Category: General

2-month-old child in serious condition following accident

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A two-month-old Marshalltown boy remains in serious condition following a Wednesday accident in which a SUV crashed into a basement apartment.Police said Lah Paw, 25, who has a driver’s permit but was driving alone, accidentally accelerated in a parking lot, confusing the gas pedal with the break pedal, and drove into the apartment at 306 Plaza Heights Road. The accident occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m.Htoo (Jolly) Paw, the infant, was in the apartment along with five other people when the SUV crashed. The baby was seriously injured, according to police, and airlifted to a Des Moines hospital. A spokesperson with Blank Children’s Hospital said Thursday afternoon that he was listed in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit.The others who were in the apartment at the time of the accident had varying degrees of injuries and were transported to Marshalltown Medical Surgical Center by ambulance, where they were treated and released. Those injured were Tin Hla, 49, Shwe Nyunt, unknown age, Day Day, 29, Kaw Kaw, 40 and another woman named Lah Paw, age unknown.Capt. Mike Hanken, of the Marshalltown Police Department, said the vehicle was hung up on brick block walls when it collided with the building, which prevented it from collapsing down on the people in the apartment. When officers arrived, the people inside the apartment were trapped, he said, but were able to escape from underneath the vehicle.The driver is not likely to receive charges because the accident occurred on private property, Hanken said, however the accident will be reported to the Iowa Department of Transportation.”We’ll continue to look for applicable charges, but we can’t claim it was reckless driving because it was inexperience in operating a motor vehicle,” Hanken said. “The accident will likely have an impact on whether she is granted a valid license.”The building, owned by Christy Steelsmith, sustained approximately $40,000 in damages and the Nissan Pathfinder had about $7,000 in damages, he said.The Marshalltown Police Department released details of the accident Thursday morning.

How to Get Discount Auto Insurance Rates

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How to Get Discount Auto Insurance Rates
Finding discount auto insurance rates is easier than ever these days thanks to increasing competition among insurance companies with the proliferation of low-cost, limited-service, or primarily online insurance companies that have undercut the traditional full-service providers.

These competitive pressures have in turn forced these more full-service companies to offer discounts and low-cost policies of their own, lowering the cost of car insurance in for many Americans. However, finding the best discounts while maintaining an adequate level of service and coverage can be a challenge.

Ask Your Provider About Discounts
Today, traditional insurance providers like Allstate and State Farm as well as more direct sale alternatives like GEICO and Progressive all offer dozens of discount options that can shave anywhere from 20 to 60 percent off a given policy’s “sticker price.”

These discounts include breaks for maintaining a good driving record free of major accidents or tickets; getting good grades, if you’re currently enrolled in school; and installing safety and security devices in your vehicle like aftermarket steering-wheel locks and fog lights.

Not all of these discounts are readily available on each provider’s websites. Be sure to ask your insurer about each and every discount that they provide, especially if there is a certain demographic or driver group into which you believe you fall. If you drive your vehicle much less than the average driver, you should call your provider directly to see if you can craft a low-cost policy that accurately reflects your driving habits.

Look For New Discounts
Traditional and full-service discount providers have in recent years demonstrated a greater willingness to tailor their policies to their individual customers. No single insurance product better exemplifies this trend than Progressive’s Snapshot system, a device that monitors drivers’ driving habits and miles traveled from its perch inside their vehicles.

After recording a wealth of information about each individual’s driving style over the course of several months, the device is returned to the company’s pricing department where it is used to create a customized policy. Cautious drivers enrolled in the Snapshot program can save anywhere from 30 to 50 percent on their insurance premiums; aggressive drivers will see little in the way of savings.car insurance

For more tips, read our article on the 3 Top Car Insurance Discounts.

The Low-Cost Online Insurance Option
Another major alternative for drivers seeking discount car insurance companies is the bevy of low-cost providers that keep their costs low and pass the savings on to their customers. Most of these companies maintain a limited physical presence, directing potential clients to their websites instead. To get a quote, you’ll have to fill out an online form.

Low cost providers like The General and Esurance may be able to shave another 30 to 40 percent from the typical driver’s premiums at other carriers. Most people hold these policies for years without complaint, but the level of service is definitely an important factor when purchasing coverage. The last thing a drivers wants is to have trouble having a claim serviced or paid as this is the reason drivers purchase insurance in the first place.
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‘Sleep driving’ Dane walks free

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SEREMBAN: A Dane was acquitted here on a charge of reckless driving that caused the death of three people because he was “sleep driving” at the time of the accident. The court said Kenneth Jakobsen, 29, was unaware that he was driving on the wrong side of the North-South Expressway when his car ploughed into a BMW carrying four people on July 4, 2010. Magistrate Marsilawati Mohamad Shah said the defence had successfully proven that Jakobsen had a medical condition known as amnesic episode due to somnambulism (sleep walking) and could not recall that he was driving against traffic flow. “The accused had no inkling that he was driving against traffic to­­wards Seremban. His claim was also corroborated by medical experts from Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur and Hospital Kuala Lumpur,” she said in her judgment. At the time of the accident, Jakobsen was visiting the country as a tourist. Marsilawati said medical records showed that Jakobsen had sleep walking problems and often lost his memory. Jakobsen had on July 14, 2010 pleaded not guilty to reckless driving and causing the deaths of Ghazali Ab Majid, 52, Mohd Sofee Mohd Tahir, 50, and Zulkarnain Adam, 49 when the car he was driving ploughed the BMW on the expressway near Nilai. Only one individual in the BMW survived the horrific accident. The four friends were heading home to Klang from Malacca after a reunion dinner. According to the facts of the case, Jakobsen’s car was allegedly involved in a minor accident with a Proton Waja along the north-bound lane of the highway before he collided with the BMW. He was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act which carries between two and 10 years’ jail, or a fine of between RM5,000 and RM10,000, or both.

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Plano Woman Injured In Airplane Propeller Accident

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PLANO (CBS 11 NEWS) – CBS 11 News talked with the family of a Plano woman who was seriously injured in a airplane propeller accident.
Lauren Scruggs’ life was changed in an instant on Saturday night, after she stepped off of the private plane seen in the photo above.
Until the weekend, Lauren had been enjoying a life of modeling shoots and carving a career as a magazine editor… then the 23-year-old took a private plane ride.
The trip ended with a horrible accident that left Lauren disfigured and close to death.
Lauren’s father, Jeff Scruggs, recalled seeing his daughter at the hospital.
“I asked her if she could hear me to squeeze my hand and she did,” he said.
Lauren’s parents say they are relying on their Christian faith for strength and will maintain a vigil at their daughter’s hospital bedside.
Lauren’s trip in the private plane began at Aero County Airport, just outside McKinney.
According to CBS 11 sources, the pilot had been hosting a party at his house, near the runway, and was taking guests on plane rides to look at holiday lights from the air.
FAA officials say Lauren had just gotten out of the plane when walked right into a moving propeller blade. She suffered a fractured skull, severe cuts and her left hand was amputated.
Family spokesperson Janee Harrell said Lauren might have seen the blade before it hit her.
“It appears she put up her hand to block her face, which is why it was severed.”
While the woman’s injures were very serious her condition has improved. “She’s even responding more today. She’s opening her eyes, moving around the bed… which is really moving around,” said Harrell. “She’s uncomfortable but it’s a good thing.”
The pilot who flew the 2011 Aviat Husky did not respond to interview requests.
The FAA issued a statement that said, in part, “We are still investigating and will interview the pilot and any other witnesses.”
The Scruggs family believes the investigation will confirm that the accident was just that — an accident.
Lauren’s mother, Cheryl Scruggs, said, “We know that Lauren will soar because of this. She was hit by a propeller but she will be propelled to do God’s work and claim him in all that she does.”
As a testament to Lauren’s improving condition, doctors removed her breathing tube Monday and family members say the young woman is responsive and breathing on her own.
There is a chance Lauren’s fractured skull could leave her blind in one eye, but her family expects she will recover from her other injuries.