Author: CNN Newsource

By Adam Thompson, Bryant Reed

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    Pikesville, Maryland (WJZ) — More than 30 people were hurt, one of them critically, after an MTA bus crashed into several cars and then slammed into a building in Pikesville, Maryland on Wednesday evening. There’s no word yet on what caused the crash.

It happened just before 6 p.m. on Reisterstown Road, spanning several blocks between Old Court Road and McHenry Avenue.

“The bus took out one, two, three, four, five, six, seven cars, took out the telephone pole and then took out the business where it sits,” a witness told CBS News Baltimore.

Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon said the bus hit 11 vehicles before crashing into a FedEx building. Some were heavily damaged, including one car that flipped onto its roof.

“It’s more like a war scene,” Dixon told CBS News Baltimore. “An event like this, when we have what we call a mass casualty, overwhelms.”

The Baltimore County Police Department later said 36 people were taken to the hospital, including the bus driver who suffered life-threatening injuries. Several people were taken away on stretchers, and power lines were also brought down in the crash.

Daisy Flores, who works at a nearby pizza shop, said they rushed out to help the crash victims.

“A pretty sad scene to see,” she said. “We were offering them water and to see if they needed any help, but they were in shock, so they couldn’t talk or say anything.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his team is closely monitoring the crash, while staying connected with Baltimore County officials to provide support.

“Dawn and I are keeping everyone impacted in our hearts and prayers,” Moore said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for our first responders who acted with speed and skill to ensure the safety of our neighbors.”

“My prayers are with everyone affected, especially the victims and their loved ones,” said Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones.

“I am grateful to all the first responders for their swift & immediate response that undoubtedly saved lives,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in a statement. “We are praying for a speedy recovery for all those involved.”

Reisterstown Road was completely back open early Thursday morning.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Maurice Savage

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    LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) — A 21-year-old man is being called a hero after pulling a man out of a burning pick-up truck on Saturday.

Kieran McKinney had just pulled up to his residence at 10th and Tyler in Lacrosse on the Fourth of July, when he saw a pickup truck engulfed in flames. Bystanders were screaming for help. McKinney was told there was a man trapped inside the vehicle. A woman was yelling for someone to help.

“She was yelling, help, help, help. And I didn’t even have an inkling that someone could be in the truck” McKinney said.

Without a second thought, McKinney ran to the truck and into the flames to help save the man.

“I need to get this guy out of the truck, so I run around. The flames are coming up onto his torso and onto his face,” McKinney said. “I couldn’t tell if he was conscious, I couldn’t tell exactly where he was at in that moment. But the fire wasn’t pushing up onto his legs yet, so I was able to scoot him over, grab him by his legs and pull him out of the vehicle.”

McKinney’s mother, Jennifer McKinney, said she was not surprised her son took this risk.

“It totally checks out that Kieran would do that because he is a brave, selfless person who thinks of others before he thinks of himself. So it didn’t surprise me,” Jennifer McKinney said.

The man McKinney pulled from the burning car was 26-year-old Cody Krueger. Following the incident, Krueger was flown to the burn unit in Madison in severe critical condition. Krueger suffered third-degree burns on 25% of his body.

Krueger’s family has set up a GoFundMe.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Bella Barbosa

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    GRASS VALLEY, California (KHSL) — At just 18-years-old, Lev Weisswasser is working to build a drone rescue system to help first responders during emergencies.

“I’m going to try to do something exceptional,” Weisswasser said.

Weisswasser has always had big dreams, inspired by Iron Man when he was a child to build gadgets, even attempting to code and build his own jetpack at the age of 10.

“This is my first gyroscope that I built when I was 10,” Weisswasser said. “I keep this as like knowledge that I used to be Iron Man,” he joked.

In his senior year of high school, Weisswasser juggled five AP classes, his involvement in school leadership, and working as a whitewater kayak guide.

Now when he isn’t taking calls from NASA or other industry leaders, he spends his free time in his family’s garage working on drones.

In January, Weisswasser decided to take his passion for drones to the next level, taking another step towards fulfilling a lifelong dream of using drones to help people. Weisswasser says the death of a close friend and mentor in a kayaking accident motivated him to build an autonomous drone rescue system called Winter.

Weisswasser said he thinks Winter could be a tool for EMS to improve response times in difficult to reach areas.

As a kayak guide, Weisswasser says he has seen multiple incidents where the assistance of a drone like Winter would have been crucial.

“Its perfect purpose is to go in the hard-to-reach places,” Weisswasser said.

The software for Winter has been fully developed and tested through a simulator, but he is still working to get the funds necessary to build a prototype of the drone, which will be four times as large as the drone he showed Action News Now.

Using thermal imaging, Weisswasser says Winter can identify a person, and once it is built, it can carry and deliver anything from water to even an AED to first responders or people in remote locations at risk of having a medical emergency.

Weisswasser will be heading to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this fall, where he says he is excited to continue his passion for aerospace engineering.

For more information about how you can support Weisswasser in building Winter, click here.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Michele Gile, Dean Fioresi

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    ORANGE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Two Orange County teenagers suffered life-altering injuries during a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July and family members are demanding answers.

Maria Escalante said that one of her twin sons lost several fingers on his right hand, which was completely mutilated after he and a friend picked up an illegal firework from the street in Anaheim. She said that he lit the firework, which then exploded in their hands.

“He’s not doing good. He’s going to be in the hospital for about two months. His hands are literally butchered,” Escalante said. “They’re going to do their best to reconstruct his hands, but they can’t guarantee nothing. … They’re going to see if he has proper circulation going to the last fingers he has, to the few fingers he has left in his hand.”

She said that the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, and if there isn’t enough circulation, they’re going to amputate her son’s fingers.

As she demands action from the Anaheim Police Department, she’s holding onto what’s left of the firework that she found on S. Mountain View Avenue after the explosion. She said that she plans to take the evidence to her lawyer.

“I found out through the other child that was involved with my son, he also had his hands explode and serious cuts to his face,” Escalante said. “His mother told me that every year they sell illegal fireworks here, so I don’t know if the Anaheim Police Department knows about this or not, but they need to start investigating.”

Escalante said that her injured twin’s brother called her screaming after witnessing the blast, and that he’s still traumatized.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Chelsea Hylton

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The National Weather Service has extended heat advisories across Southern California as extreme temperatures are expected to continue through the rest of the week into the weekend.

A high-pressure system to the southwest has been making its way closer to the region, pushing temperatures into the triple digits in some inland communities. The heat is expected to peak on Thursday with some communities like Santa Clarita, San Bernardino and Hemet reaching over 100 degrees.

The summer-like conditions have already scorched the Southland, and the NWS has extended a heat advisory until 10 a.m. on Tuesday. For areas like Burbank, Woodland Hills, Wrightwood, Van Nuys and Pasadena, temperatures could likely reach up to 105 degrees. For the Los Angeles County inland coast including downtown LA, temperatures are expected to be between 82 and 94 degrees.

The heat will briefly taper off over the weekend before picking up again early next week. An NWS extreme heat watch will go into effect on Tuesday morning and remain in effect through Thursday. Weather officials said temperatures could reach up to 112 degrees in some areas.

The hot conditions bring an increased risk for heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and stroke. Common symptoms to look out for include heavy sweating, pale or clammy skin, dizziness, confusion and nausea. Weather officials say if you experience a heat stroke, you should seek emergency medical care.

CBS LA expects a Next Weather Alert to go into effect as soon as Sunday, with the next heat wave approaching this time with higher humidity mixed in for next week.

During the dangerously warm weather, people are reminded to never leave young children or pets in locked cars.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Felix Cortez

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    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — State lifeguards in Carmel are urging beachgoers to exercise caution as hazardous surf conditions, including sneaker waves and strong rip currents, are expected in the coming days.

The National Weather Service has issued warnings about dangerous coastal conditions, and lifeguards stress the importance of understanding the risks.

“People not understanding the conditions and understanding this is a wild place that plays by its own rules, you have to know what’s going on and just be aware of your surroundings,” said Joe Stoffers, a state lifeguard.

Lifeguards are advising visitors to stay off rocks, keep a close eye on children, and never turn their backs to the ocean. They recommend visiting beaches with lifeguard stations, where lifeguards can provide safety information.

“Go talk to our lifeguards, and they will. They know our beaches really well, and they will give you really good information on where to keep you and your family safe on the beach,” Stoffers said. “Our lifeguards are here. They’re happy to talk to you.”

Tourists unfamiliar with local water conditions are particularly at risk.

“Normally I look at flags. Sometimes you have some, you know, yellow flags or red flags on some beaches. So I tend to be careful. Also, what’s in the water like all the, you know, the sharks and all that kind of stuff. I’m not too used to that. But normally I look at the size of the waves and I’m careful,” one tourist from Canada, Francois Dufresne, said.

State lifeguards also revealed plans for free life jacket stations at local beaches, including Carmel River Beach and Asilomar, to enhance safety for beachgoers.

“So you’ll be able to stop here, stop at Carmel River Beach. We should have one at Asilomar where if you’re playing on the beach for the day, you can grab a life jacket, put one on your kids, put one on yourself, and be safe while you’re at the beach,” Stoffers said.

Lifeguards emphasize the importance of staying out of the water if conditions are unclear, obeying warnings, and consulting lifeguards for guidance.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Kayla Davis

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    TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (WVTM) — A semi-truck crash in a construction zone on I-59 in Trussville has left a family devastated and the community in mourning, with three family members killed and three children hospitalized.

The crash occurred in an area with narrow lanes and a concrete barrier, making it difficult for vehicles, especially large trucks, to maneuver. Local truck driver Derek Johnson said the tragedy hit close to home.

“It threw me off because I drive a truck and I be telling drivers how dangerous it is. So it really threw me off to see somebody lose their life driving just traveling,” Johnson said.

The victims were identified as Dquarious and Dominique Butler and their 5-year-old daughter, Nailani. The family leaves behind three other children.

“I was hurt because I have little ones. And I couldn’t imagine my whole family lost in a car crash like that,” said Trussville resident Lafeedra Lee.

Lee also shared her concerns about her 22-year-old son, who recently obtained his commercial driver’s license.

“He is 22, and he got a CDL last year. So I’m very fearful first of him hitting somebody because he’s so young and not to me, not educated enough, hasn’t had enough experience. Also, just people in general are not very careful. And then it’s so much construction everywhere. It’s so easy to get in an accident,” Lee said.

According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, 11,009 out of 260,401 crashes reported in Alabama in 2024 involved trucks. In work zones, 21% of crashes resulted in injury or death.

“It’s too often, especially around here,” Lee said.

Johnson also highlighted the dangers truck drivers face daily.

“That’s one of the most dangerous jobs. People die on the road every day. So it’s really no way to be safe. You can only watch yourself when people drive so crazy. That’s what a lot of drivers don’t understand. You could cut in front of a truck. It’s too long to stop. So you’re putting people’s lives at risk every day,” Johnson said.

Both Lee and Johnson expressed their condolences to the Butler family. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is continuing its investigation into the crash, with no updates provided at this time.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.