Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "accident"

Commute interrupted, vehicle crashes into downtown business

2011-12-13T19:29:41Z

Sacramento, CA | Busy morning Downtown commute interrupted Tuesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a building.

Close to 7:30 Tuesday morning, the busy downtown commute was interrupted when a woman driving east on J Street, reportedly felt sick and passed out behind the wheel. Her vehicle hopped the curb and crashed into "Patino Building" at 1010 J St. The driver was transported to hospital via paramedics.

OPINION: Sac to Charge for "Scene Stabilization"

2011-01-26T18:12:01Z

I felt compelled to write this after reading Brandon Darnell’s report on the Sacramento’s City Council’s 5-4 decision in favor of requiring non-resident drivers to foot emergency bills. You can view his article here

I find this to be complete nonsense (not the article, the decision). Especially when reading some of the responses from the City Council and others.

The Fire Chief states that it’s not to bring in revenue, but to recover costs? He’s joking right? What else is this but a new revenue stream? Top that off with the old school mentality of budgeting, especially in a government environment. Towards the end of each fiscal year budgets are reviewed to ensure all monies in the budget are spent. If it appears there will be money left over, it’s spent with no regard to fiscal responsibility. Why? Because then they can claim last years budget was just barely enough and next year they will need a bigger budget to fight increased costs, inflation, etc..

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said by declining to discuss a confidential memo, authored by the City’s Attorney’s Office, is a way to safeguard the city against potential litigation. I believe not discussing the memo and the comments made by the city council is a perfect recipe for a lawsuit. However, I’m certain by the time this goes to trial they will have figured out a way to charge the public for the City Councils ignorance.

Councilwoman Ashby goes on to say “ . . . There is no free lunch.”. Did she really just say that? Does she not realize how much in taxes people pay to support our government infrastructure? Rather than cut costs cities and states continue to spend money. Why? It goes back to the budget and the “I gotta spend it” mentality along with police and fire unions.

The worst part about this is we will now have yet another contract with another vendor, Fire Recovery USA. Who are these people and why are we going to pay them 17% to handle billing? I’m thinking their friends with someone on the city council. They have to be with people on their team such as:

Greg Schmidt – Developer in and around Sacramento
Rick Benner – Former president of the Sacramento Kings
Kevin Trost - Retired captain for Sacramento Fire
Thorne Auchter – Former director of OSHA under Ronald Reagan

Auchter is the most controversial due to his colorful past. Including his role as CEO for Grace News Network, which landed a U.S. government contract to launch an Arabic language satellite TV news station for Muslim Iraq. You can read more about Auchter here.

Based on Fire Recovery USA’s website it looks like they will be using strong arm tactics. According to their site:

“. . . While there is nothing really different about the way we bill, we do have several interesting recovery techniques in our system. We also have exclusive methods that we've developed during our years of collection experience in other industries that convinces those responsible of their fiscal responsibilities.”

That's so Soprano's. Will those techniques include new ways for individuals to sue the city?

Based on the cast of characters working for Fire Recovery USA, I have to believe they have been the driving force behind this being presented to and approved by the City Council.

Having ranted on about this I just wanted to add that the majority of firemen and policemen go above and beyond in providing services to the community. This is a rant about the Saramento City Council and government in general and should not reflect poorly on those that serve our cities.

Non-resident drivers to foot emergency bills

2011-01-26T07:01:05Z

Sacramento is seeking to recoup $300,000 - $500,000 per year after the passage of a new fire cost recovery ordinance – commonly referred to as a “crash tax” – Tuesday night.

The City Council voted 5-4 to charge out-of-town drivers who are at fault in auto accidents within city limits to recover expenses related to Fire Department responses.

Drivers could be billed from $435 for a basic “scene stabilization” to more than $2,200 for a “scene stabilization” involving more advanced issues such as hazardous materials and helicopter transportation, according to a staff report.

“I have some very serious legal concerns, and moral concerns about this,” said Councilman Darrell Fong, who joined council members Rob Fong, Sandy Sheedy and Bonnie Pannell in voting against the ordinance.

Darrell Fong raised the question of possible charges for police services in the same vein, saying he is uncomfortable with that as well.

The legality of the ordinance – and a confidential memo produced by the City Attorney’s office – were not openly discussed at the meeting. Deputy City Attorney Matt Ruyak said it constituted attorney/client privilege, despite numerous questions regarding the legality.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said declining to discuss the memo is a way to safeguard the city against potential litigation.

“I know it’s uncomfortable,” she said, referring to the decision to charge for services that were previously covered solely by taxes. “Nobody likes anything like this.... There is no free lunch.”

Councilman Steve Cohn echoed Ashby’s sentiments.

“I don’t feel real positive about this either, but what are our choices here?” he asked, adding that the other choice is possibly “browning-out” four more fire stations.

The ordinance is designed to recoup Fire Department costs and prevent further fire station brownouts, according to city officials.

“If a non-resident is involved in a traffic accident or has a fire in their vehicle, they would be billed for the cost of the response,” said Mark Prestwich, special projects manager for the city manager’s office, in a phone interview before the meeting.

The ordinance first came to the City Council Law and Legislation Committee last summer. Proponents of the ordinance claim that city residents are subsidizing emergency response services for out-of-town drivers who do not pay taxes that fund the Fire Department.

Drivers living or owning more than 50 percent of businesses on property in Sacramento will not be charged the fee.

Opponents of the ordinance, including the Sacramento Metro Chamber, argue that charging non-resident drivers would be unfair, and might dissuade businesses from coming to the city.

There was lingering confusion stemming from the first time the ordinance was discussed by the City Council as to whether the cost would be passed to drivers not at fault in collisions.

“Anyone that’s not responsible will not be subject to the ordinance,” Prestwich said, adding that insurance companies will determine which driver or drivers are at fault.

“It’s easily misunderstood, and it’s a confusing issue,” Prestwich said.

Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, argued that drivers not at fault would, in fact, still be billed.

“An innocent driver who experiences the trauma of an auto accident could be hit with a bill for hundreds of dollars,” he said.

Speaking during the public comment portion of the discussion, Connie Anderson said she thinks the income from the ordinance would be minimal compared to the hardship endured by the individuals.

“Will Sacramento join 60 other cities in heading toward an ‘each person for themselves’ mentality?” she asked.

Sacramento Fire Chief Ray Jones said the purpose of the bill is not to bring in revenue, but to recover costs associated with non-resident drivers involved in accidents.

When questioned by Rob Fong, Jones said it is possible that if the ordinance were to be found illegal, Sacramento residents could be subject to the charges. He also said there is no “at-fault” language in the ordinance.

Billing will be handled by a third-party company, Fire Recovery USA, which will take about 17 percent of the recovered costs, according to Jones.

At least 60 jurisdictions in California currently have similar ordinances, with most – like Sacramento – billing only non-resident drivers.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Fatal motorcycle accident on Sunrise near Sunset

2010-08-06T13:23:18Z

Sacramento CA- A Rancho Cordova man dies in a motorcycle vs construction equipment accident in Citrus Heights.

Just before 3 a.m. Friday morning, CHP and Sacramento Metro Fire Department responded to a motorcycle accident on Sunrise Blvd just before Sunset Ave in Citrus Heights .Per CHP, a Sacramento County construction crew was doing sweage work and witnessed a Rancho Cordova man, possibly traveling at a high rate of speed on a full dressed Yamaha, hit a cone in the contruction zone. He lost control sliding under a utility trailer. The motorcycle continued moving down the road and slammed into another truck in the construction zone. The man suffered fatal injuries, and it is unknown, at this point, if alcohol was involved. The man was wearing a helmet and CHP is investigating to see if it was an approved helmet. Sunset remained open during the investigation with one lane closed. CHP expected to have the incident cleared before rush hour traffic began.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO COVERAGE>>

Fatal accident on Hwy 50 near I-5

2010-05-25T12:04:06Z

A life was lost this morning when a disabled vehicle was slammed into on Hwy 50 in Downtown Sacramento
May 25, 2010, Sacramento, CA

The call came in at 12:40 this morning for an accident that occurred on west bound HWY50 just before the North Bound I-5 interchange downtown.

A Z28 broke down on the freeway just before the interchange and was slammed into by a second vehicle. The CHP officer on scene stated that they are not sure yet if the Z28 ran out of gas or was broken down. CHP also stated that there were no skid marks indicating that the driver of second vehicle probably didn't even see the white Z28 before slamming into it at full speed. The driver of the Z28 had to be extricated and the passenger was pronounced dead on scene and had to be extricated for the coroners office. CHP hadn't talked with the driver of the second vehicle yet, but stated that it appeared that both occupants of the second vehicle were uninjured.

CHP wants to remind, if you do break down on the freeway, especially in the middle of night, be sure your emergency flashers are on and seatbelt fastened. If able, it may be advised to safely exit the vehicle and get to the side of the road to safety.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO COVERAGE>>

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When Life Gives You Lemons...

2010-04-28T02:25:22Z

In 2006, my dad was doored while riding his bike on 15th Street. He broke his shoulder pretty bad, and ended up with all sorts of plates and screws holding him together. Life gave us lemons!!! We made lemonade though, and Practical Cycle was funded in part by the settlement from that accident.

So I took great pleasure in hand-squeezing 35 locally grown, organic lemons to make lemonade for our Grand Opening celebration, the first annual Ride for Earth. Then I loaded a cooler on the back of our old Worksman tricycle and hauled it about ten miles to Practical Cycle.

I believe that sometimes life's most difficult challenges can help us grow the most. Whenever I feel like things couldn't possibly get worse, I tell myself that this too shall pass, and perhaps even the darkest clouds do have a silver lining.

Horse survives I-5 crash

2009-08-03T07:57:16Z

Sacramento, CA- A multi-agency rescue team worked together to extricate and transport the horse to UC Davis Veterinary Clinic.

According to California Highway Patrol, while traveling south bound on Interstate 5, just south of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, early Sunday morning the driver of a truck with horse trailer in tow, crashed into the back of a car and overturned the horse trailer.

The trailer became disconnected from the truck and while leaving the horse trapped in the trailer, the driver drove away and fled the scene.

Rescuers from Metro Fire, CHP, Animal Care and Regulation, tow operators and a veterinarian spent three hours extricating the horse and loading it into another trailer for transport.

Considering the potential of this crash, the horse sustained relatively minor injuries including many cuts. On scene authorities stated that the horse is very fortunate to be alive.

Per CHP, the driver is still at large and faces several charges, starting with animal cruelty and felony hit and run. Any one with information is encouraged to contact the California Highway Patrol at 916.338.6710

Deer lands through family truck windshield near downtown

2009-07-07T23:11:06Z

Tony Pineea and his four sons got a big shock when a deer landed in their windshield.

Tony Pineea was traveling North on Highway 160 out of downtown Sacramento Tuesday morning with his four sons when a deer emerged from the light rail area adjacent to the highway and jumped in front of their pickup truck at the Del Paso exit.

The deer hit so hard in the windshield area that the windshield broke through and collapsed in. The driver only sustained very minor injuries and refused transport to the hospital. Per Pineea, his sons were seatbelted and uninjured.

The deer did attempt to run off, however it was too severely injured. An on scene CHP officer had to euthanize the deer on site to end its suffering from unrecoverable injuries. The Del Paso off ramp was closed for a short time.

Per Captain Doucette of the Sacramento City Fire Department, deer do commonly roam that area this time of year and an occasional mountain lion can be seen.

The accident that wasn't an accident at all

2009-07-04T12:43:16Z

North Highlands, Sacramento, CA- Early Saturday morning, police and fire received a call for a vehicle accident on North Watt at Karl. When police arrived, the victim was crawling from the wreckage.

It was quickly discovered that the victim wasn't just holding his chest from injuries incurred in the accident; he had been shot in a drive-by shooting, lost control of the vehicle, and plowed through a tree before his vehicle came to rest.

The victim was transported to the hospital immediately in serious condition. An update will follow as more information becomes available.

Charity Sale to Benefit Local Family in Need

2009-07-01T17:01:12Z

Most of us will never have to face the pain, confusion, and uncertainty that the parents of critically injured children face each day. On June 17th, a 2 year old Roseville girl was crossing the street in her grandfather's arms. Just when they were about to reach the other side, a car struck the grandfather. The little girl was thrown in the air, and landed several feet away on her head. Her grandfather suffered several broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and gashed his head from falling into the windshield. Luckily, a soldier and his friend were walking by, and together they were able to resuscitate the little girl and keep her grandfather stable until help arrived. The 2 year old girl is still in the hospital in critical condition with her long term prognosis unknown.

Community members have arranged a charity sale to benefit the family. The sale will take place July 3rd (9AM-4PM) and 4th (8AM-3PM) on Pinecrest Court in Roseville. Items for sale include furniture, boutique clothing and hair bows, adult and children’s books, toys, hand-dyed silks, clothing, beads, photography, chair massages, lemonade, and more. Visitors are welcome to leave a note of encouragement, faith, or a personal experience for the family. For more information, please contact Adam at classicsredone@gmail.com or 916-216-0516.

Midtown building to be repaired

2009-06-10T03:20:23Z

A wrecking ball won't finish off a historic Midtown building damaged in a recent accident.

Instead, the accident is helping to bring new life to the long-vacant, 80-year-old building at 16th and U streets.

The building's current owners, identified as Stratton Investments of Reno, want to rebuild the front section that caved in when a large Icee truck rammed into the unreinforced masonry structure last month. Then they'll proceed with stalled efforts to sell the building, said Dave Herrera, a commercial real estate broker with Colliers International - Sacramento.

"It's a beautiful brick building," he said. "They're going to try to bring it back."

The owners are working closely on the new design with one or two potential buyers who had been considering purchasing the building before the accident. The contractor is expected to be chosen Thursday. Next week, Herrera will lead negotiations between the seller and a buyer to see if they can determine what condition the building needs to be in and the new price.

The previous asking price was $610,000 for 2,889 square feet. The building, which has a skylight, was being marketed as retail or office space. Repairing the building could take at least 90 days from the date they get approval to move forward, he said.

The accident destroyed the brick building's front end, which had been hidden under a modern stucco facade. The accident also revealed the wood truss holding up the slightly pitched roof. The truss had been covered by sheet rock and a drop ceiling below.

"When they rebuild it, it'll allow them to bring the historical character back to the building," Herrera said. "I think it would add a tremendous amount of value to the building."

Ironically, one of the two most interested buyers toured the building with Herrera on the morning of May 19, shortly before the accident that afternoon.

More potential buyers came out of the woodwork after the accident. Contractors said they would like to buy the building at a distressed price, then repair and resell or lease it. Stratton Investments chose to make the repairs and sell at a higher price.

The building is located in a neighborhood that the city has marked as a preservation area, so the city will also have a say in what happens to the building.

The building has played a prominent role in the neighborhood for decades. Built in 1929 to house an early Safeway grocery store, the structure later housed a hardware store, cigar shop, Chinese grocery and massage parlor.

Before his election, Mayor Kevin Johnson chose the building for his campaign headquarters due to its location on busy 16th Street.

Potential buyers have not discussed their plans for the building, including whether they would lease the building or occupy it themselves.

Four survive dramatic crash

2009-05-31T08:52:11Z

Smoke, flying debris and a rolled over vehicle is what Jerry Cook saw in front of him as he traveled south on Business 80.

Four occupants are very fortunate to be alive today. At approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, their Buick Lacrosse slammed into the barriers at the interchange of West Business 80 and Highway 160. The vehicle smashed through all the sand filled barriers then flip over coming to rest on it's roof. Jerry Cook was driving down 80 when all he saw in front of him was a cloud of smoke, flying debris and other cars dodging around the debris as the Buick came to rest.

"No one was doing anything to help when myself and a lady officer helped two people get out of the car and moved some of the debris out of the road way" said Cook. Per Cook, the officer who arrived first on scene broke the windows out of the vehicle with her flashlight then her and cook helped the two remaining occupants hold still to prevent further injuries until paramedics arrived.

"The guy…was being trapped by the steering wheel who flew across; I thought he was driver but he said he wasn't driving…and said his back hurt and couldn't feel his legs. The other lady had lacerations that you could literally see to the bone…and they were just mangled inside there." said cook as he stood on the road side replaying the surreal event in his mind.

One person from the incident was taken into custody by CHP on scene. Open alcohol bottles were found in the vehicle. Officers were still on scene investigating when called for further details. CHP dispatcher stated that an officer would call us back with more info. Those details will be posted in an update when they become available.

Collision damages 1929 building

2009-05-20T05:07:34Z

A 25-year-old man and three friends narrowly escaped being hit by a car involved in a collision that destroyed part of a vacant, historic building at 16th and U streets Tuesday afternoon.

Witnesses said a silver SUV, which was westbound on U Street, ran a stop sign and was hit by an Icee truck heading north on 16th Street. Northbound drivers have no traffic signal or sign at that intersection.

The building's front end was destroyed. Tuesday night, a city crew was working to stabilize the remaining walls of the unreinforced masonry building. Three-quarters of the building remain intact. The damaged parts of the roof and structure will be collapsed, said building inspector Josh Pino, overseeing the stabilization efforts.

“Right now, we’re securing the building to prevent anyone from going in and hurting themselves, and we’ll make sure nothing else is going to fall,” said Pino, who works in the Housing & Dangerous Building Division of the city’s Code Enforcement Department.

Residents and the owner of Harry’s Café, a restaurant next door, appeared stunned by the destruction that the truck wreaked on the front of a brick corner building built in 1929. People inside nearby buildings heard a loud explosion. For hours after the accident, they gathered on sidewalks in this section of Midtown to take a look at the damage and talk.

Both drivers were treated at local hospitals for minor injuries, said Sacramento Police Officer Tristan Piano. The building has been vacant since Mayor Kevin Johnson used it as his campaign headquarters.

Sam Luong, 25, was sitting with his buddies at a table outside his father’s restaurant, Harry’s Café, at 2026 16th St., when a crash in the intersection sent both vehicles up onto the sidewalk at about 2:20 p.m., said Sam’s father, Harry Luong.

The truck rammed into the outside corner of the building. The SUV swerved to the right, Piano said.

The young men jumped and ran from the oncoming vehicle, which crushed the table and chairs. They suffered minor cuts and bruises, Luong said. Another patron received minor injuries from flying glass shards, police said.

The devastation has shut down Luong’s popular Chinese restaurant for an unknown period.

“I’m worried for him," said Nelda Mackey, who lives at 17th and S streets. "I wonder if they’ll have to take down the whole building. That just makes me sad that he’s had this misfortune.”

Luong said his building won’t be affected because the two buildings are separate. However, his $3,000 neon sign and other property were damaged, and he’ll lose business until the city approves his reopening.

“I slept through the whole thing," said 39-year-old Fred Fong, who has lived behind the building on 15th Street since 1996. "My buddy called me and said, ‘Dude! Did you know a building collapsed in your neck of the woods?’ I said, ‘I hope it wasn’t the taco place.’”

The damaged building has been a big part of the neighborhood for 80 years. The structure was reportedly one of Sacramento’s first grocery stores – possibly one of the earliest Safeways, said Fong. Standing across the street checking out the damage, Fong said he once worked in the building when a family friend ran an antique store, Old Land Park Antiques, out of it.

Over the years, the building has seen many reincarnations. The structure housed a hardware store, cigar shop, printing shop, Chinese grocery and massage parlor.

Residents wondered whether the building would be torn down or restored. Unreinforced masonry buildings are “pretty stout” unless something hits them and compromises the supports, Pino said.

The building's owner is based in Reno, Nev. The structure sits in a neighborhood that has been deemed a preservation area by the city, so the city will have a say in whether the building is demolished or restored, he said.

A city worker later said there are plenty of pictures of the building that can be used if the city and the owner decide it will be restored.

The end of what could have been much worse

2009-05-16T10:07:51Z

Sacramento, CA
Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 12:41am

The overturned semi-truck hauling Smuckers Jelly packets, was a much more docile ending than what this incident could have been. What you don’t see from this angle is the wreckage of multiple cars on the other side of truck that flipped twice (per reports), before it came to rest spilling its sticky cargo all over the highway.

Dennis Hanson stated that the car in front of him (actually the second or third vehicle in the incident), “spun out and a fender came off or the hub cap or something, and came to a complete stop in the middle lane.” As Hanson approached, he swerved to the right lane to avoid the vehicle and was hit from the rear by the car behind him. Hanson made his way to the side and went back to meet with the owner of the vehicle that collided with his car. “ Meanwhile,” Hanson stated, “the car is still in the middle of the road and cars are swerving around it.” Hanson yelled to the driver “get your family out the car. This is a disaster waiting to happen.” Per Hanson, just as the driver “got his wife and kid out of the car, less than a minute later, the big rig came and plowed right into it.” Hanson then went to help the truck driver who apparently had been ejected. When Hanson called to him he said he was out and he thought both his legs were broken. When Hanson was finally able to get around the wreckage to the driver, he found him hobbling on a compound fractured leg with bones protruding through the skin. The driver was looking through the roadside grass to find his cell phone… and he did.

Considering the massive wreckage strung a roughly half mile down the interstate, the injuries in this accident were quite minor in comparison to what they could have been. All lanes were stopped across the interstate for less than 30 minutes. Sacramento Fire Department and CHP were able to open the first three lanes quite quickly while the number four lane remained closed for some time due to clean up and to enable the wrecker to right the semi-truck and it’s trailer. One of the other victims from this accident called in to 911 and stated she was high and injured in the middle divider. Whether she was the cause of any part of this incident is unknown at this time.

In another accident just a few miles and minutes before this incident, at Twin Cities and Interstate Five, the occupants were not as fortunate. We do not have the details from that incident other than it was a head-on collision and fatalities were involved.

Our weekend is already starting off in wreckage and carnage. As this story is being written, calls are going out for an overturned vehicle on Greenback Lane, and another vehicle accident on Interstate 80 East at Auburn with a person down in the middle of the road. Do your part to be safe on the road this weekend. If you are not fit to be behind the wheel, be responsible and let someone else drive. Be alert and refrain from being distracted by cell phone calls and text messaging.

Rainy Road Havoc for EMS

2009-05-02T02:40:42Z

Sacramento, CA
Friday, May 1, 2009

Sacramento EMS crews were kept quite busy all day Friday. Mild temperatures and start of a new weekend had many people out on the road, but add in rain with heavy traffic throughout the region and you’ve created a recipe for havoc on the roads. We caught up with Sacramento Fire engines, truck crews, medic rigs, and Sac Police on a couple of incidents today out of the many we heard being dispatched over the squawk box. As the rain poured down, fire crews made sure the scenes were safe and assisted as paramedics tended to the victims; and officers took statements and reports on wet notepads.

The first incident we encountered with EMS crews was a head-on collision on Elder Creek Rd, just east of Power Inn before the railroad tracks. The second incident was a vehicle vs bicycle and a secondary collision when another vehicle ran into the first. We were unable to get information on injuries; however, airbags deployed on both of the vehicles in the first accident, and the juvenile bicyclist was being treated in the back of the ambulance upon our arrival at the second incident.

These weather conditions are expected to continue throughout the weekend. With the decent temperatures expect lots of people out and about and heavy traffic conditions. With the sporadic cloud burst and periods of heavy rain, expect traffic delays. Consider leaving early so you can take your time getting to your destination safely. When we are in a hurry and potentially distracted, it greatly increases our chances to be involved in an accident. Not only do we put ourselves, our families and those around us at risk, we also put our local firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement at risk as they put themselves in harms way on the wet roads to tend to our injuries and take reports. Yes, it is their job, but wouldn’t it be nice if they didn’t have to do their job. Be safe as you travel around town this weekend.

The Scoop

2009-03-13T04:46:06Z

While strolling beside the American River during my daily walk with the dog this evening, I heard the sound of a siren in the distance. A moment later I spied a plume of blue smoke rising in the sky. My first thoughts were that I had run across a wild fire, and if I were able to get some good photographs of the fire fighters taming the flames, I'd have my first real scoop for the Sacramento Press. In fact, I thought, if the fire got big enough, and I got my reporting done quickly enough, and my step-daughter wasn't playing Sims on the computer when I got home (or if I could bully or bribe her out of the computer chair) and my wife didn't rush home from work, wanting to know what was for dinner, then I could get the story bashed out and even scoop those jokers from the TV news. Their "Livecopters" and satellite hookups could not help them now. I was there first!

I rushed to the crest of the hill. Instead of an inferno, I saw about eight teenagers kicking sand into a campfire. Some of them were clutching skimboards. Obviously they had been playing in the bird pond I wrote about recently, and they had probably built the fire to dry their clothes. I glowered at them. Camp fires are prohibited in the Parkway, and I was especially angry that they were befouling the sandy beach of the bird pond.

However, timidity and cowardice got the better of me, and I let them run away without yelling down at them the curses that were resounding in my head. I went down to the beach. In addition to leaving a smoldering fire, they had left beer cans, potato chip wrappers and a dirty sock behind. The was no danger of the fire spreading, so I walked on towards the siren. Perhaps I'd run into a Sheriff deputy or a Park Ranger, and I could give a description of the fleeing arsonists.

"Yes, deputy," I imagined myself saying. "There were about eight of them, mostly boys, but a few girls, too. (There's always "a few girls" with that sort, eh?) They were heading in the direction of Bannister Park last I saw them. I'm sure you could still catch them. And, you know, they haven't completely closed down Guantanamo Bay. In case, I don't know, you think striping them of their Constitutional rights might be merited."

I arrived at the bend in the river a half a mile or so north of the San Juan Rapids. It was obvious by then that the siren had come (they were silent now) from the other side of the the river from me. I should have figured that from the start, since there were no roads on my side of the river. But visions of scooping Dann Shively had clouded my reason.

There were no firetruck to be seen, just an ambulance and a Ranger's vehicle behinds some trees. I could not see what was happening. Would a real reporter swim across the river to find out? I wasn't sure, but I decided that in any case I wasn't swimming. A man and a woman were picking their way down the steep river bank on the other side.

"What's going on over there?" I cried, feeling, for a moment, like I belonged in a Mark Twain novel.

"A biker wasn't wearing a helmet. He got hurt in an accident," the woman yelled back. She meant a bicyclist, I assumed.

I went back to the bird pond and put out the fire completely, then I picked up the trash off the beach, save for the dirty sock, which I couldn't bare to pick up without latex gloves.

My scoop had been seriously demoted in newsworthiness. Bicyclist wipes out on the parkway, not wearing helmet, ambulance called out. But a citizen-journalist has to follow the story where it leads like any other reporter. And I had.

That was good enough.

R.T. Train Collides With Sedan

2009-02-11T01:46:44Z

A downtown bound Sacramento Regional Transit train collided with a sedan at the Stockton Blvd. crossing this afternoon.

The green sedan, carrying only the driver, somehow ended up in the path of the on-coming train when it was struck.

No injuries were sustained by the single occupant of the sedan or by any light-rail passengers on board.

Officer Schumacher with the Sacramento Police Department confirmed the lack of injury in the incident saying only that the vehicle was on the wrong side of the crossing arm.

Richard Williams was working across the busy street and heard the accident but said that he did not see it happen.

“It looks like the arms came down before we heard the crash,” said Williams.

The vehicle sustained mostly front end damage, the train appeared to continue its normal route after inspection.