both
the squad car and paint truck exploded and were engulfed in flames. The three
vehicle accident instantly killed Trooper Skeeters. The drivers of both the
IDOT truck and the semi-trailer survived the accident.
Investigator Rusnak was about to meet with
other officers from his unit to do surveillance on a suspect's home when his
vehicle was struck. His vehicle was spun around and pinned against a guardrail.
The pickup truck rolled several times after the initial impact, coming to rest
on top of Investigator Rusnak's vehicle before both vehicles burst into flames.
Investigator Rusnak died due to the fire and massive internal injuries.
Deputy James Abel was killed in an automobile accident while
responding to an officer needs assistance call. Deputy Abel struck a patch of
ice on Old Alton Road, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. His patrol
car caught fire as a result of the impact and Deputy Abel was killed.
Deputy Samuel Smith was killed in an automobile accident on
California Road while responding to a domestic disturbance call. His patrol car
left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a tree before bursting into
flames.
During his response, Deputy Courville's
cruiser struck the back of a pickup
truck on I-10. After striking the pickup truck, his cruiser went out
control, struck a tree, and caught fire.
Deputy Ratcliff was killed when his cruiser was struck head-on by
a vehicle which crossed into his lane. The impact caused both vehicles to burst
into flames and both vehicles were burnt beyond recognition. The other driver
was killed in the crash as well.
Deputy Heirtzler was killed in a single car
accident as he was responding to a fire call. During the response his vehicle
struck a cow in the roadway. The cruiser then left the roadway and struck a
utility pole, bursting into flames. Efforts to free him by other deputies and
citizens failed and he was killed in the ensuring fire.
Trooper Hung Le succumbed to injuries
sustained in an accident on May 19, 1998. Trooper Le received burns to over
seventy percent of his body, lung and heart damage. His patrol car was struck
from behind as he was stopped behind a construction crew, blocking traffic, on
I-55. His emergency lights were activated when the accident occurred. The
patrol car was pushed into the construction zone and burst into flames. Construction
workers and passersby were able to pull him from the wreckage and he was
taken to a burn unit in Houston, Texas.
Sergeant
John Bagileo was killed in an automobile accident while responding to backup other officers on a call involving a
supsect who was tampering with an automobile. As he came around a curve on
Martin Luther King Highway, a vehicle pulled out from an intersection and
attempted to cross the road. Sergeant Bagileo successfully evaded colliding
with the vehicle, but lost control of his patrol car. His vehicle skidded,
collided with a utility pole and burst into flames.
Trooper Edward Mahoney was killed when his patrol car was struck
from behind while on a motor vehicle enforcement stop on the Massachusetts
Turnpike. Trooper Mahoney became trapped in the vehicle and was killed in the
ensuing fire.
Officer Schultz was killed in an automobile accident while en
route to assist during a vehicle pursuit involving a stolen car. During the
response, Officer Schultz's patrol car flipped over and struck a house, causing
the car to burst into flames.
Trooper Newton was killed when his patrol car, a 2003 Ford Crown
Victoria, was struck from behind while he was making a traffic stop on the
shoulder of I-70 near Odessa, Missouri at 0700 hours. The patrol car burst into flames upon
impact and Trooper Newton was trapped inside. The driver of the vehicle he had
stopped and the driver of the truck that struck his patrol car were both
injured in the accident.
Officer Clark Wooldridge was killed in an
automobile accident while responding to a report of a fight caused by a traffic
crash. During the response his patrol car collided with another vehicle,
overturned, and became engulfed in flames.
Trooper
Robert Ambrose was killed in an automobile accident when his patrol car was
struck from behind by another vehicle on the shoulder of I-87 in Yonkers at
approximately 2035 hours. Trooper
Ambrose was writing an accident report for a minor accident when the driver of a
vehicle attempted to switch lanes, struck another vehicle, and then veered onto
the shoulder and struck the rear of Trooper Ambrose's Ford Crown Victoria. The
vehicle burst into flames and both Trooper Ambrose and the driver of the
vehicle that struck him, who was driving on a suspended license, were killed. The
fire was so intense that the rounds in Trooper Ambrose's service weapon began
to discharge.
Deputy Incardona was killed in an accident while responding to a
call of an officer down. His patrol, which was powered by propane fuel, struck
a utility pole and erupted into flames.
Police
Officer Russell Willingham was killed in an automobile accident while
responding to backup another officers at approximately 3:15
am. He was traveling on North Vargrave Street when his patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree. He was able to notify
dispatch that he was pinned inside and rescue units were dispatched. Moments
later he notified dispatchers that his vehicle had caught fire. When the rescue
units arrived the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.
Officer
Michael Jennings was killed when his car slid into a tree and burst into flames
as he was driving down a steep hill. His partner was injured
in the accident.
Officer Brentar had spotted a speeding
motorist on North Lakeland Boulevard, just north of I-90, and was attempting to
catch up to the vehicle when his patrol car hydroplaned and the right rear end
hit a pole. The patrol car burst into flames, with Officer Brentar trapped
inside.
Sergeant
Muncy was killed after his patrol car collided with a tractor trailer and burst
into flames as he was responding to a call for backup.
Major LeBlanc was killed in an automobile accident on State Route
59 in Ravenna Township. A county truck turned in front of him and his patrol
car burst into flames. Several witnesses attempted to help him and were burned
when the car exploded.
Trooper Van Krevelen's patrol car went out of control on the U.S.
81 overpass, struck the right-side guard rail and then crossed the roadway and
became stuck on the left-side guard rail. The vehicle was suspended over the
edge of the overpass. The patrol car burst into flames and burned so hot that
rounds from Trooper Van Krevelen's sidearm began to discharge.
Not unlike NY Trooper Ambrose’ bullets.
Deputy Cannon and another deputy were both
following a dump truck whose driver was suspected of being involved in an
earlier assault. As they approached US 378, Deputy Cannon's patrol car, for
unknown reasons, crossed the interstate's median, struck an SUV head-on, and
was then struck by a passenger car. The patrol car burst into flames after the
second collision.
Lance
Corporal Hewitt was killed when his patrol car was struck from behind by a pickup truck on I-95 in Florence County. He was in the
process of working an accident scene when the truck veered off the road and
struck his vehicle. Both vehicles
caught fire, killing Lance Corporal Hewitt and the driver of the truck. A
pedestrian was killed and two others injured as a result of the accident.
Deputy Brian Denning was killed in an automobile collision on Long
Hollow Pike while returning from a call. His patrol car left the roadway,
struck a tree, and burst into flames.
Several passerbys attempted to free him from the vehicle but were unable to do so because of the flames.
Several passerbys attempted to free him from the vehicle but were unable to do so because of the flames.
Trooper Ross' vehicle was positioned at the rear of the work-zone
with its emergency lights flashing when a tractor-trailer struck it from
behind. The patrol car immediately flipped over and was engulfed in flames with
Trooper Ross inside.
Trooper Javier Arana was killed in an automobile accident as he
responded to assist a vehicle pursuit in El Paso at approximately 1:30 am. During
the response, Trooper Arana's vehicle collided with a pickup truck near the
intersection of Joe Battle Boulevard and Bob Hope Drive. Trooper Arana's patrol
car burst into flames upon impact.
Deputy Odell McDuffie was killed in an automobile accident on FM
770 in Saratoga.
He was returning from transporting a juvenile to the Hardin County Detention Center at approximately 1:00 pm when his patrol car left the roadway. He over-corrected, causing the vehicle to strike a grove of trees and burst into flames. Deputy McDuffie suffered severe injuries and died at the scene.
He was returning from transporting a juvenile to the Hardin County Detention Center at approximately 1:00 pm when his patrol car left the roadway. He over-corrected, causing the vehicle to strike a grove of trees and burst into flames. Deputy McDuffie suffered severe injuries and died at the scene.
Deputy Robert Harvey was killed in an automobile accident on CR
2500, at East 88th Street, while responding to a fight in progress call.
The driver of a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn in front of Deputy Harvey's patrol car, and caused a head-on collision. Deputy Harvey was trapped in his patrol car as it became engulfed in flames.
The driver of a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn in front of Deputy Harvey's patrol car, and caused a head-on collision. Deputy Harvey was trapped in his patrol car as it became engulfed in flames.
Trooper Matthew Myrick was killed in an automobile accident while
responding to an accident call in Deaf Smith County. He was responding on FM 1259, in
Hereford, when his patrol car left the roadway at Main Street and struck a
concrete culvert. The patrol car burst into flames upon impact.
Investigator Herman Scott was killed in an automobile accident on
FM 31 while responding to a gang-related call. During the response, his vehicle hit a
deer and crashed head-on into an oncoming car. His vehicle then burst into
flames.
Corporal
George Gross was killed in an accident while assisting EMS personnel treating a
cardiac arrest victim. Due to a limitation on staff, Corporal Gross was driving the ambulance to the hospital when it was
struck by a truck. The vehicle caught fire, trapping him inside. He was freed
and transported to a local burn unit where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigator Chad Carr was killed in an automobile accident on
Route 631, near Stanardsville, when his department vehicle collided with a
tractor trailer and burst into flames.
Deputy John Sanford was killed in an
automobile accident while responding to a disturbance call. Deputy Sanford,
along with a second deputy in another vehicle, were responding to a disturbance
call shortly after midnight. As they were traveling west on Route 360, the lead
deputy encountered a car driving on the wrong side of the highway in a blind curve. The deputy radioed
Deputy Sanford to warn him, but Deputy Sanford was unable to avoid the
collision, and was struck head-on. Both vehicles burst into flames as a result of the collision. The other deputy
was able to free Deputy Sanford from the wreckage, but he died at the scene
from his injuries.
Trooper Williams was attempting to stop the
vehicle when his cruiser struck a tree and was engulfed in flames. He was taken
to a local hospital before being flown to a trauma center with third degree
burns over most of his body.
Officer
White succumbed to injuries received several days earlier when he was involved
in an automobile accident in Haymarket. He was responding to the scene of
another accident when his vehicle struck a ditch,
overturned, and caught fire.
Ranger Catherine Secor was killed in an automobile accident while
en route to the Eastern Region Headquarters. She
was riding in the backseat of the vehicle when the driver of a tractor trailer
lost control in the wet road conditions and sideswiped the vehicle, causing it
to crash and burst into flames. Ranger Secor was trapped inside and died at the
scene.
Trooper William Schoenberger succumbed to
injuries sustained when his patrol car was struck by a tractor trailer on I-94.
He had positioned his patrol car in the right line of the interstate to block
traffic as the local fire department attempted to extinguish a car fire.
Lowell Russell TN State
Trooper Head injured http://www.statetroopers.org/PFStories/PFS032312.htm
Ellen Engelhardt MA State
Trooper killed http://www.odmp.org/agency/2382-massachusetts-state-police-massachusetts
Amanda Anna NY State
Trooper killed http://www.odmp.org/officer/21271-trooper-amanda-dorcas-anna
Jason Schechterle Pheonix,
AZ Officer burned beyond recognition http://www.autosafety.org/crown-vic-fire-forever-changes-police-officer SURVIVED
FIRE
Those who perished in fires
(43) are listed first.
Auxiliary
Trooper Edward W. Truelove Connecticut State Police, Connecticut
End of Watch: Friday, November 13, 1992 FIRE
Patrol Officer Vincent A. Julia Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department, Delaware
End of Watch: Friday, February 9, 1996 FIRE
6.
Corporal
Paul John Sweeney New Castle County
Police Department, Delaware
End of Watch: Thursday, November 30, 1972 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, November 30, 1972 FIRE
7.
Trooper
Patrick Ambroise Florida Highway
Patrol, Florida
End of Watch: Saturday, May 15, 2010 FIRE
End of Watch: Saturday, May 15, 2010 FIRE
8.
Deputy
Sheriff Jefferson Hancock Davis Columbia
County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch: Thursday, May 30, 2002 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, May 30, 2002 FIRE
9.
Officer
Garret Collin Davis Honolulu Police
Department, Hawaii
End of Watch: Saturday, January 21, 2012 FIRE
End of Watch: Saturday, January 21, 2012 FIRE
10. Trooper
James Sauter Illinois State Police, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, March 28, 2013 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, March 28, 2013 FIRE
11. Trooper
Bernard D. Skeeters Illinois State
Police, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, May 20, 1982 FIRE
12. Investigator
John A. Rusnak Cook County Sheriff's
Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Wednesday, August 3, 1977 FIRE
13. Deputy Sheriff James Robert Abel Madison County Sheriff's Department,
Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, December 30, 1976 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, December 30, 1976 FIRE
14. Deputy Sheriff Samuel Adam Smith Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Kansas
End of Watch: Friday, July 23, 2010 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, July 23, 2010 FIRE
15.Corporal James Ronald Courville St. Martin
Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 FIRE
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 FIRE
16. Deputy Troy Anthony Ratcliff Assumption Parish Sheriff's Department,
Louisiana
End of Watch: Saturday, June 5, 1999 FIRE
End of Watch: Saturday, June 5, 1999 FIRE
17. Deputy Allen Lawrence Heirtzler East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's
Department, Louisiana
End of Watch: Friday, September 4, 1998 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, September 4, 1998 FIRE
18. Trooper Hung Nguyen Le Louisiana State Police, Louisiana
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 30, 1998 FIRE
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 30, 1998 FIRE
19. Sergeant John Louis Bagileo Prince George's
County Police Department, Maryland
End of Watch: Monday, February 28, 1994 FIRE
20. Trooper Edward A. Mahoney Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts
End of Watch: Sunday, November 21, 1976 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, November 21, 1976 FIRE
21. Police Officer Brad Lee Schultz, Jr.
Riverview Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Tuesday, Dece mber 14, 2004 FIRE
End of Watch: Tuesday, Dece mber 14, 2004 FIRE
22. Trooper Micheal Lynn Newton Missouri
State Highway Patrol, Missouri
End of Watch: Thursday, May 22, 2003 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, May 22, 2003 FIRE
23. Police Officer Clark Anthony Wooldridge
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department, Nevada
End of Watch: Sunday, August 12, 1979 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, August 12, 1979 FIRE
24. Trooper Robert Wayne Ambrose New
York State Police, New York
End of Watch: Thursday, December 19, 2002 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, December 19, 2002 FIRE
25. Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey A. Incardona
Niagara County Sheriff's Office, New York
End of Watch: Thursday, July 22, 1993 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, July 22, 1993 FIRE
26. Police Officer Russell Mark
Willingham, Jr. Winston-Salem Police Department, North Carolina
End of Watch:
Saturday, July 30, 2011 FIRE
27. Police Officer Michael Ray Jennings Winston-Salem Police Department, North
Carolina
End of Watch: Friday, January 29, 1993 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, January 29, 1993 FIRE
28. Police Officer George
Brentar Euclid Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 FIRE
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 FIRE
29. Sergeant Marc Muncy Columbus Division of Police, Ohio
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 5, 1995 FIRE
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 5, 1995 FIRE
30. Major
Joseph LeBlanc Portage County
Sheriff's Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Monday, September 13, 1976 FIRE
31. Trooper Christopher Michael Van Krevelen
Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Thursday, November 28, 2002 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, November 28, 2002 FIRE
32. Deputy Sheriff Byron Keith Cannon
Richland County Sheriff's Department, South Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 4, 2005 FIRE
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 4, 2005 FIRE
33. Lance Corporal Randall Scott Hewitt
South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina
End of Watch: Sunday, June 23, 1996 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, June 23, 1996 FIRE
34. Trooper Lynn McCarthy Ross Tennessee
Highway Patrol, Tennessee
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 FIRE
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 FIRE
35. Trooper Javier Arana, Jr. Texas
Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, Texas
End of Watch: Saturday, March 24, 2012 FIRE
End of Watch: Saturday, March 24, 2012 FIRE
36. Deputy Sheriff Odell McDuffie, Jr. Liberty County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch: Monday, October 25, 2010 FIRE
End of Watch: Monday, October 25, 2010 FIRE
37. Deputy Sheriff D. Robert Martin
Harvey Lubbock County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch: Sunday, April 26, 2009 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, April 26, 2009 FIRE
38. Trooper Matthew DeWayne Myrick
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, January 20, 2006 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, January 20, 2006 FIRE
39. Investigator Herman Owen Scott, Jr.
Harrison County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, February 8, 2002 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, February 8, 2002 FIRE
40. Corporal George Washington Gross,
Jr. Port Isabel Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, August 15, 1986 FIRE
End of Watch: Friday, August 15, 1986 FIRE
41. Investigator Chadwick Alan "Chad"
Carr Greene County Sheriff's Office, Virginia
End of Watch: Thursday, June 4, 2009 FIRE
End of Watch: Thursday, June 4, 2009 FIRE
42. Deputy Sheriff John Walter Sanford, Jr.
Northumberland County Sheriff's Office, Virginia
End of Watch: Sunday, June 19, 2005 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, June 19, 2005 FIRE
43. Trooper II Daniel Lee Williams
Virginia State Police, Virginia
End of Watch: Sunday, December 12, 1999 FIRE
End of Watch: Sunday, December 12, 1999 FIRE
44. Officer Paul Thomas White, Jr. Prince
William County Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: Saturday, October 27, 1973 FIRE
End of Watch: Saturday, October 27, 1973 FIRE
45. Park Ranger V Catherine E. Secor
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Washington
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 9, 2000 FIRE
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 9, 2000 FIRE
Head injured, no fire;
Deputy Sheriff John Lewis Burkett, III Berkeley County
Sheriff's Department, West Virginia
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 31, 2001
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Trooper III William Schoenberger Wisconsin State
Patrol, Wisconsin
End of Watch: Thursday, April 22, 1993
End of Watch: Thursday, April 22, 1993
Alex Del Rio Hollywood, FL
police officer killed http://www.odmp.org/officer/19661-police-officer-alex-del-rio
Floyd James Fink Jr.
AR Officer Floyd Fink was killed when his
patrol car was rear-ended while he was stopped behind another vehicle on the
shoulder of U.S. 60 near Tempe, Arizona.
Corporal Johnny Mack
Scarberough Arkansas State Police,
Arkansas
End of Watch: Wednesday,
September 2, 1998
Officer Paul Hubertus Pino California Highway Patrol, California
End of Watch: Tuesday, December 30, 2003
End of Watch: Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Trooper Joseph A. Ynostroza Colorado State Patrol, Colorado
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 6, 1989
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 6, 1989
Trooper First Class Kenneth Ray Hall Connecticut State
Police, Connecticut
End of Watch: Thursday, September 2, 2010
End of Watch: Thursday, September 2, 2010
Deputy Sheriff Richard Lyn Daniels Twiggs County Sheriff's Office,
Georgia
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Police Officer Terry Jay
Emerick Illinois Commerce Commission Police, Illinois
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 25, 1994
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 25, 1994
Chief Deputy Sheriff George Oliver Williamson Dickinson County
Sheriff's Office, Iowa
End of Watch: Friday, June 8, 1973
End of Watch: Friday, June 8, 1973
Deputy Eric Shane Stafford Edmonson County Sheriff's Office,
Kentucky
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 26, 1996
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 26, 1996
Chief of Police Randy Wells
Forest Hills Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch: Monday, October 29, 2007
End of Watch: Monday, October 29, 2007
Trooper First Class John Edward Sawa Maryland State Police,
Maryland
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 10, 1987
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 10, 1987
Trooper Larry Eugene Small Maryland State Police,
Maryland
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 10, 1987
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 10, 1987
Deputy Sheriff Dennis Leo Riley Charles County Sheriff's Office,
Maryland
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 11, 1977
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 11, 1977
Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt Massachusetts State
Police, Massachusetts
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 1, 2011
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Amanda Dorcas Anna New York State Police, New York
End of Watch: Saturday, May 26, 2012
End of Watch: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Trooper Thomas F. Hudson New York State
Police, New York
End of Watch: Tuesday, November 26, 1985
End of Watch: Tuesday, November 26, 1985
Probation / Parole Officer II Jeffrey Lynn
"Jeff" Settle North Carolina Department of Correction -
Division of Community Corrections, North Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, August 4, 2011
End of Watch: Thursday, August 4, 2011
Master Trooper Calvin E. Taylor North
Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 3, 2001
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 3, 2001
Trooper David Harold Dees North Carolina Highway
Patrol, North Carolina
End of Watch: Sunday, April 4, 1999
End of Watch: Sunday, April 4, 1999
Officer Jackie Lamont Daniel North
Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Section, North Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, July 28, 1994
End of Watch: Thursday, July 28, 1994
Trooper Robert Perez, Jr. Ohio State Highway Patrol,
Ohio
End of Watch: Monday, May 15, 2000
End of Watch: Monday, May 15, 2000
Chief Deputy Sheriff George H. Allen
Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 4, 1974
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 4, 1974
Deputy Sheriff
Richard Dean Harmon Stark County Sheriff's Office, Ohio
End of Watch: Thursday, September 3, 1981
End of Watch: Thursday, September 3, 1981
Trooper Scott Alan Lyons Oregon State Police, Oregon
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 2, 1997
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 2, 1997
Trooper Matthew R. Bond Pennsylvania State Police,
Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Friday, January 14, 2000
End of Watch: Friday, January 14, 2000
Deputy Sheriff Brian DeWayne Denning Sumner County
Sheriff's Department, Tennessee
End of Watch: Monday, December 8, 2008
End of Watch: Monday, December 8, 2008
Policeman Clifford Riddle Tullahoma Police
Department, Tennessee
End of Watch: Thursday, January 1, 1987
End of Watch: Thursday, January 1, 1987
Sergeant James E. Faraone Salt Lake City Police
Department, Utah
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 18, 2001
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 18, 2001
Trooper Randy K. Ingram Utah Highway Patrol, Utah
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 5, 1994Deputy Sheriff Lester Dewayne Tatum Trinity County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 5, 1994Deputy Sheriff Lester Dewayne Tatum Trinity County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 FIRE?
Lieutenant Robert Duane "Bob" Haley Comanche
County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch: Thursday, October 28, 2004
End of Watch: Thursday, October 28, 2004
Deputy Sheriff Jesus A. Garza, Jr. Bexar County
Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, December 26, 2003
End of Watch: Friday, December 26, 2003
Corrections Officer John Murphy Bennett Texas
Department of Criminal Justice, Texas
End of Watch: Thursday, July 17, 2003
End of Watch: Thursday, July 17, 2003
Deputy Sheriff Charles Allen VanMeter Brazoria
County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Sunday, June 26, 2011
End of Watch: Sunday, June 26, 2011
Officer Timothy Joseph
Zurovetz Forest Hill Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
End of Watch: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Police Officer Mark Steven Simmons Amarillo Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Trooper Eduardo Chavez Texas Department of Public
Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, Texas
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 2, 2006
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Friday, April 05, 2013
Doctor comments about Illegal taxi partitions
“Those partitions create a plastic surgeons’ dream.” Jack Lusk - NYC TLC Chairman 1988-1991
“It’s a significant safety hazard,” said Dr. Jesse Taylor, a Plastic Surgeon at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who operated on Marc. He’s seeing a growing number of injuries, related to cab partitions.
Dr. Rahul Sharma, NYUMC - has worked in several city emergency rooms, is all too familiar with the damage the anti-crime partitions, required since 1994, can cause. “Ask any ER doc in Manhattan, and they will tell you they see it very frequently,” he said. “People have a false sense of security in the backseat of a cab.”
Dr. Gary Sbordone – Massachusetts Chiropracter - “Could cause complex spinal injuries.”
Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin - E.R. Director, Jamaica Hospital – ‘Since the partitions act as a second windshield, back seat passengers fall victim to the same type of injuries as people in the front passenger position, the "suicide seat," ‘
Dr. Gregory Husk - Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, “You can't do this kind of work (Emergency Medicine) without being impressed that the taxicab partition breaks a lot of noses, a lot of lips, a lot of chins.''
Dr. John Sherman - Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, New York Hospital, New York City - "The results are uniformly disastrous: patients with head wounds from dividers, fractured noses, lacerations and worse. Last month I saw two patients die from taxi-related injuries.”
Dr. Arnold Komisar, Dr. Stanley Blaugrund and Dr. Martin Camins - Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC - "Every emergency room in New York is seeing patients injured in taxicabs: three here, four there, six at another hospital, so it's easy to underestimate the problem,"
Dr. Stephen Pearlman - Upper East Side facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon - “Gaping soft tissue injuries are also prevalent, since an edge of a partition's sliding door or its metal track can tear the skin.” “In the most severe instances, this causes "almost an avulsion" of the nose.”
Dr. Paul Lorenc – NYC Plastic Surgeon “Crushed noses, fractured cheekbones and eye sockets, and "stellate," or burst lacerations, are among the most common injuries suffered when a passenger is hurled into the clear partition.”
Dr. Kai Sturmann - Acting Chairman, Emergency Department, Beth Israel - “I would like to see back-seat air bags.”
Dr. Marc Melrose - Emergency Physician, Beth Israel Medical Center, Manhattan - "Cabs don't have to get into an accident for people to be hurt. The cab stops short and you go flying into the screen with the handles and bolts and that metal change thing. It's dangerous."
Dr. Talmor, Dr. Barie, Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Hoffman, Department of Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, NY. In 1996 four surgeons from the Department of Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center released a report, this is a review of it.
“Craniofacial injuries resulting from taxicab accidents in New York City”
Taxicab accidents are a common occurrence in New York City. This review was undertaken to characterize the nature of craniofacial injuries that result from taxicab accidents
Data were collected on 16 patients who required admission to trauma or plastic and reconstructive surgery services, after sustaining craniofacial injury as a result of a taxicab accidents.
Front-end deceleration collisions were the most common mechanism of injury.
Fifty-six percent of the patients were thrown against the bulletproof, Plexiglas driver safety divider and sustained an injury most commonly to the anterior midface.
Both bony and soft tissue injuries were common in the entire group.
“Given the high incidence of craniofacial injury, appropriate safety standards for taxicabs must be initiated, including the reevaluation of the utility of the safety divider”
Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, ACSH (American Council on Science and Health) President, “The deaths and injuries attributed to taxicab accidents are highly preventable.
Dr. Ralph Upchurch, chief of emergency medicine at Somerville Hospital, said not wearing a seatbelt in the back seat of a cab can be especially dangerous because of the plastic divider between the front and back seats.
Dr. Seth Manoach, lead author of the report, said 'The plexiglas partition that seperates the front and back of the cab, protruding change dish, and metal border can cause serious injury in an accident.' He urged taxi passengers to buckle up "Sit in one of the seats with shoulder and lap belts. The middle seats don't have them and during a front-end collision, your head is going to come forward and hit the barrier."
From - 12/29/98 New YorkTimes article about zero seat belt usage observed by N.Y. Univer. Research Team findings 4/97-8/97
Diane McGrath-McKechnie, Chairwoman of the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission – “The experience of New York City absolutely does not support the notion that partitions have increased the number of passenger injuries.” “We are well aware of the potential dangers of passengers not wearing their seat belts hitting partitions in short-stop circumstances.”
“As officer safety and wellness is of the utmost importance to the International Asssn. Of Chiefs of Police you can be sure that we will continue to study all aspects of this issue.” Erin Vermilye 2/25/2013
Frank Armstrong, Motor Vehicle Safety Compliance Enforcement Section Director, 6/22/84 "Dear Sir: It has come to the attention of this office that you may be in violation of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 by the manner in which you are installing partitions in taxicabs and/or police cruisers.“
Matthew Daus – TLC Chairman - “These cars and the partitions that are in them are 100 percent safe,”
In 1984 I prompted official USDOT letters of warning about numerous partition safety violations. People die, are head injured and facially lacerated by illegal partitions. They "recommended" the Hackney bureau "consider" a requirement for seat belt retention. It was the practice of the partition maker/installer (George Summers of USA taxi) to REMOVE front seat shoulder harnesses at the time of partition installation.
Hackney allowed George Summers to CHARGE for seat belt reinstallation. THAT is a federal violation. It is just one of several federal safety violations that Summers was warned about.
I was named as the complaintant in the Hackney bureaus' letter of warning, by the USDOT. Hackney then told Summers that I was the whistle blower. I was rousted repeatedly by the state police at Logan airport. I was confronted a number of times by irate cab owners who were angry that they had to pay Summers for seat belt re-installation. They were told by Summers that Steve Crowell was the whistle-blower that was costing them all this money for seatbelt replacement. I told them the federal law required Summers to replace the stolen belts at his own expense. Apathetic, ignorant cab owners refused to follow up or complain to anybody.
The Globe ignored all my letters for 30 years. Shame on them too. Eighteen trauma surgeons have been ignored also.
Now, some feel that the minimum compulsory liability limits are too low for the extent of losses sustained by taxi occupants. Will we do the same as NYC did about this? Will we retain the partition hazards and raise the liability limits? Or will we finally address why taxi losses are so high? 12,000 children are hospitalized every year in NYC from taxi crashes.
“It’s a significant safety hazard,” said Dr. Jesse Taylor, a Plastic Surgeon at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who operated on Marc. He’s seeing a growing number of injuries, related to cab partitions.
Dr. Rahul Sharma, NYUMC - has worked in several city emergency rooms, is all too familiar with the damage the anti-crime partitions, required since 1994, can cause. “Ask any ER doc in Manhattan, and they will tell you they see it very frequently,” he said. “People have a false sense of security in the backseat of a cab.”
Dr. Gary Sbordone – Massachusetts Chiropracter - “Could cause complex spinal injuries.”
Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin - E.R. Director, Jamaica Hospital – ‘Since the partitions act as a second windshield, back seat passengers fall victim to the same type of injuries as people in the front passenger position, the "suicide seat," ‘
Dr. Gregory Husk - Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, “You can't do this kind of work (Emergency Medicine) without being impressed that the taxicab partition breaks a lot of noses, a lot of lips, a lot of chins.''
Dr. John Sherman - Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, New York Hospital, New York City - "The results are uniformly disastrous: patients with head wounds from dividers, fractured noses, lacerations and worse. Last month I saw two patients die from taxi-related injuries.”
Dr. Arnold Komisar, Dr. Stanley Blaugrund and Dr. Martin Camins - Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC - "Every emergency room in New York is seeing patients injured in taxicabs: three here, four there, six at another hospital, so it's easy to underestimate the problem,"
Dr. Stephen Pearlman - Upper East Side facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon - “Gaping soft tissue injuries are also prevalent, since an edge of a partition's sliding door or its metal track can tear the skin.” “In the most severe instances, this causes "almost an avulsion" of the nose.”
Dr. Paul Lorenc – NYC Plastic Surgeon “Crushed noses, fractured cheekbones and eye sockets, and "stellate," or burst lacerations, are among the most common injuries suffered when a passenger is hurled into the clear partition.”
Dr. Kai Sturmann - Acting Chairman, Emergency Department, Beth Israel - “I would like to see back-seat air bags.”
Dr. Marc Melrose - Emergency Physician, Beth Israel Medical Center, Manhattan - "Cabs don't have to get into an accident for people to be hurt. The cab stops short and you go flying into the screen with the handles and bolts and that metal change thing. It's dangerous."
Dr. Talmor, Dr. Barie, Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Hoffman, Department of Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, NY. In 1996 four surgeons from the Department of Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center released a report, this is a review of it.
“Craniofacial injuries resulting from taxicab accidents in New York City”
Taxicab accidents are a common occurrence in New York City. This review was undertaken to characterize the nature of craniofacial injuries that result from taxicab accidents
Data were collected on 16 patients who required admission to trauma or plastic and reconstructive surgery services, after sustaining craniofacial injury as a result of a taxicab accidents.
Front-end deceleration collisions were the most common mechanism of injury.
Fifty-six percent of the patients were thrown against the bulletproof, Plexiglas driver safety divider and sustained an injury most commonly to the anterior midface.
Both bony and soft tissue injuries were common in the entire group.
“Given the high incidence of craniofacial injury, appropriate safety standards for taxicabs must be initiated, including the reevaluation of the utility of the safety divider”
Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan, ACSH (American Council on Science and Health) President, “The deaths and injuries attributed to taxicab accidents are highly preventable.
Dr. Ralph Upchurch, chief of emergency medicine at Somerville Hospital, said not wearing a seatbelt in the back seat of a cab can be especially dangerous because of the plastic divider between the front and back seats.
Dr. Seth Manoach, lead author of the report, said 'The plexiglas partition that seperates the front and back of the cab, protruding change dish, and metal border can cause serious injury in an accident.' He urged taxi passengers to buckle up "Sit in one of the seats with shoulder and lap belts. The middle seats don't have them and during a front-end collision, your head is going to come forward and hit the barrier."
From - 12/29/98 New YorkTimes article about zero seat belt usage observed by N.Y. Univer. Research Team findings 4/97-8/97
Diane McGrath-McKechnie, Chairwoman of the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission – “The experience of New York City absolutely does not support the notion that partitions have increased the number of passenger injuries.” “We are well aware of the potential dangers of passengers not wearing their seat belts hitting partitions in short-stop circumstances.”
“As officer safety and wellness is of the utmost importance to the International Asssn. Of Chiefs of Police you can be sure that we will continue to study all aspects of this issue.” Erin Vermilye 2/25/2013
Frank Armstrong, Motor Vehicle Safety Compliance Enforcement Section Director, 6/22/84 "Dear Sir: It has come to the attention of this office that you may be in violation of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 by the manner in which you are installing partitions in taxicabs and/or police cruisers.“
Matthew Daus – TLC Chairman - “These cars and the partitions that are in them are 100 percent safe,”
In 1984 I prompted official USDOT letters of warning about numerous partition safety violations. People die, are head injured and facially lacerated by illegal partitions. They "recommended" the Hackney bureau "consider" a requirement for seat belt retention. It was the practice of the partition maker/installer (George Summers of USA taxi) to REMOVE front seat shoulder harnesses at the time of partition installation.
Hackney allowed George Summers to CHARGE for seat belt reinstallation. THAT is a federal violation. It is just one of several federal safety violations that Summers was warned about.
I was named as the complaintant in the Hackney bureaus' letter of warning, by the USDOT. Hackney then told Summers that I was the whistle blower. I was rousted repeatedly by the state police at Logan airport. I was confronted a number of times by irate cab owners who were angry that they had to pay Summers for seat belt re-installation. They were told by Summers that Steve Crowell was the whistle-blower that was costing them all this money for seatbelt replacement. I told them the federal law required Summers to replace the stolen belts at his own expense. Apathetic, ignorant cab owners refused to follow up or complain to anybody.
The Globe ignored all my letters for 30 years. Shame on them too. Eighteen trauma surgeons have been ignored also.
Now, some feel that the minimum compulsory liability limits are too low for the extent of losses sustained by taxi occupants. Will we do the same as NYC did about this? Will we retain the partition hazards and raise the liability limits? Or will we finally address why taxi losses are so high? 12,000 children are hospitalized every year in NYC from taxi crashes.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Liability Limits on Taxis
In NYC when it was noticed that people were not getting proper compensation for the staggeringly high losses, they raised the liability limits. In Massachusetts the minimum mandatory liability coverage is the same as all other Mass cars, as it is for taxis. 10/20/10 coverage is inadequate coverage for taxis, by virtue of the fact that taxis have much greater exposure. It is even less satisfactory because of the tremendous risk involved in using sub-standard, un-certified, non-complying interior partitions. Rather than raise the liability limits (only because of partition risk, as they did in NYC) to some astronomical amount such as 500,000/1,000,000/500,000 (which would still be inadequate for partition head injuries) why not get rid of the partitions or at least be sure they meet minimum federal safety standards?
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