Category: CNN Regional

WBZ

By Tammy Mutasa, Mike Toole

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    FOXBORO, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A construction worker from Pennsylvania, who was in Massachusetts for a job, lost part of a leg in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 95 in Foxboro. His family said he’s “fighting to survive.”

David Wachinski was working on a construction detail on I-95 north around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Massachusetts State Police said he picked up a sign to start setting up, and that’s when a driver hit him and drove away.

Wachinski, a husband and father of two, was rushed to Boston Medical Center where he’s been struggling through the pain of his injuries and losing part of a leg. His wife, family and sister-in-law came in from their hometown of Donora, just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be by his side in Boston.

“It was scary. You don’t know too much, you don’t know what’s going to happen next,” said his sister-in-law, Mina Thompson. “He fought and is still fighting to survive.”

“A lot of people love him. A lot of people appreciate him. He could have just been gone,” Thompson said. “Someone knows something. Whether it’s them who did hit him and they’re scared or they’re having second guesses or they told a family member, you know.”

Troopers have evidence in the case. The driver left behind a passenger-side mirror.

“The Massachusetts State Police offers the victim and his family our deepest sympathy in the aftermath of this senseless crash. Although he is expected to live, the impact of his injuries illustrates the danger of failing to drive with care in and around work zones,” police said in a statement.

“It’s never too late to turn around and be like, ‘Hey I messed up and I want to come forward and that’s what we’re hoping for, just so we can get that closure,” said Thompson. “What gets done in darkness will come out to light, so it will come out.”

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call Massachusetts State Police at 508-543-8550.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

WBZ

By Matt Schooley

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    FALL RIVER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police in Fall River, Massachusetts arrested five people after 50-100 people on dirt bikes, ATVs, scooters and motorcycles performed stunts and blocked traffic during a meetup known as a “street takeover.”

Christipher Frias, Dylan Ploude, Aaron Pimental, Yethziel Medina and Jerron Butler are all facing various charges that include negligent operation of a motor vehicle, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.

Police said that Sunday between 3:15-6 p.m., packs of off-road vehicles congregated on streets throughout the city “disregarding traffic laws while performing reckless stunts, putting not only their lives at risk, but the lives of innocent, law-abiding drivers and pedestrians at risk.”

In video released by police, drivers could be seen performing stunts in the middle of roads while traffic waited to pass.

Fall River police said that past street takeovers have led to crashes, injuries, property damage, and emergency response delays.

Several units from the Fall River Police Department coordinated efforts to stop the latest street takeover. Police described it as “proactive patrols” throughout the city leading to arrests.

Four motorcycles, one ATV and one scooter used in the takeover were towed away by police.

“These unlawful gatherings pose a significant safety concern to the public. These are not merely bikers peacefully enjoying a law-abiding ride through our city. These are chaotic groups that block streets, operate recklessly and hinder the safe travel of those around them,” Fall River police said. “Many of these riders are uninsured and have little to no experience operating these vehicles, often resulting in crashes, personal injury and property damage.”

A recent street takeover in Boston ended with a police cruiser being set on fire.

In October, Gov. Maura Healey announced plans to combat similar incidents.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Matt Schooley

Click here for updates on this story

    FALL RIVER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police in Fall River, Massachusetts arrested five people after 50-100 people on dirt bikes, ATVs, scooters and motorcycles performed stunts and blocked traffic during a meetup known as a “street takeover.”

Christipher Frias, Dylan Ploude, Aaron Pimental, Yethziel Medina and Jerron Butler are all facing various charges that include negligent operation of a motor vehicle, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.

Police said that Sunday between 3:15-6 p.m., packs of off-road vehicles congregated on streets throughout the city “disregarding traffic laws while performing reckless stunts, putting not only their lives at risk, but the lives of innocent, law-abiding drivers and pedestrians at risk.”

In video released by police, drivers could be seen performing stunts in the middle of roads while traffic waited to pass.

Fall River police said that past street takeovers have led to crashes, injuries, property damage, and emergency response delays.

Several units from the Fall River Police Department coordinated efforts to stop the latest street takeover. Police described it as “proactive patrols” throughout the city leading to arrests.

Four motorcycles, one ATV and one scooter used in the takeover were towed away by police.

“These unlawful gatherings pose a significant safety concern to the public. These are not merely bikers peacefully enjoying a law-abiding ride through our city. These are chaotic groups that block streets, operate recklessly and hinder the safe travel of those around them,” Fall River police said. “Many of these riders are uninsured and have little to no experience operating these vehicles, often resulting in crashes, personal injury and property damage.”

A recent street takeover in Boston ended with a police cruiser being set on fire.

In October, Gov. Maura Healey announced plans to combat similar incidents.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

WJZ

By Dennis Valera

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The new design for Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is expected to be completed by the end of November. Until then, the final completion date and cost are still up in the air.

However, on Wednesday, a team with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) assured reporters on a tour of the worksite that everyone involved is working at “breakneck” speed — advancing multiple aspects of the rebuild, on top of finalizing the design — to ensure the fall 2028 goal is met.

MDTA Chief Engineer Jim Harkness said in other cases, some teams could have taken years to get to this point.

Harkness said the design is nearly 70% complete, and it’s expected to be done by the end of the month.

Until then, the completion date and final cost tally cannot be finalized.

“We are still working with our contractor; we’re developing the schedule as well as the estimate on the project,” he said.

The design has the bridge’s roadway about 230 feet above the water. It will have two 12-foot lanes in each direction. There will also be a form of protection for the piers.

“There will be six piers that will have this rigid fender constructed around the base, the foundation of the piers,” Harkness said. “At this time, we do not have dolphins for [protection].”

Crews worked to place large tubes, or piles, carefully into the Patapsco River on Wednesday. It’s all a part of the test pile program to build the necessary support for a strong foundation.

Six piles have been installed so far, driven deep into the river bottom. Once the piles are leveled, the aim is to run load tests on them in a few weeks. These tests will determine if the piles can handle 10 million pounds.

These load tests are done to make sure the piles can handle the weight of the new bridge, as well as ensure the foundation design works in the riverbed.

Brian Wolfe, the MDTA’s director of project development, said the river bottom is the one factor the design can’t account for.

“We know it’s hard. We’ve done testing on it,” Wolfe said. “[The load tests are done] to verify how far down do we need to drive these piles into it in order to get the load we need to carry the bridge. That’ll be [what these tests are] verifying.”

The overall demolition process is halfway done, according to MDTA Deputy Director of project development, Jason Stolicny.

The process started in July, with the removal of deck sections on the north and south portions of the bridge.

Some of the material taken from the bridge will be reutilized in the new bridge.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Dennis Valera

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The new design for Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is expected to be completed by the end of November. Until then, the final completion date and cost are still up in the air.

However, on Wednesday, a team with the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) assured reporters on a tour of the worksite that everyone involved is working at “breakneck” speed — advancing multiple aspects of the rebuild, on top of finalizing the design — to ensure the fall 2028 goal is met.

MDTA Chief Engineer Jim Harkness said in other cases, some teams could have taken years to get to this point.

Harkness said the design is nearly 70% complete, and it’s expected to be done by the end of the month.

Until then, the completion date and final cost tally cannot be finalized.

“We are still working with our contractor; we’re developing the schedule as well as the estimate on the project,” he said.

The design has the bridge’s roadway about 230 feet above the water. It will have two 12-foot lanes in each direction. There will also be a form of protection for the piers.

“There will be six piers that will have this rigid fender constructed around the base, the foundation of the piers,” Harkness said. “At this time, we do not have dolphins for [protection].”

Crews worked to place large tubes, or piles, carefully into the Patapsco River on Wednesday. It’s all a part of the test pile program to build the necessary support for a strong foundation.

Six piles have been installed so far, driven deep into the river bottom. Once the piles are leveled, the aim is to run load tests on them in a few weeks. These tests will determine if the piles can handle 10 million pounds.

These load tests are done to make sure the piles can handle the weight of the new bridge, as well as ensure the foundation design works in the riverbed.

Brian Wolfe, the MDTA’s director of project development, said the river bottom is the one factor the design can’t account for.

“We know it’s hard. We’ve done testing on it,” Wolfe said. “[The load tests are done] to verify how far down do we need to drive these piles into it in order to get the load we need to carry the bridge. That’ll be [what these tests are] verifying.”

The overall demolition process is halfway done, according to MDTA Deputy Director of project development, Jason Stolicny.

The process started in July, with the removal of deck sections on the north and south portions of the bridge.

Some of the material taken from the bridge will be reutilized in the new bridge.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Carlos E. Castañeda

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    ALAMEDA, California (KPIX) — A woman aboard a sinking sailboat anchored in an Alameda marina during a fierce storm was rescued Wednesday morning after the vessel broke free and capsized, authorities said.

The Alameda Fire Department said crews responded to a report of a vessel taking on water near the Encinal Boat Ramp just east of the USS Hornet museum at about 7 a.m. Wednesday. The boat was anchored near the rock wall, nearly capsizing, and the anchor line broke, the Fire Department said.

At the time, the weather in Alameda and other areas near the bay and coast was windy, with gusts of up to 40 mph and periods of rain during an atmospheric river storm. The Bay Area was also under a wind advisory and coastal flood advisory at the time, according to the National Weather Service.

The vessel drifted freely with the swell, colliding with the rock wall and the boat ramp dock, the department said. Firefighters managed to rescue the woman aboard and secure the partially-submerged vessel to the boat ramp.

A fisherman arrived at the dock just as the rescue was happening.

“They just pulled a lady out and put her in the ambulance, but I’m pretty sure that was sinking by the time,” said the fisherman named Ahil, as he gestured toward the submerged vessel. “I was coming in when they, when police and everyone was coming, and I was just getting prepared to go fish.”

Medics took the unidentified boater to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The U.S. Coast Guard and Oakland Fire Department were notified and participated in the rescue, Alameda Fire said.

It was not immediately known if the boat leaked any fuel or oil into the water.

Fire department investigators were trying to determine where the boat was initially docked. A department spokesman said it was not unusual to receive this kind of call, as some people anchor their boats and live in them in the area.

Please note: 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 Robert Garrison

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    WELD COUNTY, Colorado (KMGH) — It might be just a couple of days after Halloween, but the spirit of the holiday still haunts Colorado’s toll lanes in the form of “ghost cars.”

On Tuesday, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to drivers about a scam involving “ghost cars” that use duplicated license plates.

The sheriff’s office stated that fraudsters copy valid permanent plates and place them on out-of-state vehicles, resulting in toll violations being billed to the rightful owner of the plates.

A similar scheme with temporary tags was reported in New York, where one victim received a $600 toll bill sent to collections.

If this happens to you, file a report with local police and notify the DMV.

After filing a police report, dispute the toll charges with documentation.

Please note: 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 Marie Moyer

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    COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) — The former Jefferson City Police Detective took the stand Tuesday during the bench trial for suspected killer Sergio Sayles.

“When I said she was dead and then murdered, there was no follow-up of how or anything like that and through my experience of death notifications, through all the different reactions, that’s a very common response,” said Jeremy Bowman, a former JCPD detective on Sayles’ case and administrator of the critical investigations unit in the Department of social services Children’s division.

During the prosecution’s video of the interrogation, Sayles claimed he and the victim, Jasmine King were no longer in a relationship at the time of the murder, only communicating due to having shared custody of their child.

“I don’t even understand why I’m here, honestly,” Sayles said. “I don’t have much love for her after everything that’s gone on over the years, but I don’t hate her.”

He added during the interrogation that his DNA wouldn’t be found mixed with blood at the scene. Bowman testified that he confiscated a ring from Sayles following his arrest. The ring, which had King’s blood on it, was later documented as evidence.

Bowman also reported from phone records that Sayles sent King a text the morning of the murder, saying he was going to a park. The text was delivered but never read by King. When cross-examined by the defense, Bowman confirmed the presence of a music-producing program on Sayles’ phone. The defense later clarified that the program had activity on it at around 8:30 a.m., around the time of the murder.

Dr. Keith Norton, deputy medical examiner for Boone and Callaway counties, testified that King had defensive wounds on her hands, adding that fingernail samples are always collected for those injuries.

During testimony Monday, defense attorneys questioned the investigative work of the Jefferson City Police Department after fingernail and fingerprint samples from the scene were not processed by the department’s lab.

“Yes, we try to collect nail clippings in each homicide,” Norton said.

Bowman later reported that the lab already had samples of evidence that contained Sayles’ and King’s DNA together, as well as Sayles’ fingerprints in a database and denied the samples.

Norton also said the victim had more than 25 stab wounds on her face, head, neck, torso and back. He also noted that she had life-threatening wounds on her upper right chest, neck and on her torso that struck her aorta and carotid artery.

In April 2023, police found Jasmine King dead from multiple stab wounds in her home on West Ashley Street in Jefferson City. Witness statements and surveillance video reportedly connected Sayles to the crime scene.

Officers also reported seeing Sayles going into a nearby park’s bathroom holding an unknown item in his hand and walking out without it. The bathroom was later searched twice following Sayles’ arrest, where police found a plastic bag in the trash can of the women’s restroom. Inside the bag, police found a bloody knife, clothing that was seen on Sayles’ YouTube channel with Jasmine’s blood on it, a white shirt with Sayles’ DNA and a piece of paper that had Sayles’ phone number written on it.

King had previously reported harassment and stalking by Sayles, including a complaint in 2021 where she alleged that Sayles threatened to shoot her.

Defense witnesses are expected to testify on Wednesday.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.