Cellphone video shows Colorado cop in “road rage” crash case; “Completely unacceptable,” says victim’s father

CNN Newsource on March 6, 2026

By Brian Maass

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — On a Saturday afternoon last August in Colorado, Polly Voss was a passenger in a car headed northbound on Interstate 25. She was planning to spend the weekend in Wyoming with friends. But for the registered nurse, things were about to change quickly and dramatically.

She noticed two cars speeding in the I-25 express lane, brake-checking each other at high speed and “inches apart” said Voss.

“It was really 10 out of 10 intensity level. I’m thinking a gun is coming out next … this is escalating so I started recording,” she told CBS Colorado.

Her video shot on her phone shows the driver of one of the cars swerving suddenly to the right out of the express lane, nearly hitting a passing Jeep, which was driven by a 17-year-old named Katie Bush. The video shows Bush trying to avoid a collision but losing control of her car, crossing back across the interstate and rolling into the median.

he Jeep ended up on its side.

“It’s terrifying how quickly things can escalate out of rage and anger,” said Voss, who stopped to provide medical care to the driver of the Jeep.

Voss’ video, shared with CBS Colorado, would apparently lead the Colorado State Patrol to the drivers of the two “road raging” cars and an unsettling discovery; one of the drivers was an off-duty police officer. The CSP says Jack Ross, an officer with the Keenesburg Police Department, was behind the wheel of his personal car in the incident on I-25. He has been charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident or return to the scene — both misdemeanors. Through his attorneys, Ross declined to comment.

In their report, the Colorado State Patrol said Ross, 33, had been “tailgating another vehicle” and was “actively road raging” with the other car. The report says Ross “fled the scene.” When troopers tracked him down and talked to him, they said Ross “stated that he didn’t see a crash but when we spoke to his wife during the investigation separately stated that she saw that a vehicle had crashed and when she mentioned to (her husband) that she hoped the person was okay … (Ross) stated it wasn’t their fault.”

Polly Voss said, “I’ve always been taught that police officers were there to serve and protect. This couldn’t have been more opposite of that.”

Voss said that when she approached the overturned Jeep to help the driver, she was “terrified” at what she would find.

“I’m thinking the person in the white Jeep is probably dead.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Voss. “It felt like a miracle. It felt like there were angels looking over us.”

And there would be another unexpected twist — Katie Bush’s father is also in law enforcement. Jeff Bush has worn a law enforcement badge for 23 years, but he has no tolerance for the conduct of his fellow officer.

“It was completely unacceptable behavior by both motorists that day,” said Jeff Bush. “In law enforcement we have a higher standard set upon us both in our professional and in our personal lives. To see that kind of behavior from an off-duty officer and the lack of care and compassion to leave the scene after causing an accident was really frustrating…” said Bush. “In my gut, I don’t believe he was unaware he caused an accident.”

Bush says Ross should have called 911 and should have stopped and rendered aid to Bush’s daughter.

“It just might be time for him (Ross) to pursue another career,” suggested Bush.

Officer Ross’ employment record was recently highlighted in a CBS Colorado investigation of “second chance cops” who move from agency to agency after blemishes on their work records.

“I understand,” said Bush, “that the smaller agencies have a hard time finding quality candidates but there’s got to be a line somewhere with the hiring standards, even in the smaller agencies.”

Keenesburg Police Chief James Jensen said he was aware of the crash and criminal charges against Ross when he hired him in 2025. But Jensen defended the hiring, saying Ross is a good officer and is a good fit in the Keenesburg community.

Ross is due in Larimer County Court next week to face charges stemming from the I-25 case. There are indications that a plea deal may be in the works. Jeff Bush says while it’s difficult to speak out against a fellow officer, he is adamantly opposed to a plea deal for Ross.

“He needs to face the music on this one,” said Bush.

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.

Kentwood parents learn English through Literacy Center partnership to better connect with their kids’ schools

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Waleed Alamleh

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    KENTWOOD, Michigan (WXMI) — Some parents in Kentwood Public Schools are taking the initiative to learn English as a second language through a partnership with the Literacy Center of West Michigan — with the goal of getting more connected with their children’s schools.

The free English classes are provided for parents across school districts in Kent County, including in my Kentwood and Wyoming neighborhoods.

The effort comes as the last census showed that 13% of residents in the county don’t speak English at home.

Guillermo Rodriguez moved to the United States when he was in high school, barely knowing any English. Coming to West Michigan about 15 years ago, he wanted to improve.

Rodriguez said the language barrier created more than just professional challenges — it affected his sense of belonging.

“A lot of times when you move into a new neighborhood, you don’t talk to nobody, because you don’t know how. So, and you feel like you’re not part of that community, and part of that — that’s because you don’t want to try,” Rodriguez said.

“English is one of the, far as I know, one of the hardest language to learn, and especially for us as a Spanish people you know,” Rodriguez said.

That’s why he has been taking the classes on and off again for the past decade, wanting to improve on his writing and reading skills.

“I have to learn how to write and read better, and I realized that that way I can get better jobs,” Rodriguez said.

Wendy Falb, Executive Director for the Literacy Center of West Michigan, said the stakes for families go beyond the classroom.

“Many of those folks do not have English language proficiency, and it limits their children’s outcome, it limits their health outcomes, and it limits their employment. So we’re really excited about removing those barriers,” Wendy said.

The program has been around since 2011, Falb says the centers goal is to help parents remove those barriers that may be holding them back.

“We understand that adults are very busy adulting, taking care of their children and making money, and it’s very challenging to find the time to pursue your own education,” Falb said. “This two generational approach, where we support parents’ education in the context of the school and in using the content of how to support their child’s education is a really powerful tool.”

Grace Joldersma has been an instructor with the Literacy Center for 4 years, helping parents better understand English and the schools their children attend.

“I teach them how to get on that school calendar. Help them understand how a school program or a year goes,” Joldersma said. “Then we go into, you know, some grammar learning and then some basic living situations. So like tonight, we’ll be learning about how to give directions.”

For Rodriguez, the classes are helping him be a better resource for his own kids.

“You know, a lot of times he asked me about, homework. I say, buddy, I got no idea what you’re saying. I try to understand, but it’s hard,” Rodriguez said.

His message to others in similar situations is straightforward.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you don’t know the language, I encourage you to start learning,” Rodriguez said.

The program is widespread across the region. Parents of students at Godfrey Lee and Godwin Heights can also sign up for classes next school year through the Literacy Center of West Michigan.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXMI’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Dementia simulator at Commonwealth Senior Living helps families understand what loved ones experience

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Waleed Alamleh

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    KENTWOOD, Michigan (WXMI) — A West Michigan senior living community is offering families, staff and community members a firsthand look at what it’s like to live with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease through a virtual dementia simulator.

Commonwealth Senior Living uses the simulator to give participants an immersive experience of the challenges their loved ones face daily.

Amy Lynch, a granddaughter and daughter-in-law of two family members who have experienced Alzheimer’s and dementia, knows that reality all too well.

“Forgetting the people that they loved and that they were close with, that’s the hardest part, and even eventually forgetting how to do everyday activities, as far as even taking care of themselves,” Lynch said.

Lynch’s mother-in-law, Irene, lived at Commonwealth Senior Living for years before passing away last September.

“It’s a tough, very tough, to watch a loved one go through it,” Lynch said.

Lynch also shared a memory of her grandmother who stayed with her.

“She would just glance at me and say, ‘Oh, hey, I remember you. You’re the daughter I chose,’ because she used to tell me that all the time,” Lynch said.

The simulator uses a combination of physical tools to replicate the sensory experience of dementia. Participants wear pokey spikes in their shoes to simulate foot pain, oven mitts to make gripping items more difficult, vision-reducing glasses, and headphones that produce muffled noises similar to what dementia patients may hear.

While wearing the equipment, participants are asked to complete everyday tasks — a challenge I experienced firsthand.

“This is like almost impossible,” I said during the simulation. “Just the vision alone is throwing me off, let alone all the muffledness.”

Attempting to handle change from a coin purse proved especially difficult.

“This change in the coin purse is gonna be impossible. Wow, this is so hard,” I said. “And I just dropped a lot more.”

Tracy Prince, a staff member at Commonwealth Senior Living also has two family members with dementia, said the experience is designed to build empathy.

“It kind of gives them a taste of what someone with dementia and or Alzheimer’s would have and what they could potentially be going through,” Tracy said.

For Tracy, going through the simulator herself was an emotional experience.

“I cried during the whole thing, because just it brings to light exactly what your loved one’s going through, and when they ask you a question 10 times in two minutes, or if they say repeat themselves the same time within five minutes, you know, it’s just you then kind of understand,” Tracy said.

For Lynch, the simulator offered a new and heartbreaking perspective.

“It’s very heartbreaking, because you weren’t aware of everything that they had to deal with and all the pressures that they were under trying to even make it feel normal,” Lynch said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXMI’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

‘Don’t release him ever. Please.’ Family of slain Utah teen calls for justice at parole hearing

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Pat Reavy

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    SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — Francisco Daniel Aguilar says he’s sorry for shooting and killing his girlfriend, 16-year-old Jacqueline “Jacky” Nunez-Millan, a Piute High School sophomore, in 2023.

But just as he did when he was sentenced, he didn’t have much of an explanation on Tuesday as to why he shot her not once, but twice.

“It just kinda happened. I was mad. And I stepped out (of my truck) and started shooting,” he said. “When I saw her fall, I just kind of panicked, I just went and shot her again.”

But Jacky’s friends and family members say even before she was killed, Aguilar already had a history of violence, and they now want justice to be served.

“You don’t accidentally take a gun, you don’t accidentally grab a knife … you don’t accidentally shoot someone, those are all choices,” a tearful Rosa Nunez, Jacky’s sister, said at Tuesday’s hearing. “Keep him where he needs to be.

“Don’t release him ever. Please.”

On Jan. 7, 2023, Aguilar, who was 17 at the time, got into a fight with his girlfriend, Jacky, shot her twice and left her body near a dirt road outside of Circleville, Piute County. He was convicted as an adult of aggravated murder and sentenced to a term of 25 years to up to life in prison.

Because of Aguilar’s age at the time of the offense, board member Greg Johnson explained Tuesday that the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole is required to hold a hearing much earlier than the 25-year mark, mainly to check on Aguilar and “see how things are going.” Aguilar, now 20, is currently being held in a juvenile secure care facility and will be transferred to the Utah State Prison when he turns 25 or earlier if he has discipline violations and is kicked out of the youth facility.

According to Aguilar’s sentencing guidelines, he will likely remain in custody until at least the year 2051.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Aguilar told the board that he was feeling “stressed out” during his senior year of high school. He said he and Jacky would often have little arguments. But their bigger fight happened when he failed to get her a “promise ring” around Christmastime, he said.

On the night of the killing, the two were arguing about the promise ring and other items, Aguilar recalled. At one point, he grabbed a knife and then a gun because, he said, he wanted to “irritate” and “scare” Jacky. According to evidence presented in the preliminary hearing, Aguilar and his girlfriend had been “trying to make each other angry” when Aguilar took ammunition and a 9mm gun from his father’s room and then drove to the Black Hill area in his truck with Jacky.

Jacky’s friend, McKall Taylor, went looking for her that night and found her. But after Aguilar shot Jacky in the leg, he began shooting at Taylor, who had no choice but to run to her car to get away. Her car was hit multiple times by bullets. Aguilar then shot Jacky a second time as she lay on the ground and Taylor drove away.

On Tuesday, Taylor’s mother, Lori Taylor, read a statement to the board on her daughter’s behalf.

“My innocence and freedom was taken from me,” she said.

McKall Taylor says the “horrifying events of that night will forever play in my head,” and the sounds of Jacky screaming and the gunshots as well as the sight of Jacky falling to the ground, will never go away.

“Francisco is a murderer who has zero remorse,” her letter states.

Likewise, Rosa Nunez told the board that for her and her family, “nothing in our world has felt safe since” that night as they all “continue to relive this horrific moment.”

After shooting Jacky and driving off, Aguilar says he called his father and “told him I was sorry for not being better, for not making good choices, I told him that I loved him. I was just planning on probably shooting myself, too.”

His father told him that although what he did wasn’t right, “he’d rather see me behind bars than in a casket,” and then told his son to “be a man about it. … This is where you have to change.”

Aguilar was arrested after his tires were spiked by police.

“An apology won’t fix what I did. I’ll never be able to fix what I did. But I want to say I’m sorry,” he said Tuesday. “I don’t even know how to fix what I did. I’m hoping I’m on the right track now.”

Johnson noted that Aguilar has done well during his short time being incarcerated. But that doesn’t change the fact “the crime was horrific,” he said.

The full five-member board will now take a vote. The board could decide to schedule another parole hearing for sometime in the future or could order that Aguilar serve his entire life sentence. But even if that were to happen, Johnson says Aguilar could petition every so often for a redetermination hearing.

The board’s decision is expected in several weeks.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KSL verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Detroit mother charged for unsafe storage of weapon after six-year-old killed in accidental shooting

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By WXYZ Staff

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    DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit mother has been charged with unsafe storage of a weapon after her six-year-old daughter was accidentally shot and killed in a car in Detroit earlier this week.

According to police, the child’s mother came to a plaza in the area of Gratiot and Harper avenues around noon on Monday, March 2, to get food.

We’re told the mother went inside and left five children in the car unattended. While they were in the car, the child was shot with the unsecured gun by her 11-year-old brother. Detroit police say the children are all 12 years old and younger.

Tonya Charisse-Annie Johnson, 41, has been charged with:

Firearms — Safe Storage Violations — Premises Under Individual’s Control — Minor Present and Inflicted Death upon Self or Another Three counts of Second-Degree Child Abuse Four counts of Felony Firearm She is expected to appear in court again later this afternoon.

“The alleged facts of this case are among the worst child safe storage cases that we have seen. This will affect these children forever. The loss of the life of one of their siblings in a closed compartment of the defendant’s car cannot be unseen,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

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.

Family pleads for tips in cold case murder of husband, father in Kansas City, Kansas

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Taylor Hemness

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    KANSAS (KSHB) — A Kansas family is hoping that someone can come forward with new evidence in the case of a shooting that resulted in the death of a husband and father.

In January, I told you about the family of Patrick Leroy Lenning. On a Saturday in July of 2021, Lenning went with his adult daughter to Kansas City, Kansas, to help her complete the purchase of a car.

They met the seller in the parking lot of the Community America Credit Union on State Avenue. While there, gunfire broke out in a nearby sporting goods store after an altercation inside.

One of the people involved, fleeing from the gunfire, drove his car into the credit union parking lot. He crashed into another car, which hit Patrick. He died at the hospital that day.

Last week, I sat down with his daughter for the first time. She says her memory still bears the scars of what happened to her dad.

“I just remember it so clearly, everything that happened,” Samantha Lenning-Watson told me. “Hearing the gunshots, our reaction to it, and then seeing the car coming. And then, I remember everything that I said, everything that I said to him (the driver) when he got out of the car.”

I’ve been working with this family for more than a year as they’ve waited for answers. I first interviewed Lenning’s widow Patricia, in late 2024.

The family got one answer in January, more than four years after the fact, when the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged Angelo Hill in Lenning’s murder, as well as criminal discharge of a firearm, and aggravated assault.

Authorities allege that Hill was the man firing shots in the nearby store.

Hill is already in prison in another state, serving a sentence on a separate conviction.

But so far, no one else has been charged with a crime, including the driver who hit and killed Lenning. Samantha told me that she basically held that man at the scene until police arrived.

“I would eventually like to see the security footage of what happened inside the store that day,” Lenning-Watson said. “I was outside the store that day, so I don’t know what happened in the store before it led out to the shooting in the parking lot.”

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Cold Case Unit Det. Lily Szewc has played a key role in the investigation into Lenning’s death.

I asked about the case and the likelihood of more charges being filed, including against that driver.

“It was a complex case in the fact that there were so many different things that happened, or chain of events, that might lead you in one direction, when you should be going in a different one,” Szewc told me. “We are charging based on what we have links to, and right now, that person (the driver who hit Lenning) is not being charged, and I won’t say never. It could change, but right now it does not appear that that’s happening.”

Lenning’s widow and daughter tell me that they’re thankful for the work that has been done, but feel that more is possible.

“I am very antsy again right now,” Patricia Lenning said. “I am not sleeping again at night. I’ve lost a lot of motivation. I move forward, but then I go backwards again. I want to be more clearly informed when things are happening, and my life not be on hold. I keep looking for case numbers, and that’s causing even more anxiety.”

“I want to know what happens now with Mr. Hill,” Lenning’s widow told me.

“If anybody has a tip for what really went down that day, if you have any connection to the individuals that were there that day, now is your time to come forward and speak,” Lenning-Watson said.

I’ve asked the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office for an interview on this case, but they’ve declined.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Lenning family met with Wyandotte County D.A. Mark Dupree to get more clarity on the charges that his office has, and has not, filed.

After that meeting, Patricia Lenning told me that she feels better about the state of the case, and that Dupree intends to bring Angelo Hill back to Wyandotte County to face trial.

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.

‘Playing for him’: Niagara University club hockey team playing for championship in honor of late teammate

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Derek Heid

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    NIAGARA FALLS, New York (WKBW) — Niagara University’s Division 2 club hockey team is playing for a national championship, but all will be competing with heavy hearts, as they skate in honor of their late teammate Bradly Burden.

The 29-1-1 Purple Eagles are one of 16 teams set to compete in the ACHA M2 Nationals in St. Louis, but there’s one player noticeably missing from practice.

Bradly Burden, aka Burdy, a sophomore defenseman, was killed in a Niagara Falls car accident last week, just two days after the team clinched its spot at nationals.

“It has been tough, mornings are rough,” teammate Benji Orgil said. “Looking at my phone, I expect a Snapchat from him.”

“Just, still doesn’t even feel real to be honest,” teammate Aiden Waters said. “He was a one-of-one… If he ever played a few bad games in a row, in the team showers, he would wash his stick and wash off all the ‘bad juju’ with soap and water, which was pretty funny. I don’t know if I’ll ever see somebody do that again.”

As the March 12 opening of the Nationals group play neared for the team, head coach Sean Casilio didn’t know if his team would still play for the championship, until a conversation with Bradly’s family changed his mind.

WATCH: ‘Playing for him’: Niagara University club hockey team playing for championship in honor of late teammate

“[His dad] basically told me, we had to go,” Casilio said. “If there’s one thing I want to do, I want to win 5 games for the Burdens.”

When the team travels to play in St. Louis, Missouri, Bradly will be with them.

All players will wear warm-up jerseys with Bradly’s number 20 on the back. During the games, number 20 will be sewn onto all game jerseys and stickers saying “Burdy God Bless” have been placed on the backs of every player’s helmet.

“We are going to be playing 6 on 5,” Waters said. “We know he’s going to be with us.”

“We are going to be playing with him, and we are going to be playing for him,” teammate Mario Smith said.

“It’ll be like having him out there with us, that’s how we’re looking at it,” Orgil said.

For this number-one-ranked team in the northeast, just showing up at nationals is not their goal. They want to win a championship for their friend.

“It would mean the world. Obviously, it would be for him. But then it would just be a heck of a year for our team and for us as a group,” Smith said.

If you would like to donate to help the team with travel costs, you can do so here.NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Niagara University’s Division 2 club hockey team is playing for a national championship, but all will be competing with heavy hearts, as they skate in honor of their late teammate Bradly Burden.

The 29-1-1 Purple Eagles are one of 16 teams set to compete in the ACHA M2 Nationals in St. Louis, but there’s one player noticeably missing from practice.

Bradly Burden, aka Burdy, a sophomore defenseman, was killed in a Niagara Falls car accident last week, just two days after the team clinched its spot at nationals.

“It has been tough, mornings are rough,” teammate Benji Orgil said. “Looking at my phone, I expect a Snapchat from him.”

“Just, still doesn’t even feel real to be honest,” teammate Aiden Waters said. “He was a one-of-one… If he ever played a few bad games in a row, in the team showers, he would wash his stick and wash off all the ‘bad juju’ with soap and water, which was pretty funny. I don’t know if I’ll ever see somebody do that again.”

As the March 12 opening of the Nationals group play neared for the team, head coach Sean Casilio didn’t know if his team would still play for the championship, until a conversation with Bradly’s family changed his mind.

“[His dad] basically told me, we had to go,” Casilio said. “If there’s one thing I want to do, I want to win 5 games for the Burdens.”

When the team travels to play in St. Louis, Missouri, Bradly will be with them.

All players will wear warm-up jerseys with Bradly’s number 20 on the back. During the games, number 20 will be sewn onto all game jerseys and stickers saying “Burdy God Bless” have been placed on the backs of every player’s helmet.

“We are going to be playing 6 on 5,” Waters said. “We know he’s going to be with us.”

“We are going to be playing with him, and we are going to be playing for him,” teammate Mario Smith said.

“It’ll be like having him out there with us, that’s how we’re looking at it,” Orgil said.

For this number-one-ranked team in the northeast, just showing up at nationals is not their goal. They want to win a championship for their friend.

“It would mean the world. Obviously, it would be for him. But then it would just be a heck of a year for our team and for us as a group,” Smith said.

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.

Fire destroys sports bar just weeks before its planned grand opening

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Taylor Anthony

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    NEWFANE, New York (WKBW) — A massive fire tore through the former Gordie Harper’s Bazaar in Newfane over the weekend, destroying the building just days before new owners were set to celebrate the grand opening of Apple Barrel at Gordie Harper’s Sports Bar and Grill.

Nancy Smith, who was going to be the manager of the new bar and grill, said she watched for hours Saturday night as flames tore through the building.

“It was my dream to have this place,” Smith said.

WATCH: Fire destroys Newfane sports bar just weeks before its planned grand opening

Smith walked through the rubble with me, pointing out where the bar once stood, where the kitchen had just been finished and where customers were supposed to gather in just a few weeks.

The building was being transformed under new ownership. Walls had come down, new systems were installed and opening day was within reach.

Smith has spent 40 years in the restaurant industry and said there isn’t a job she hasn’t done and she was ready to run the bar and grill.

“Hurt, just crushed, crushed. I’ve been in this industry for 40 years. There isn’t anything I can’t do in a restaurant… and I always wanted a bar with food,” Smith said.

Now, instead of setting up for a grand opening, she is answering phone calls, navigating insurance claims and trying to find a way forward.

“It’s been three days, and it just seems so odd that we’re not walking into this building to do the work that we have been doing for the last few months,” Smith said.

Smith said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

“People came from all over to come here. The pouring out on social media, mine and Tim’s phone with text messages and phone calls have just been unreal. We hope that we can rebuild, but we don’t know. We don’t know anything yet,” Smith said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. I reached out to Miller Hose Fire Company for more information and am still waiting to hear back.

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.

Quick-thinking neighbors in North Carolina help save man from dog attack

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Penelope Lopez

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    FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) — Brendan Webster, a U.S. Army Department of Defense engineer, remains hospitalized after he and his dog were attacked by two Rottweilers in his Fayetteville neighborhood.

He said quick-thinking neighbors likely saved his life.

Webster is recovering at Womack Army Medical Center from injuries he suffered in Wednesday morning’s attack.

“After looking at the damage done to my leg, I just got lucky. We got away with just that,” Webster said, becoming emotional. “It could have been so much worse about those two neighbors there.”

The other dogs had him pinned down, and they’re biting them. And so I kind of jumped on my dog and embraced him and was punching the dogs off him again. – Brendan Webster Webster said the attack happened while he was walking his 2-year-old German shepherd, Luke.

“I was walking my purebred good boy Luke up the street, and in the distance, I see two Rottweilers, and kind of a little alarming,” Webster said. “So me and Luke go ahead and cross the street well ahead of time, you know, stay out of danger.”

Within seconds, he said, the dogs charged.

“The other dogs had him pinned down, and they’re biting them,” Webster said of his dog. “And so I kind of jumped on my dog and embraced him and was punching the dogs off him again.”

Webster suffered multiple puncture wounds and severe damage to his leg. The injuries have temporarily left him in a wheelchair.

“I have a couple of a lot of puncture wounds, and then they tore my flesh and turned it inside out,” he said. “So I have to some staples in my calf right now where everything was pulled and pulled out.”

Dash camera video captured neighbors rushing to help as the attack unfolded.

Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Hubbard said he was driving his children to school when he saw Webster bleeding in the street.

“I can definitely see there were some puncture wounds on his leg, blood down his lower leg,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard, who has 17 years of military experience, said he turned his vehicle around and used his uniform belt to restrain one of the dogs.

“I made a little noose out of it, and then Dog’s head went in and set it up, and then I just held the dog out like that for, you know, half hour, 45 minutes,” he said.

Webster said he was grateful for the neighbors who intervened.

“Thank you. There’s, I couldn’t have done anything except sit there and, and take the beating we were getting. Crawled up in a little ball with my dog,” he said, his voice breaking. “So there’s nothing I could have done without them.”

Luke also received stitches and is recovering, Webster said. The two are hoping to be reunited soon.

Authorities said one of the Rottweilers has been returned to its owner, while the other remains with animal control.

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.

Teen driver thanks 5 officers who saved his life after fiery crash on Long Island

CNN Newsource on March 5, 2026

By Chanteé Lans

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    YAPHANK, New York (WABC) — There was an emotional reunion on Wednesday between a driver involved in a serious crash in Suffolk County and the police officers who saved his life.

The teenaged driver lost consciousness and his car burst into flames last November. But fortunately, responding officers got to him on time and pulled him from the overturned vehicle.

Kervens Lesperance, 19, saw the shocking video for the first time on Wednesday.

Lesperance crashed his Jeep Cherokee into an overpass before it caught fire. He was driving southbound on Nicholls Road near exit 62 in Holtsville on Nov. 24.

Suffolk County police officers Robert Stroehlein, Craig Capobianco, Joseph Nofi, Robert Rosciano and Michael Renna rallied together to pull Lesperance to safety.

“I grabbed Kervens myself being that the impact of the crashed caved the steering column downward on his lap,” Capobianco said.

Highway Patrol Officer Capobianco was the first on the scene.

“The timing, I can’t stress it enough, it worked in our favor that night,” Capobianco said.

Once freed, police body camera video shows the teen’s body inadvertently pinning one of the officers with him into a nearby embankment.

“When I pulled him out of the vehicle, I had slipped and I had fallen in between the embankment and that vehicle that was obviously engulfed, at which point in time Kervens was on top of me,” Capobianco said.

Officer Renna rushed to extinguish the fire. The roof was completely caved and nearly gone and Lesperance was unconscious the entire time.

“The only thing I remembered is waking up in my home and saying that I had a bad accident,” Lesperance said.

On Wednesday, he walked into the Suffolk County Police headquarters suffering from a torn ligament in his neck and a fractured skull, but he got to meet the five officers who saved his life.

“I just want to say I’m glad that I’m here and I just want to say thank you for saving me,” Lesperance said.

Aside from being gracious, Lesperance plans to continue school. His major is automotive and he hopes to enter that field in the near future.

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.