birminghammail--2019-10-14--'Volatile' protester Shakeel Afsar 'confronted head teacher in her office over LGBT teaching'

The head teacher of Anderton Park School claimed leading protester Shakeel Afsar confronted her in her office in a "volatile and aggressive" state and demanded she stop sharing LGBT equality messages with pupils.  Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson was giving evidence on the first day of a High Court hearing to decide if a temporary exclusion zone around the school in Sparkhill needs to be made permanent to stop noisy protests at the gates.  During a gruelling two-and-a-half hours of cross examination, Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson spoke of staff being "too intimidated" to hold a parents' evening and nursery children forced to miss playtime to avoid hearing the noisy protests.  She also said she had rejected calls for a mass meeting with parents amid fears it would end up "like the Jeremy Kyle Show".  In her testimony, she told the court: "Yes, we say it is okay to be gay, because it is.  “There is a tension of course when some people believe homosexuality is sinful.  “But it is not sinful in British law.”  Mr Justice Warby, sitting at the High Court in Birmingham, heard the first of an estimated four days of evidence in connection with an application by Birmingham City Council for a permanent exclusion zone to be established around the school to curb protests.  The council is seeking to ban three lead protesters, Shakeel Afsar, Rosina Afsar and Amir Ahmed, and 'persons unknown' from holding protests within the designated exclusion zone, or inciting others to protest there, or handing out leaflets or other material inside the zone connected to the school's teaching.  The order would also restrict messages and negative messages about the school's teaching and staff on social media.  The school has been at the centre of a campaign by mostly Muslim parents demanding the school stops sharing LGBT equality messages with young pupils, led by protesters who say the messages conflict with their 'religious beliefs and family values'.  The city council launched court action in a bid to protect the school from further protests after a 300-strong gathering at the gates in May.  During that gathering, a visiting imam was videoed claiming there were ‘paedophiles’ in the school.  The defendants later issued a retraction stating they did not support that claim, and that it was language used in the heat of the moment that was not appropriate.  An emergency interim order was granted in May, and later extended in June, which sought to halt any more gatherings in sight and sound of the primary school that could disrupt pupils, or intimidate staff.  Before the hearing today (Monday October 14) around 15 supporters of the defendants, some with tape over their mouths, some carrying leaflets saying "Gagged", held a silent protest outside the court.  Opening the case for the council inside a packed court room, Mr Jonathan Manning QC said: "This case is not about preventing lawful and legitimate protest and freedom of speech - but unacceptable behaviour.  "It is our case that the behaviour since (the interim order was granted in May) makes it necessary to introduce a final order.”  He said: "All kinds of hurtful allegations about what the school is teaching, in an inflammatory way” have been shared, and “attempts to disturb school life, from outside the exclusion zone, have continued," said Mr Manning.  This has included "hurtful, harmful and totally untrue" allegations about paedophilia.  Mr Manning said the noisy protests meant the school nursery children have not been able to use a playground when they are being held, and noise can be heard inside the school.  “It is clear to us that but for the interim order being in place the intention of the defendants was to continue to protest in the original place (at the school gates),” he said.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson, giving evidence, said she met with parent Rosina Afsar and "about 15-20 friends" in early February for what she felt was a ‘very constructive’ meeting, where she answered legitimate concerns about what was being taught. She reassured them that children were not being told about sex of any kind.     Soon after, the headteacher said, she met Rosina again - who she described as a ’very good mum’ - accompanied by her brother Shakeel.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson said: “He slammed his hands down on my desk. The first thing he said was he ‘demanded’ what I should do. He was volatile and aggressive, with little eye contact - he would shout and then apologise quietly then shout.  “I had never been in a meeting like it in 22 years of teaching.”  There were calls for a mass meeting with parents to discuss what messages about LGBT equality were being shared with children.  She rejected those calls because she feared it would become ‘“like the Jeremy Kyle Show”.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson said: “When I was deputy head we had a big meeting (with parents) to discuss our teaching of puberty and growing up, menstruation and so on. It became very aggressive.  "There were attempts by some men to separate men and women, women were sent to sit at the back of the hall, a couple of people at the front were very vocal.  “There was shouting and braying and we had to abandon the meeting.  “I was not prepared to risk a repeat - it was such a sensitive issue.”  Instead, she said, she held a series of one to one meetings, workshops and informal gatherings with parents to discuss their concerns and dispel any inaccurate information about what was being taught.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson said she was not, as claimed, seeking to "smash heteronormative society" or "promoting homosexuality."  The messages shared at the school, using picture books but also through conversation, included that it is okay to be gay - "because it is," she told the court.  She would say some children have two mummies or two daddies, and clarified that she would also say it is okay to wear what you like.  Homosexuality "is not sinful in British law"  Added Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson: “A dad came in my office and said to me that if his son wore a dress he would laugh at him. I explained that we would not, and could not, laugh at him at school. That is the difference.”  She added: “We are saying some children have two mummies - that is not promoting homosexuality."  She was asked by the defendants' barrister Mr Ramby de Mello: “Did you consider the content of some story books (And Tango Makes Three, Princess Boy and others) would arouse objections from the majority of parents at the school and would offend their core values?”  The head replied: “There is a tension for some Muslims but not from many Muslims in the community or among my staff (over half of the staff are Muslim).  “I have letters from Muslims who do not agree with the protesters.  “There is a tension of course when some people believe homosexuality is sinful.  “But it is not sinful in British law.”  Parents claimed the head called one parent “homophobic” and parents were left ‘very upset’ following a meeting in February, said Mr de Mello.  The tensions escalated in the weeks after.  Mrs Afsar was later banned from the school for allegedly intimidating staff. She was seen gathering mums after dropping her own daughter off at nursery and spreading distressing messages, the court was told.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson also confirmed she had given permission for members of an LGBT group, SEEDS, to tie ribbons and banners to the school gates one weekend.  “I thought it sounded a lovely thing to do. They were putting up hearts and messages saying love not hate,” said Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson.  The group were confronted while putting up the banners and messages and pelted with eggs, with their presence branded "incendiary." "I did not see it as “incendiary” - there are gay people living all over Birmingham including on Dennis Road and it seemed a lovely thing to do," she added.  Mr Ramby de Mello quizzed the head about messages she has shared on the social media channel Twitter, asking her to explain if and why she retweeted messages from a tweeter identified as “queer and Muslim”.  Tweet exchanges with prominent local gay people Khakan Qureshi, Andrew Moffat, assistant head at Parkfield School in Alum Rock, and others are raised, and she is also asked about sharing platforms (at events) with people who Mr de Mello refers to as LGBT ‘supporters’.  Mrs Hewitt-Clarkson tells the court: “I am really uncomfortable (at the suggestion) that me having photos taken or speaking with gay people is somehow problematic.”  In a further tweet from her twitter account, highlighted by Mr de Mello, she suggested protesters “are inciting hatred towards LGBT people.”  She told the court: “I have seen they (the defendants) are not actually interested in consultation. I have seen signs saying Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. There are many things I’ve heard, many posted by the defendants, that I believe incite hatred.”  Among other incidents raised during the first day of evidence was a police witness statement that included reference to an incident in which a protestor called a PC 'Islamophobic’ and used racially aggravated language, calling him ‘bacon breath’ - though the police officer was later subject to a complaint by the protester that was upheld, said Mr de Mello.     The court was also told that following an incident outside the school in which Jess Phillips MP was involved in an argument with protestor Mr Afsar that a PC “asked if she had a lift home as he was genuinely concerned for her safety, such was the nature of the confrontation.”


bonginoreport--2019-12-25--Jesus Was Not a Socialist

Jesus Was Not a Socialist

“Regardless of your religious beliefs, Larry Reed proves it takes a wild leap of imagination to view Jesus as a Progressive Socialist. This is a critically important issue because secular Progressives would like to control the moral high ground by capturing religion to support their elitist, statist ideology, which would allow them to do even more damage to genuine human flourishing.” — John A. Allison, Former President and CEO, Cato Institute, Former Chairman and CEO, BB&T Corporation  On June 16, 1992, London's Daily Telegraph reported this astonishingly bold remark by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev: "Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind."1  Perhaps we should cut Gorbachev some slack here. A man who climbed his way to the top of a stridently atheist empire with a sorry track record on human rights was probably not a Bible scholar. But surely he knew that if socialism is nothing more than the seeking of "a better life for mankind," then Jesus could hardly have been its first advocate; he would, in fact, be just one of several billion of them.  You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate the errors in the Gorbachev canard. You can be a person of any faith or no faith at all. You just have to appreciate facts, history, and logic. You can even be a socialist — but one with open eyes — and realize that Jesus wasn't in your camp.  Let's first define the term socialism, which the Gorbachev comment only obfuscates. Socialism isn't happy thoughts, nebulous fantasies, mere good intentions, or children sharing their Halloween candy with one another. In a modern political, economic, and social context, socialism isn't voluntary like the Girl Scouts. Its central characteristic is the concentration of power to forcibly achieve one or more (or usually all) of these purposes: central planning of the economy, government ownership of property, and the redistribution of wealth. No amount of "we do it all for you" or "it's for your own good" or "we're helping people" rhetoric can erase that. What makes socialism socialism is the fact that you can't opt out, a point eloquently made here by David Boaz of the Cato Institute:  Government, whether big or small, is the only entity in society that possesses a legal monopoly over the use of force. The more force it initiates against people, the more it subordinates the choices of the ruled to the whims of their rulers — that is, the more socialist it becomes. A reader may object to this description by insisting that to "socialize" something is to simply "share" it and "help people" in the process, but that's baby talk. It's how you do it that defines the system. Do it through the use of force, and it's socialism. Do it through persuasion, free will, and respect for property rights, and it's something else entirely.  So was Jesus really a socialist? More to the main focus of this essay, did he call for the state to redistribute income to either punish the rich or to help the poor?  I first heard "Jesus was a socialist" and "Jesus was a redistributionist" some forty years ago. I was puzzled. I had always understood Jesus's message to be that the most important decision a person would make in his earthly lifetime was to accept or reject him as savior. That decision was clearly to be a very personal one — an individual and voluntary choice. He constantly stressed inner, spiritual renewal as far more critical to well-being than material things. I wondered, "How could the same Jesus advocate the use of force to take stuff from some and give it to others?" I just couldn't imagine him supporting a fine or a jail sentence for people who don't want to fork over their money for food-stamp programs.  "Wait a minute!" you say. "Didn't Jesus answer, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's when the Pharisees tried to trick him into denouncing a Roman-imposed tax?" Yes indeed, he did say that. It's found first in the Gospel of Matthew, 22:15–22, and later in the Gospel of Mark, 12:13–17. But notice that everything depends on just what truly did belong to Caesar and what didn't, which is actually a rather powerful endorsement of property rights. Jesus said nothing like "It belongs to Caesar if Caesar simply says it does, no matter how much he wants, how he gets it, or how he chooses to spend it."  The fact is, one can scour the Scriptures with a fine-tooth comb and find nary a word from Jesus that endorses the forcible redistribution of wealth by political authorities. None, period.  "But didn't Jesus say he came to uphold the law?" you ask. Yes, in Matthew 5:17–20 he declares, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."3 In Luke 24:44, he clarifies this when he says, "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." He was not saying, "Whatever laws the government passes, I'm all for." He was speaking specifically of the Mosaic law (primarily the Ten Commandments) and the prophecies of his own coming.  Consider the eighth of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not steal." Note the period after the word "steal." This admonition does not read, "You shall not steal unless the other guy has more than you do" or "You shall not steal unless you're absolutely positive you can spend it better than the guy who earned it." Nor does it say, "You shall not steal, but it's OK to hire someone else, like a politician, to do it for you."  In case people were still tempted to steal, the tenth commandment is aimed at nipping in the bud one of the principal motives for stealing (and for redistribution): "You shall not covet." In other words, if it's not yours, keep your fingers off of it.  In Luke 12:13–15, Jesus is confronted with a redistribution request. A man with a grievance approaches him and demands, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replies thusly: "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Wow! He could have equalized the wealth between two men with a wave of his hand, but he chose to denounce envy instead.  "What about the story of the Good Samaritan? Doesn't that make a case for government welfare programs or redistribution?" you inquire. The answer is an emphatic "No!" Consider the details of the story, as recorded in Luke 10:29–37: A traveler comes upon a man at the side of a road. The man had been beaten and robbed and left half-dead. What did the traveler do? He helped the man himself, on the spot, with his own resources. He did not say, "Write a letter to the emperor" or "Go see your social worker" and walk on. If he had done that, he would more likely be known today as the "Good-for-nothing Samaritan" — if he were remembered at all.  The Good Samaritan story makes a case for helping a needy person voluntarily out of love and compassion. There's no suggestion that the Samaritan "owed" anything to the man in need or that it was the duty of a distant politician to help out with other people's money.  Moreover, Jesus never called for equality of material wealth, let alone the use of political force to accomplish it, even in situations of dire need. In his book, Biblical Economics, theologian R. C. Sproul, Jr., notes that Jesus "wants the poor to be helped" but not at gunpoint, which is essentially what government force is all about:  To Sproul's comment I would add this addendum: sometimes a person becomes wealthy wholly or in part because of his political connections. He secures special favors or subsidies from government or uses government to disable his competitors. No consistently logical thinker who favors liberty and property rights, whether he's Christian or not, supports such practices. They are forms of theft, and their source is political power — the very debilitating thing that progressives and socialists advocate more of.  Legitimate wealth is derived voluntarily. It comes from the creation of value and mutually beneficial, voluntary exchange. It does not spring from political power that redistributes in reverse, taking from the poor and giving to the rich. Economic entrepreneurs are a boon to society; political entrepreneurs are another animal entirely. We all benefit when a Steve Jobs invents an iPhone; but when the Cowboy Poetry Festival in Nevada gets a federal grant because of Senator Harry Reid, or when Goldman Sachs gets a bailout at taxpayer expense, millions of us get hurt and have to pay for it.  What about the reference in the book of Acts to the early Christians selling their worldly goods and sharing communally in the proceeds? That sounds like a progressive utopia. On closer inspection, however, it turns out that those early Christians did not sell everything they had and were not commanded or expected to do so. They continued to meet in their own private homes, for example. In his contributing chapter to the 2014 book For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty, Art Lindsley of the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics writes,  It may disappoint progressives to learn that Jesus's words and deeds repeatedly upheld such critically important, capitalist virtues as contract, profit, and private property. For example, consider his parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30; see one of the recommended readings below). Of several men in the story, the one who takes his money and buries it is reprimanded while the one who invests and generates the largest return is applauded and rewarded.  Though not central to the story, good lessons in supply and demand, as well as the sanctity of contract, are apparent in Jesus's parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16). A landowner offers a wage to attract workers for a day of urgent work picking grapes. Near the end of the day, he realizes he has to quickly hire more and to get them, he offers for an hour of work what he previously had offered to pay the first workers for the whole day. When one of those who worked all day complained, the landowner answered, "I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"  The well-known "Golden Rule" comes from the lips of Jesus himself, in Matthew 7:12. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." In Matthew 19:19, Jesus says, "love your neighbor as yourself." Nowhere does he even remotely suggest that we should dislike a neighbor because of his wealth or seek to take that wealth from him. If you don't want your property confiscated (and most people don't), then clearly you're not supposed to confiscate somebody else's.  Christian doctrine cautions against greed. So does present-day economist Thomas Sowell: "I have never understood why it is 'greed' to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money." Using the power of government to grab another person's property isn't exactly altruistic. Jesus never even implied that accumulating wealth through peaceful commerce was in any way wrong; he simply implored people to not allow wealth to rule them or corrupt their character. That's why his greatest apostle, Paul, didn't say money was evil in the famous reference in 1 Timothy 6:10. Here's what Paul actually said: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Indeed, progressives themselves have not selflessly abandoned money, for it is other people's money, especially that of "the rich," that they're always clamoring for.  In Matthew 19:23, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, it will be hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven." A redistributionist might say, "Eureka! There it is! He doesn't like rich people" and then stretch the remark beyond recognition to justify one rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul scheme after another. But this admonition is entirely consistent with everything else Jesus says. It's not a call to envy the rich, to take from the rich, or to give "free" cell phones to the poor. It's a call to character. It's an observation that some people let their wealth rule them, rather than the other way around. It's a warning about temptations (which come in many forms, not just material wealth). Haven't we all noticed that among the rich, as is equally true among the poor, you have both good and bad people? Haven't we all seen some rich celebrities corrupted by their fame and fortune, while others among the rich live perfectly upstanding lives? Haven't we all seen some poor people who allow their poverty to demoralize and enervate them, while others among the poor view it as an incentive to improve themselves and their communities?  When the first version of this essay appeared in January 2015, several "progressive" friends raised Romans 13:1–7 as evidence contrary to my thesis. (Similar sentiments are expressed in 1 Peter 2:13–20 and Titus 3:1–3.) In the Romans 13 passage, the apostle Paul urges submission to the governing authorities and warns against rebellion. He also says that if you owe taxes, pay your taxes. So a socialist or "progressive" of today might say this blesses all sorts of things including redistribution, a welfare state, or whatever the state wants to do either for you or to you. This is quite a leap.  Here, as in all other parts of the Bible, context is important. Paul was speaking to early Christians in an environment seething with anti-Roman feeling. He undoubtedly did not want the growth of Christianity to be sidetracked by violence or other provocations against the Romans that would be brutally repressed. He was attempting to set the people's sights on what he regarded as higher things of greater immediate importance.  But it's a larger error to extrapolate what Paul said to justify one particular view of the role of government, namely a "progressive" or "socialist" one. Suppose the "governing authorities" run a minimal state with Constitutional strictures and guarantees of personal liberties and private property. Suppose, furthermore, that the rules of that arrangement clearly advise the governed, "We protect you from aggressions against your rights and property but we don't otherwise give you free stuff. You're entitled to your liberties; to engage in private, voluntary charity and commerce, to deal with each other peacefully; to live as you choose so long as you each do no harm to another. But we in government will not rob Peter to pay Paul." There is nothing in Romans 13:1–7 that says these "governing authorities" are owed any less respect than if they were welfare-state redistributionists.  So clearly, the verses of Romans 13:1–7 assert the legitimacy of government per se but do not ordain what today's "progressives" and socialists demand. The Bible, in fact, is full of stories about people who bravely and righteously resisted the overreach of governments. Does anyone really believe that if Jesus had been preaching just before the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, he would have declared, "Pharaoh demands that you stay, so unpack those bags and get back to work?"  Norman Horn, a chemical engineer, research scientist, and founder of LibertarianChristians.com, notes that both the Old and New Testaments provide numerous instances of laudatory disobedience to the state:  At the risk of belaboring the point, I share these insightful comments from a conversation with my colleague Jeffrey Tucker of the Foundation for Economic Education:  The empirical evidence today is overwhelming that, as Montesquieu observed two centuries ago, "Countries are well cultivated, not as they are fertile, but as they are free."7 Nations possessing the most economic freedom (and the smallest governments) have higher rates of long-term economic growth and are more prosperous than those that engage in socialistic and redistributive practices. The countries with the lowest levels of economic freedom also have the lowest standards of living. Free countries and their people are the greatest charitable givers, whereas, on net balance, socialist ones are decisively on the receiving end. Why is this relevant? Because you can't redistribute anything to anybody if it's not created by somebody in the first place, and the evidence strongly suggests that the only lasting thing that socialist and redistributive arrangements do for poor people is give them lots of company.  In Jesus's teachings and in many other parts of the New Testament, Christians — indeed, all people — are advised to be of "generous spirit," to care for one's family, to help the poor, to assist widows and orphans, to exhibit kindness and to maintain the highest character. How all that gets translated into the dirty business of coercive, vote-buying, politically driven redistribution schemes is a problem for prevaricators with agendas. It's not a problem for scholars of what the Bible actually says and doesn't say.  Search your conscience. Consider the evidence. Be mindful of facts. Ask yourself: When it comes to helping the poor, would Jesus prefer that you give your money freely to the Salvation Army or at gunpoint to the welfare department?  Jesus was no dummy. He was not interested in the public professions of charitableness in which the legalistic and hypocritical Pharisees were fond of engaging. He dismissed their self-serving, cheap talk. He knew it was often insincere, rarely indicative of how they conducted their personal affairs, and always a dead end with plenty of snares and delusions along the way. It would hardly make sense for him to champion the poor by supporting policies that undermine the process of wealth creation necessary to help them. In the final analysis, he would never endorse a scheme that doesn't work and is rooted in envy or theft. In spite of the attempts of many modern-day progressives to make him into a welfare-state redistributionist, Jesus was nothing of the sort.  3. All Bible citations are from the New International Version (NIV).  4. R. C. Sproul, Jr. , Biblical Economics: A Commonsense Guide to Our Daily Bread (Bristol, TN: Draught Horse Press, 2002), p. 138.  5. Anne Bradley and Art Lindsley, eds., For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty (Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2014), p. 110.  6. Norman Horn, "New Testament Theology of the State, Part 2," LibertarianChristians.com, Nov. 28, 2008, http://libertarianchristians.com/2008/11/28/new-testament-theology-2/  7. Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748).


breaking911--2019-11-04--HATE CRIME ATTACK THWARTED: Known White Supremacist Richard Holzer Arrested In Plot To Blow Up Color

HATE CRIME ATTACK THWARTED: Known White Supremacist Richard Holzer Arrested In Plot To Blow Up Colorado Synagogue

A Colorado man has been charged with a federal hate crime for plotting to blow up the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado.  Richard Holzer, 27, of Pueblo, Colorado, was charged by criminal complaint with intentionally attempting to obstruct persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, through force and the attempted use of explosives and fire, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 247.  According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Holzer planned to destroy Temple Emanuel, a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After visiting Temple Emanuel and observing Jewish congregants, Holzer, who self-identifies as a skinhead and a white supremacist, told undercover FBI agents that he wanted to do something that would tell Jewish people in the community that they are not welcome in Pueblo, and they should leave or they will die. The affidavit states that during a meeting with the undercover agents, Holzer repeatedly expressed his hatred of Jewish people and his support for RAHOWA, shorthand for a racial holy war. Holzer went on to suggest using explosive devices to destroy the Synagogue and “get that place off the map.” The affidavit notes that Holzer’s actions meet the federal definition of domestic terrorism in that his actions involve criminal acts dangerous to human life that are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.  Holzer allegedly met with undercover agents posing as fellow white supremacists to discuss a plan to attack Temple Emanuel, then visited the Synagogue together. The affidavit alleges that Holzer then made additional trips on his own to inspect the Synagogue and coordinated with undercover agents to obtain explosives.  On the evening of Nov. 1, 2019, Holzer allegedly met with undercover agents, who provided Holzer with inert explosive devices that had been fabricated by the FBI, including two pipe bombs and 14 sticks of dynamite. According to the affidavit, Holzer planned to detonate the explosives several hours later, in the early hours of Saturday morning, Nov. 2, 2019.  Assistant United States Attorney Julia Martinez and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Erin Creegan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Pueblo Police Department and Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.


breitbart--2019-07-02--India Ruling Party Fires Female Leader for Urging Hindus to Gang Rape Muslim Women

India: Ruling Party Fires Female Leader for Urging Hindus to 'Gang Rape' Muslim Women

In a June 21 assessment rejected by New Delhi, the U.S. Department of State (DOS), echoing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), blasted Hindu-majority India, the most populous democracy in the world, for inciting hatred against religious minorities, namely Muslims and Christians.  The DOS reports— focused on international religious freedom — found that attacks against Muslim minorities plagued India throughout 2018. Recent incidents captured by news reports show that sectarian violence pitting Hindus against Muslims have continued into this year.  On Monday the Tribune in India reported that in a now-deleted Facebook post, Gaur, the top leader of BJP’s women’s wing (Mahila Morcha) in India’s Uttar Pradesh province, declared:  She went on to stress that Muslim women should have their “honor looted.”  “If we need to protect India,” then Hindu men must rape Muslim women, she continued, adding, “There is no other way.”  It remains unclear exactly when the BJP leader wrote the post on Facebook.  Responding to Gaur’s post, Vijaya Rahatkar, the national president of BJP Mahila Morcha, said that such “hateful comments” would not be tolerated, adding that the party has expelled Gaur:  A press release posted on Twitter by Rahatkar revealed that the BJP fired Gaur on June 27.  “The press release acknowledged that Gaur repeatedly posted inappropriate content on social media,” the Tribune noted.  “While this would not be the first time BJP leaders have been accused of propagating hate online or offline, the fact that a [BJP women’s wing] leader was instigating rape and gruesome sexual violence shocked many on social media,” the Wire added.  Last month, the U.S. government condemned India for failing to take action to protect Muslims and other religious minorities amid an increase in violence at the hands of radical Hindu nationalists. New Delhi has denied the allegations.  The State Department report, which covered activity in 2018, revealed:  There were reports by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that the government sometimes failed to act on mob attacks on religious minorities, marginalized communities, and critics of the government. Some senior officials of the Hindu-majority Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made inflammatory speeches against minority communities. Mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumors that victims had traded or killed cows for beef.  Hindus honor the cow as representative of the divine.  “There were reports of religiously motivated killings, assaults, riots, discrimination, vandalism, and actions restricting the right of individuals to practice their religious beliefs and proselytize,” the State report added.  A joint report by two human rights groups accused the BJP of stoking anti-Muslim violence since it came to power in 2014, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported late last month.  The Mumbai-based Center for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) and the Minority Rights Group International (MRG) based in the U.K. learned from official statistics that India experienced “more than 700 outbreaks of communal violence last year that killed 86 and injured 2,321 people,” SCMP added.  “The actual number, however, could be higher as many cases go unreported,” the news outlet acknowledged.  While the sectarian violence has targeted religious minorities, including Christians and Sikhs, Muslims “have borne the brunt of these hate crimes, such as lynching, threats, attacks on places of worship and forced conversion,” SCMP reported.  Echoing the U.S. government and independent reports, human rights group Amnesty International also denounced India last month for rising Islamophobia.  Last month, video footage purportedly showed a mob in India beating a Muslim man to death after forcing him to perform Hindu chants.  Social media users described the incident as a “lynching.”  On Monday, a fight over parking a scooter evolved into sectarian violence in India’s Old Delhi region “as groups of Hindu and Muslim residents accused each other of stone pelting and violence on Sunday night,” the Hindustan Times reported.  Open Doors has deemed India one of the worst places for Christian persecution in recent years, particularly after the BJP took power.  The NGO described PM Modi’s re-election in May as an “absolute tragedy” for Christian minorities in India.  Citing a 2011 national census, the State Department estimates out of India’s total population of 1.3 billion, “Hindus constitute 79.8 percent of the population, Muslims 14.2 percent, Christians 2.3 percent, and Sikhs 1.7 percent.”


breitbart--2019-08-13--Kansas Archbishop Abortion Is Most Important Human Rights Effort of Our Time

Kansas Archbishop: Abortion Is ‘Most Important Human Rights Effort of Our Time’

Pro-life work is especially critical now, the Kansas City archbishop said, “at a time of pro-life promise with the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court and a time when supporters of legalized abortion are incredibly motivated and energized.”  “This is a moment of great opportunity as well as a moment of great peril for our culture and society,” said Naumann, who is the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.  The archbishop acknowledged that the latest iteration of the clerical sex abuse crisis “has impaired the voice of the church in speaking to our culture about the great moral evils of our time” but added that this does not “absolve us of speaking boldly and strongly at the same time with humility.”  “We must continue to teach the truth and speak it with love,” he said.  In the past, Naumann has not shied away from calling on Catholics to live up to the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of human life.  Last April, Naumann released a statement urging Congress to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.  The bill draws public attention to “the shameful reality that the United States is one of only seven nations worldwide that allows the barbaric practice of late-term abortion, when a child likely feels pain and might even live outside the womb with appropriate medical assistance,” he said.  Abortions performed after the middle point of pregnancy not only kill a child but also “pose serious physical dangers to women,” he added.  The vast majority of Americans strongly support a ban on late-term abortions, the archbishop noted, which is one more reason Congress should waste no time in passing the bill.  “I also pray that consideration of this bill moves our country closer to recognizing all unborn babies as legal persons worthy of our love and respect,” he said.  Not long before the presidential elections of 2016, Naumann slammed vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine for his support of abortion, calling him a “cafeteria Catholic” who picks and chooses from Church teaching according to its political expediency.  Naumann said that it was “painful” to listen to Kaine repeat “the same tired and contorted reasoning to profess his personal opposition to abortion while justifying his commitment to keep it legal” in the last vice presidential debate.  While boasting of his Catholic credentials, Kaine fell back on “all the usual made-for-modern-media sound bites,” the archbishop noted, such as it is “not proper to impose his religious beliefs upon all Americans” and he “trusts women to make good reproductive choices.”  The archbishop called on voters to “be wary of candidates who assume to take upon themselves the role of defining what Catholics believe or should believe.”  “Unfortunately, the vice-presidential debate revealed that the Catholic running for the second highest office in our land is an orthodox member of his party, fully embracing his party’s platform,” he continued, “but a cafeteria Catholic, picking and choosing the teachings of the Catholic Church that are politically convenient.”


breitbart--2019-08-26--Dave Chappelle Calls Out Cancel Culture Worst Motherfkers Ive Ever Tried to Entertain

Dave Chappelle Calls Out Cancel Culture: 'Worst Motherf**kers I've Ever Tried to Entertain'

Footage from his latest Netflix stand-up special Sticks & Stones features Chappelle announcing to the audience at The Tabernacle in Atlanta that he’s ready to “try some impressions out.”  “This is my impression of the Founding Fathers of America when the Constitution was being written”:  “Hurry up and finish that Constitution nigger, I’m trying to get some sleep,” Chappelle says, to uproarious laughter from the crowd.  “The next one’s a little harder,” Chappelle says, asking the audience to try “to guess who it is.”  “Uh, Duh… Hey, der, if you do anything wrong in your life, and I find out about it, I’m going to try take everything away from. I don’t care what I find out. It could be today, tomorrow, fifteen, twenty years from now — If I find out, you’re fucking….duh…finished.”  “Who is that?” he asked. “That’s you! That’s what the audience sounds like to me!”  “That’s why I don’t be coming out doing comedy all the time because y’all niggas is the worst motherfuckers I’ve ever tried to entertain in my fucking life. Goddamn sick of it. This is the worst time ever to be a celebrity. You’re going to be finished, everybody’s doomed!” Chappelle said.  That riff set up a cascade of piercing puns in which Chappelle explained what he called “celebrity hunting season.” He defended Kevin Hart — who stepped down from hosting the Oscars earlier this year after the cancel culture came for him, promoted years-old jokes some saw as homophobic — defending the deceased King of Pop (“Michael Jackson has been dead for ten years and this nigga has two new cases), embattled R&B icon R. Kelly, who’s facing more than a dozen sex crimes charges, and disgraced actor-comedian Louis C.K., whom Chappelle says was “a very good friend before he died in that terrible masturbation accident.”  Chappelle also takes aim at actor Jussie Smollett (whose name the comic says with an aggressive French pronunciation).  “African Americans, we were like oddly quiet. . . . The gay community started accusing the African American community of being homophobic for not supporting him,” Chappelle says of the actor who concocted a hoax hate crime in which he claimed to be brutally beaten by two MAGA hat-wearing fans of his FOX TV show at 2 a.m. on one of the coldest days on the year in Chicago.  “What they didn’t understand is that we were supporting him with our silence. Because we understood that this niggas was clearly lying,” he joked.  Elsewhere, Chappelle said he’s having a “MeToo headache.”  From there Chappelle walked right into abortion: “Eight states including your state [Georgia] have passed the most stringent anti-abortion laws this nation has seen since Roe V Wade. I told you. I told you.”  Of course, there was a punchline before soft political preaching to be had: “I’m not for abortion,” Chappelle said. “I’m not for it but I’m not against it either. It all depends on  who I get pregnant.”  “I don’t care what your religious beliefs are — if you have a dick, you need to shut the fuck up on this one,” Chappelle said. “This is theirs. The right to chose is their unequivocal right. Not only do I believe they that have a right to chose, I believe they shouldn’t have to consult anybody, except for a physician about how to exercise that right.”  “And ladies,” Chappelle added, “to be fair to us, I also believe that if you decide to have the baby a man shouldn’t have to pay. That’s fair. If you can kill this motherfucker, I can at least abandon him. My money. My choice.”  Dave Chappelle also mourned the twelve people killed when a gunman opened fire in a Virginia Beach municipal center in May. He told the crowd that he’s had to warn his son about how to survive a school shooting drill: “Son, fuck that drill. Somebody comes to your school and wants to shoot it up. I’m just going to be honest with you. You probably going to get shot, nigga. You got a famous dad. I talk a lot of shit. They gonna be gunning for you little buddy. Just stay low. Run in a zigzag pattern. And don’t try to save anybody son, do you understand me?” Chappelle said to thunderous laughter.  Sticks & Stones is Chappelle’s latest Netflix stand-up special, purportedly part of the $60 million deal he signed with the streaming giant in 2017.  Jerome Hudson is Breitbart News Entertainment Editor and author of the forthcoming book 50 Things They Don’t Want You to Know, from HarperCollins. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson.


abcnews--2019-10-18--Man pleads insanity in police car crash that killed 2 girls

An Ohio man charged in a police cruiser crash that killed two 6-year-old-cousins has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.  An attorney for Raymond Walters entered the plea Thursday to 22 charges including murder. The Dayton Daily News reports the attorney also requested a mental health evaluation for Walters.  Police say Walters in August stabbed his father in a pickup truck, stole a police car and crashed the cruiser in downtown Dayton, hitting a minivan filled with children.  Two girls were killed and nine others were injured.  Police have said Walters' father was taking him to a hospital for mental health treatment when Walters stabbed his father.  Walters had recently been paroled on a robbery conviction. A message seeking comment was left for his public defender.

disaster, accident and emergency incident


abcnews--2019-10-31--Officials: 2 North Carolina men died in Georgia plane crash

The victims of Wednesday's plane crash in suburban Atlanta have been identified as two North Carolina men.  DeKalb County officials on Thursday said 59-year-old Leslie Csanyi and 60-year-old Scott Robert Lowrie both lived in Salisbury, North Carolina, the plane's intended destination.  The two were aboard a Piper PA-28 plane that crashed shortly after taking off from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport .  Federal Aviation Administration records show Csanyi had a commercial pilot's license. North Carolina public records show Csanyi was the president of LGC Consulting, which served manufacturers.  The plane crashed into a townhome complex, damaging a unit where no one was home.  A large section of wall and part of the roof was knocked out of a building. DeKalb County Fire Marshal Joe Cox declared six units unsafe.


abcnews--2019-11-06--New NTSB report in fatal crash involving self-driving car

A new federal report into last year's fatal crash involving a self-driving car in suburban Phoenix says the Uber vehicle couldn't anticipate the actions of jaywalkers.  The National Transportation Safety Board report also says the SUV wasn't designed to slam on the brakes to reduce the severity of an unavoidable accident.  A 49-year-old woman was killed in the March 2018 crash while pushing a bicycle across a dark Tempe street.  It was the first fatality in the country involving a self-driving vehicle.  The Maricopa County Attorney's Office hasn't decided whether to file charges against the driver.  According to the Arizona Republic, the NTSB released more than 400 pages of documents this week ahead of a Nov. 19 meeting during which the board will discuss the probable cause of the crash.


chicagosuntimes--2019-11-09--3 injured in crash when car runs red light in Hyde Park

Three people were hurt in a crash after a driver ran a red light Saturday in Hyde Park on the South Side.  A white Chevrolet Cobalt was eastbound about 2:15 a.m. when it failed to stop at a light, striking a Mercedes SUV that was southbound in the 5700 block of South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago police said.  The man driving the Cobalt and two males in the Mercedes were all taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. Their conditions were stabilized.  The man was cited for failure to stop at a red light, police said.


chicagosuntimes--2019-12-20--Woman, CPD officer hurt in Englewood crash involving squad car

A Chicago police officer and a woman were injured in a crash Friday in Englewood on the South Side.  A squad car was eastbound on 62nd Street at 2:43 a.m. when it entered the intersection with Morgan Street and collided with a 2004 Ford Explorer that was southbound on Morgan, according to Chicago police.  One officer was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. The woman driving the Explorer, whose age was not immediately known, was also taken to St. Bernard Hospital with minor injuries.  Citations are expected to be issued against the woman, police said.


drudgereport--2019-11-07--UBER self-driving car involved in fatal crash couldn't detect jaywalkers...

More surprisingly, the NTSB said Uber's system design "did not include a consideration for jaywalking pedestrians." On top of that, the car initiated a one second braking delay so that the vehicle could calculate an alternative path or let the safety driver take control. (Uber has since eliminated that function in a software update.)  Although the [system] detected the pedestrian nearly six seconds before impact ... it never classified her as a pedestrian, because she was crossing at a location without a crosswalk [and] the system design did not include a consideration for jaywalking pedestrians.  Uber's autonomous test vehicles may have failed to identify roadway hazards in at least two other cases, according to the report. In one case, a vehicle struck a bicycle lane post that had bent into a roadway. In another, a safety driver was forced to take control to avoid an oncoming vehicle and ended up striking a parked car. In the seven months prior to the fatal crash, Uber vehicles were involved in 37 accidents, including 33 in which other vehicles struck the Uber test cars.  When Uber resumed testing in December 2018, it used significantly revised software. According to the NTSB, Uber did a simulation of the new system using sensor data from the fatal Arizona accident. It determined that it would have detected the pedestrian 289 feet before impact and had four seconds to brake before impact at a speed of 43.2 mph. The average stopping distance for a human is about 130 feet at that speed, including reaction time, so it seems likely that the vehicle would have been able to stop in that distance.  The NTSB will meet on November 19 to determine the cause of the accident that occurred in Tempe, Arizona in March of 2018. Prosecutors have already absolved Uber of criminal liability, but are still weighing criminal charges against the driver.


eveningstandard--2019-01-16--Croydon crash Man fights for life after being struck by car in hit-and-run

Croydon crash: Man fights for life after being struck by car in hit-and-run

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being struck by a car in a hit-and-run crash in south London.  Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, shortly after 7.15pm on Wednesday.  The pedestrian, believed to be in his 30s, was taken to hospital, where he remained in a critical condition.  Scotland Yard said the vehicle involved in the collision did not stop at the scene.  No arrests have been made and police are appealing for witnesses.  Images from the scene showed emergency services lining the street, which remained cordoned off into the night.  Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information are asked to call police on 101 quoting ref 7520/16 Jan.


eveningstandard--2019-01-23--Catford crash Man in 50s fighting for life after car smashes into bus stop in south-east London

Catford crash: Man in 50s fighting for life after car smashes into bus stop in south-east London

A man in his 50s is fighting for life after a car crashed into a bus stop in south-east London this afternoon.  Officers were called to Bromley Road in Beckenham shortly before 2pm on Wednesday, Scotland Yard said.  The man was treated at the scene before he was rushed to hospital by London Ambulance Service.  His injuries are life-threatening, the Met added.  Witnesses said a bus stop had collapsed after the incident, according to reports on social media.  A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said: "We were called at 1.57pm to a road traffic collision. One car in collision with a bus shelter.  "One man was injured and was taken to hospital by LAS. A second man suffered shock and was treated as a precaution. The incident was over at 2.50pm for fire fighters."  A Twitter account known as Catford Central tweeted: "There's been another crash on Bromley Road outside of St John's church. The whole bus stop has come down, looks quite serious."  A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "We were called to Bromley Road at the junction with Beckenham Hill Road shortly before 2pm following reports of a crash.  "We attended with LAS and LFB and found that a car had collided with a bus stop.  "A man in his 50s was treated at the scene and then taken to hospital.  "There were road closures in place."  If you witnessed accident, please call 101 and quote CAD 3627/23JAN.


eveningstandard--2019-01-23--Walthamstow crash Female pedestrian 21 dies after being hit by police car on 999 call in east Lon

Walthamstow crash: Female pedestrian, 21, dies after being hit by police car on 999 call in east London

A 21-year-old woman has died after being struck by a police car while it was responding to a 999 call in east London.  The marked police car hit the female pedestrian in Forest Road, Walthamstow, at about 11.45pm on Tuesday.  The car stopped and officers battled to save the woman before paramedics and an air ambulance arrived, police said, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.  The Met is trying to trace her family, who are believed to live outside the UK.  The woman was staying at the YMCA in Walthamstow.  They said in a statement: “A resident at YMCA Walthamstow was involved in a fatal car incident last night on Forest Road.  "YMCA St Paul’s Group is shocked and saddened by this news and wishes to extend its condolences to family and friends."  One witness said on social media there were at least five police cars and a forensics van in the road, near The Bell pub, on Wednesday morning.  Video posted online last night shows a sheet being held up by police while officers perform CPR.  Stella Creasy, the MP for Walthamstow, described the news as "terrible" on Twitter.  "Terrible news this morning that a young woman has been killed on forest road in Walthamstow after a fatal collision involving a police vehicle," she said.  "That’s all that can confirm at present and will update residents as and when have further details."  Waltham Forest Council wrote: "Forest Road between the Bell Junction & Shernhall Street in Walthamstow is closed until further notice due to an accident.  "Drivers are advised to avoid the area until the road reopens."  A Met Police spokesman said: “The police car had been responding to an emergency call to a man threatening members of the public at a location in Walthamstow.  “Forest Road is closed, and is likely to remain so for most of Wednesday morning.”  Both the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have been informed.


eveningstandard--2019-01-24--Holloway crash Pedestrian dies after being struck by car in north London

Holloway crash: Pedestrian dies after being struck by car in north London

A pedestrian has died after being struck by a car in north London.  Police and paramedics rushed to the scene of the crash in Parkhurst Road, Holloway, on Wednesday night.  The man, whose age was last night not known, was pronounced dead at the scene.  The driver of the car involved in the collision stopped at the scene, at Parkhurst Road’s junction with Holloway road.  Road closures were in place following the crash, which took place shortly before 7.10pm.  Pictures from the scene showed a forensic tent erected in the street and police officers standing guard.  Reports of the collision came as a 19-year-old man was fighting for his life in hospital after a separate crash in Twickenham.  The pedestrian was rushed to hospital where he remained overnight in a critical condition.  Police were appealing for information after the hit-and-run, in St Margaret’s Road just after 1.30pm on Wednesday.  Of the crash in Twickenham, a Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Detectives are appealing for the driver of a silver VW car involved in a serious collision in Twickenham to come forward.  “They are also asking for assistance from members of the public, in particular drivers who may have dashcam footage.”  Anyone who witnessed these incidents or has information is asked to call police on 101 quoting the reference CAD 3417jan23 for the Twickenham crash, or 6370/23 Jan for the one in Holloway.


eveningstandard--2019-02-09--Cadet south London rapper 28 dies in car crash on way to gig at Keele University

Cadet: south London rapper, 28, dies in car crash on way to gig at Keele University

South London rapper Cadet died in a car crash on the way to a gig in Staffordshire in the early hours of this morning.  The 28-year-old musician, whose real name is Blaine Cameron Johnson, died while he was a passenger in a taxi on the way to a performance, his family said today.  He was on route to Keele University on Friday where he was due to perform.  The rapper's family shared the news on his official Instagram account, which has since been made private.  His management told Radio 1 Newsbeat that he was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed in Staffordshire.  A post read: "We the family of Blaine Cameron Johnson known as Cadet (Underrated Legend) would like to share the sad news that during the early hours of 9th February 2019 he passed away as a passenger in a taxi, en route to a performance.  "Right now we the family appreciate your patience and will share with you any information as and when we can. Thanks for your support in advance. Love The Johnson Family #cadetcadet #imbuff #underratedlegend #ripcadet."  In a statement, Staffordshire Police said: "A man has died following a road traffic collision in Newcastle-under-Lyme.  "At just before 1.30am this morning (Saturday 9 February) police were called to reports of a two-vehicle collision involving a silver Toyota Prius and a red Vauxhall Combo van on Main Road, Betley (A531).  "Emergency services attended and a passenger of the Toyota, a 28-year-old man from London, sadly died at the scene. Specialist officers are supporting the man’s family.  "The drivers of both vehicles, a 36-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent and a 22-year-old man from Crewe, were taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital with serious injuries. Three further passengers of the Toyota were treated at Leighton Hospital in Crewe."  Award-winning artist Krept, cousin of the rapper, tweeted that he was "broken" following the news.  He wrote: "My life will never be the same again. I love you and will forever miss you. I can’t believe it. I am heartbroken. Rest in peace cuz. You finally started getting the recognition you deserved. I’m so proud of you. My left lung. I’m devastated and broken right now.”  Other fellow rappers paid tribute to the artist.  Example wrote on Twitter: "Was chatting to you only last week about how excited you were for some festivals this summer. So much positive energy.  "Smiling nonstop when I was with you, first time we met I felt as if I'd known you my whole life. Mad humble guy. RIP Cadet."  DJ Semtex wrote: "Cant believe it... I was on stage with him last week.  "Never seen a man so happy. Everything was working out for him. This was gonna be his year. We were plotting on the best time to do an interview on his next single. RIP Cadet."  Mega So Solid wrote: "Woke up in shock this morning.... He brought life and substance to the UK music scene."  Cadet, who was from south London and was tipped for success, toured the UK supporting Krept And Konan on their The Long Way Home Tour.  He accumulated millions of views on YouTube and Spotify and was booked to play at this year's Wireless Festival.  The festival announced on Saturday that it would be keeping his performance slot "as a time to reflect" on his memory.  A spokesman said in a tweet: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fans, of Cadet. Such sad news.  "We’ll be keeping his Wireless performance as a time to reflect on the memory of Blaine."


eveningstandard--2019-02-11--A13 crash Two fighting for life and three injured after car ends up in ditch in east London horror

A13 crash: Two fighting for life and three injured after car ends up in ditch in east London horror collision

Two people are fighting for life and three others were injured after a Vauxhall Corsa ended up in a ditch beside a motorway during a horror crash in east London.  Police were called at around 9.59am on Sunday to reports of a red Vauxhall Corsa coming off the motorway and ending in a ditch on the A13 between Dagenham and Wennington.  Paramedics scrambled to the scene and found two people in the car suffering from potentially life-threatening injuries. They were rushed to an east London hospital.  Police await an update on their condition. Three other occupants in the car suffered minor injuries, Scotland Yard said.  Police have now launched an appeal for anyone who travelled on the A13 around 10am on Sunday who has footage of or witnessed the crash to come forward.  Officers from the Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating and enquiries continue.  Anyone with information is asked to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Chadwell Heath on 0208 597 4784, Tweet @MetCC, or call 101 quoting CAD2499/10FEB.


eveningstandard--2019-02-11--A40 crash Two dead as car ploughs into coach following police pursuit in west London

A40 crash: Two dead as car ploughs into coach following police pursuit in west London

Two people are dead after a car crashed into a coach following a police pursuit in west London.  The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of an aggravated burglary in Harrow, north-west London on Sunday night.  A police pursuit began, with a police helicopter also called to assist at about 8.40pm.  About 20 minutes later at 9pm, the vehicle being pursued moved on to the wrong side of the carriageway on the A40 and crashed into a coach near the junction of Kingsdown Avenue, Acton.  A male and a female were pronounced dead at the scene, while a second man was taken to hospital for treatment. All three were occupants of the vehicle being pursued.  It is not known how many people were on the coach but no other serious injuries were reported.  Scotland Yard said police did not follow the vehicle when it drove on to the wrong side of the road.  Road closures remain in place in the area, and London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade are on the scene.  Scotland Yard said the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had been informed of the incident.  Last month, the IOPC said fatalities and serious injuries following pursuits were "thankfully rare" as it investigated four separate fatal incidents involving patrol cars across the country over the course of a week.  PCSO Holly Burke was fatally injured by an alleged hit-and-run driver who struck her car while being chased by police in the West Midlands on January 22, while a 26-year-old refugee from Eritrea died after being hit by a police car responding to a 999 call in east London on the same day.  Jessie Whitehead, 74, was riding a mobility scooter when she was hit by a marked squad car as it responded to an emergency in Bedworth, Warwickshire, and Paul Radcliffe, 18, was killed by a car which had failed to stop for police in Oadby, Leicestershire, on January 19.


eveningstandard--2019-02-11--Eltham crash Girl 11 dies days after being hit by car in south-east London

Eltham crash: Girl, 11, dies days after being hit by car in south-east London

An 11-year-old girl has died days after she was hit by a car in south-east London.  Emmie Huang died from her injuries on Friday after she was struck by a car on a busy road shortly before 5pm last Tuesday, police said.  Emmie was rushed to hospital by air ambulance after the collision in Westmount Road, near the junction with Elibank Road, in Eltham.  A Met Police spokeswoman said: “The driver of the car stopped at the scene.  “He has not been arrested and continues to assist police with enquiries.”  The force is continuing to appeal for witnesses.  Anyone with information, dashcam or mobile phone footage is asked to call the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0208 285 1574 referencing CAD 5097/5 Feb.


eveningstandard--2019-02-12--A40 crash Pregnant teen and her new husband killed after car ploughed into coach following police p

A40 crash: Pregnant teen and her new husband killed after car ploughed into coach following police pursuit

The burglary suspects who died when their car smashed into a coach as they were chased by police were a pregnant teenager and her new husband, it emerged today.  Newlyweds Patrick McDonagh, 19, and his heavily pregnant wife Shauna, 18, were tailed by at least nine police cars and a helicopter before the high-speed crash in west London.  The smash, on the wrong side of the carriageway on the A40, came after an aggravated burglary in Pinner a short time earlier.  The couple, who got married just 11 weeks ago and were due to have their first child in April, were pronounced dead at the scene at about 9pm on Sunday. Their unborn baby girl is not believed to have been saved.  A third person in the hatchback car was taken to a major trauma centre.  He remains in hospital and has since been arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.  The three were being chased by police who were responding to a raid on a house in Pinner minutes earlier in which the victims — a man in his 30s, a woman in her late 50s and a man in his late 60s — were confronted by four men. The residents were threatened with a “large hunting knife” during the raid before the suspects made off with cash and jewellery, said police.  In the ensuing chase Mr and Mrs McDonagh’s car crashed in a ball of flames near East Acton.  Witnesses said it had been heading towards central London before crashing through a metal barrier onto the opposite westbound carriageway near the Kingsdown Avenue junction, about 11 miles from the scene of the raid.  The car, a silver Renault Megane, travelled on the wrong side of the dual carriageway for some time before smashing into the coach.  Police abandoned the chase when the car crossed onto the opposite carriageway, judging it too dangerous to continue the pursuit.  Today, relatives of the couple said they had been “madly in love” and looking forward to the birth of their child.  A cousin told the Standard: “They were having their first baby, a little girl, in April and they were over the moon.  “They were a very close couple, always together, seemed very happy, madly in love with each other. They were both very close to their families. Their families will never get over their deaths. They’re completely heartbroken.”  The family said they did not believe that the couple were involved in the  burglary.  Mr McDonagh’s sister wrote on Facebook after his death: “My beautiful baby bro and his lovely wife, their whole lives ahead of them and my little niece due in April … why is life so cruel?”  The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the crash.


eveningstandard--2019-02-14--A40 crash Patrick and Shauna McDonagh who died in car crash while fleeing police aposwere not pre

A40 crash: Patrick and Shauna McDonagh who died in car crash while fleeing police 'were not present at burglary', IOPC reveal

The young newlyweds who died after their car crashed into a coach after a police pursuit were not present at the time of an aggravated burglary that prompted the officers’ response, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) revealed.  Patrick McDonagh, 19, and his pregnant wife, Shauna McDonagh, 18, died on Sunday following the crash and were suspected of carrying out a robbery.  A son previously told the Standard his family were attacked in a “nightmare” knifepoint raid at their home, minutes before the teenage couple died.  The ordeal had sparked a hunt for suspected burglars, which led to the death of the pair as they drove the wrong way up the A40 dual carriageway in west London.  On Monday, the IOPC said: "It is understood that police were pursuing the car, a Renault Scenic, for about 10 minutes but terminated the pursuit prior to the crash.  "A National Police Air Service helicopter was monitoring the progress of the Renault when it crashed.  "It has now been confirmed, as part of a separate police investigation, that the occupants of the Renault were not present at the time of an aggravated burglary reported to have taken place in Harrow.  "The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation will examine the information the police had and the rationale for the pursuit."  It also emerged tonight that pregnant Ms McDonagh was due to have her baby on Valentine's Day.  Her family said the couple were "very much looking forward to the birth of their daughter".  A family statement said: "Patrick and Shauna were a young couple who had recently got married and were very much in love.  "Patrick was a devoted husband to Shauna and they were very much looking forward to the birth of their daughter Sienna Marie who was due to be born on Valentine's Day."  IOPC regional director Jonathan Green said: "My thoughts are with the families and friends of Patrick and Shauna, those injured and all those affected by this incident.  "It is important that we now establish all of the circumstances surrounding this collision.  "We have therefore launched an independent investigation into the events leading to the collision and immediately deployed our investigators to attend the scene and the post incident procedure."  Relatives of the couple had said the teens were “madly in love” and looking forward to the birth of their child.  A cousin told the Standard: “They were having their first baby, a little girl, in April and they were over the moon.  “They were a very close couple, always together, seemed very happy, madly in love with each other. They were both very close to their families. Their families will never get over their deaths. They’re completely heartbroken.”


eveningstandard--2019-02-15--Sutton collision Man fighting for life after crash between motorbike and car

Sutton collision: Man fighting for life after crash between motorbike and car

A man in his 20s is fighting for his life after a collision between his motorbike and a car.  He was taken to hospital with multiple injuries after the incident in Sutton and police say he is in a life threatening condition.  It is believed the collision between the Suzuki motorbike and black Mitsubishi car happened at around 6.20pm on Thursday evening.  The driver of the car was assessed by London Ambulance Staff at the scene.  Mo other injuries have been reported, no other vehicles were involved and no arrests have been made.  Scotland Yard is now appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage following the crash in St Dunston’s Hill, near to the Lumley Road junction in Cheam.  Anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 02085435157, quoting CAD reference 6142/14Feb.


eveningstandard--2019-02-16--Police search for couple missing after their car was found empty following crash

Police are searching for a couple who are missing after their car was found empty following a crash.  Donna Smith, 27, and her partner Matthew Hughes, 25, were reported missing by relatives and were last seen getting into their car at their home in West Drayton at around 5.30pm.  Police received reports that their blue Vauxhall had been involved in a crash with a parked car in the Ruislip area on Saturday, although they were not in the car when officers arrived.  Scotland Yard said: “Officers are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare and are appealing for anyone who knows of their whereabouts to get in contact with police.”  Mr Hughes is described as a white man with dark brown hair. He is 5ft 11ins of skinny build, he is clean shaven and has an Ava Mae tattoo on his forearm. He was last seen wearing a grey jumper and jeans.  Ms Smith is described as a white female, of slim build. She is 5ft 7ins tall with light brown mid-shoulder length hair and was last seen wearing a black coat and jeans.  Anyone with information is asked to call police in the West Area Command Unit via 101 quoting reference 6048/15 Feb.


eveningstandard--2019-02-23--Eltham crash Man and woman in 70s killed after van in police chase crashes into car in south-east L

Eltham crash: Man and woman in 70s killed after van in police chase crashes into car in south-east London

A man and woman in their 70s have been killed after the car they were in was hit by a van which was being chased by police in south-east London.  Police said officers were pursuing the Ford Transit van after it was spotted being "driven erratically at speed".  It collided with a Citroen C3 on Footscray Road, Eltham, at just after midnight on Saturday.  Paramedics raced to the scene but both the man and woman in the car were pronounced dead.  Neighbour Hussein Dervish, 65, said: "I was in the back of my house when I heard just a loud bang.  "I went outside and saw the car and the van. I said to the police officer: 'I hope they (the elderly couple) are okay?' But the policeman said they weren't."  The driver of the van was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst over the alcohol limit, driving while unfit through drugs and death by dangerous driving, Scotland Yard said.  Council staff were busy on Saturday morning putting down sand on the road, which has a 30mph speed limit.  Tyre marks could be seen across the carriageway and on a grass bank, with damage to a wooden post.  Mahmut Hasan, 57, said his Honda Jazz was damaged in the collision.  "It is a write-off. The whole of the side is damaged," he said.  "At the end of the day it doesn't matter because it's just metal and rubber, and two people have sadly lost their lives."  The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.


eveningstandard--2019-02-25--Two bodies found after cargo plane with three on board crashes in Houston bay

Two bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of a cargo plane that nosedived into a bay in Texas on Saturday.  A search is ongoing for a third victim who was on board the Amazon Prime Air plane.  All three people aboard the Boeing 767 cargo jetliner operated by Atlas Air Worldwide died in the crash as it approached Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Atlas and Boeing Co confirmed in statements on Sunday.  Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told a news conference that a search was also ongoing for the plane's black boxes.  The sheriff’s office released a video showing fragments of the aircraft and cargo littering mudflats after the tide went out in the bay, exposing more of the crash site.  US National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt said the agency obtained about five seconds of security video from a local jail that showed the crash.  "The aircraft is in the video as it's descending in a steep descent, a steep nose down attitude," Sumwault told the press briefing, adding that there was no distress call.  Asked by a reporter if the incident was "anything more than a plane crash," Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Perrye Turner said, "that's what we have right now."  The plane crashed at the north end of Trinity Bay near the small city of Anahuac, about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of the airport around 12.40 pm local time after taking off from Miami.  "This is a sad time for all of us," Bill Flynn, Atlas Air's chief executive officer, said in a statement. "Our team continues to work closely with the NTSB, the FAA and local authorities on the ground in Houston."  Atlas Air Worldwide has been operating Boeing 767 freighters on behalf of Amazon following a 2016 deal.  Boeing said in a statement that it had sent a team to provide technical assistance to the NTSB as it conducted its investigation.


eveningstandard--2019-03-15--Wolverhampton crash Baby aged 23 months and child 10 killed in hit-and-run car smash

Wolverhampton crash: Baby, aged 23 months, and child, 10, killed in hit-and-run car smash

A 23-month-old baby and a 10-year-old child have died in a hit-and-run car crash in the west Midlands.  An Audi A3 struck a BMW carrying the two children and their mother in Birmingham New Road, Wolverhampton.  The children were pronounced dead at the scene. The woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where she remained on Friday.  The driver of the Audi left the scene.  A 31-year-old man from a third car, a Bentley, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remained in custody on Friday.  The crash happened at about 9pm on Thursday.  Det Sgt Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police's serious collision investigation unit, said: “This is an extremely tragic set of circumstances which has left a family totally devastated. Staff from our dedicated family liaison unit are now supporting them.  “I would appeal directly to the driver of the Audi to make contact with us. You may not be fully aware of the full tragic circumstances but you now need to speak to us.  “I would also ask the public who have any information or recall seeing a blue Audi S3 and a white Bentley Continental convertible travelling along the Birmingham New Road to make contact.  “The investigation is in its early stages and I would also ask the public to think about the family at this tragic time and not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the collision.”  Anyone with information is urged to contact the force on its Live Chat system at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight. Alternatively, call 101 any time or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Quote reference number 2580 of March 14.


eveningstandard--2019-04-24--Enfield crash pensioner 89 dies after being hit by car in north London

Enfield crash: pensioner, 89, dies after being hit by car in north London

An 89-year-old man has died after being hit by a car in north London.  Police were called by the London Ambulance Service shortly after 3.15pm on Wednesday to Drapers Road, Enfield, following reports of a road traffic collision.  Paramedics battled to save the pensioner but he died at the scene, Scotland Yard said in a statement.  The driver of the car stopped following the collision. He has not been arrested.  Pictures showed emergency services at the scene this afternoon.  The Met Police are working to inform his next of kin. Road closures are in place in the area.  A spokeswoman for the force said: "Police were called by LAS at 15:17hrs on Wednesday, 24 April to Drapers Road, Enfield, following reports of a road traffic collision.  "A car is believed to have collided with an 89-year-old man.  "Despite the efforts of paramedics, the man died at the scene.  "Police are working to inform his next of kin.  "The driver of the car stopped at the scene; he has not been arrested.


eveningstandard--2019-06-20--Romford crash Young woman 22 fights for life after being struck by car on busy A2 at Gallows Corn

Romford crash: Young woman, 22, fights for life after being struck by car on busy A2 at Gallows Corner

A young woman has been left fighting for her life after being struck by a car on the A12 in east London.  The pedestrian, 22, was rushed to hospital following the crash at Gallows Corner in Romford on Wednesday night.  She remains in hospital in a critical condition. Her next of kin are aware.  Police and paramedics were scrambled to the busy road at about 8.50pm.  The driver of the car stopped at the scene and was not arrested.  He said: "Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are working to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.  "I am asking for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has dash cam footage, to make contact with us as soon as possible."  Anyone with information asked to contact the SCIU on 0208 597 4874. Alternatively tweet @MetCC or call 101 ref CAD 7861/19.


eveningstandard--2019-06-25--Twickenham crash Car smashes into railings on busy high street after police chase

Twickenham crash: Car smashes into railings on busy high street after police chase

Onlookers were stunned after a police chase ended in a dramatic crash on a busy high street in south-west London.  A silver Citroen Picasso smashed into railings after failing to stop for police on Heath Road, Twickenham.  Police were pursuing the driver, who was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting, on Monday evening when they crashed into a set of railings.  One witness told the Standard: “I just saw the aftermath.  “The police were taking statements from people when I arrived, possibly the drivers of the black car which had been hit.  “There didn't look like any serious injuries.”  A Met Police spokeswoman said: “At around 18:15hrs on Monday, 24 June a suspect vehicle was in a collision on Heath Road junction with Laurel Avenue, Twickenham.  “Shortly before police had commenced an authorised pursuit of the vehicle, a silver Citroen Picasso when the driver had failed to stop for police.  “Specially trained officers carried out a successful tactical manoeuvre to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.  “London Ambulance Service was called as a precaution however there were no reported injuries.  “The driver of the vehicle was arrested for shoplifting and failing to stop.


eveningstandard--2019-07-03--Dagenham crash Cyclist fights for life in hospital after collision with car in east London

Dagenham crash: Cyclist fights for life in hospital after collision with car in east London

A cyclist has been left fighting for his life after a crash with a car in east London.  Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Longbridge Road, at the junction with Lodge Avenue, in Dagenham.  The man, in his 50s, was rushed to hospital following the collision on Tuesday afternoon.  He remained their overnight in a critical condition.  Officers were called to reports that a cyclist had been in collision with a car.  No arrests have been made and the road remained closed into the night.  Anyone who saw the incident was asked to make contact with police via 101, quoting CAD reference 5352/02July.


eveningstandard--2019-07-20--Cyclist fighting for life in hospital after crashing into parked car in east London

A cyclist is fighting for life in hospital after crashing into a parked car in east London.  The 21-year-old man is in a life-threatening condition after suffering “serious facial and neck injuries”, police said.  Scotland Yard said the cyclist crashed into the empty car on Saturday morning, at about 12.20am, on Kingsland Road, Hackney.  In a statement, the force said: “The cyclist, a 21 year old male, was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. He remains in an east London hospital in a life threatening condition.  “His next of kin has been informed.  “The Serious Collision Investigation Unit are investigating the circumstances leading up to the collision.  “They are appealing for any witnesses or passing motorists with dash-cam footage to come forward.”  Anyone with information is asked to call Chadwell Heath traffic garage on 020 8597 4874 or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.


eveningstandard--2019-08-04--Charing Cross crash Three injured after car mounts pavement outside busy London station

Charing Cross crash: Three injured after car mounts pavement outside busy London station

Three people have been injured after a car mounted the pavement and smashed into them outside a busy central London station.  The pedestrians were struck by the vehicle outside Charing Cross train station shortly after 11pm on Saturday.  The Met Police said two men have been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.  A spokesman for the force confirmed the incident was not terrorist related.  Pictures from the scene show a number of police officers and cordon in place around the car as crowds gathered at the scene in Villiers Street.  A Met Police spokesman added: “Two males have been arrested after a car was involved in a collision with three pedestrians on Villiers Street at 11.10am on Saturday.  “None of the injuries are life threatening. Enquiries continue.”


eveningstandard--2019-08-13--Kensington crash Woman rushed to hospital after being struck by police car in west London

Kensington crash: Woman rushed to hospital after being struck by police car in west London

A woman has been rushed to hospital after being struck by a police car in west London.  The marked car hit the pedestrian on Warwick Road, near the junction with Kensington High Street, at about 9.55pm on Tuesday.  She was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.  Her condition is not yet known, police said.  Scotland Yard said the Directorate of Professionals Standards had been informed of the incident.


eveningstandard--2019-08-22--Chislehurst crash Man 25 fighting for life after sports car collision in south-east London

Chislehurst crash: Man, 25, fighting for life after sports car collision in south-east London

A 25-year-old man is fighting for life after a horror smash involving two sports cars in south-east London.  The crash, involving a Jaguar F-Type and an Audi A5, happened in Chislehurst High Street on Wedneday night.  Images show the wrecks of two cars after the incident, with one on its side and another appearing to have had its roof cut off.  A number of other vehicles were caught up in the collision, with large dents marking the side of one.  A Scotland Yard spokeswoman told the Standard officers were called to the scene at around 10pm on Thursday.  The 25-year-old man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, while a woman of the same age was taken as a precaution after suffering minor injuries.  The spokeswoman said: "Police were called on Wednesday, August 21 at around 10pm to High Street, Chislehurst to reports of a collision between two vehicles.  "The emergency services attended and a 25-year-old man was found seriously injured.  "He was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition. A 25-year-old woman with minor injuries was also taken to hospital as a precaution.  "The driver of the other car spoke to officers."  Enquiries into the crash are ongoing and there have been no arrests at this time.


eveningstandard--2019-09-02--Juan Manuel Correa to spend at least another 24 hours in intensive care after crash that killed Anth

Juan Manuel Correa to spend at least another 24 hours in intensive care after crash that killed Anthoine Hubert

Juan Manuel Correa will spend at least another 24 hours in intensive care following surgery on injuries sustained in the Formula 2 crash which accounted for the death of Anthoine Hubert.  Hubert died on Saturday at the Belgian Grand Prix weekend when hit by Correa, who suffered multiple fractures to his legs and a minor spinal injury in the high-speed accident.  Frenchman Hubert was hit at 170mph at the Raidillon swerves and was declared dead at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.  On Monday morning, Correa’s Sauber Junior Team released a statement over his condition in the wake of the incident.  The statement said of the Ecuadorian-American driver: “After a lengthy surgery to repair fractures to both his legs, JM Correa has started his recovery process. He will be in intensive care for at least 24 hours.  “His family is thankful to all the people who are sending caring messages. When his conditions will be more stable, JM will be transferred to the USA to follow his recovery treatment for the next few months.  "JM is overwhelmed with sadness and his prayers are with Anthoine Hubert’s family.”  The FIA has begun an investigation into Hubert’s death but insisted there was no timeframe on when it might potentially reach a conclusion.  The subsequent F2 race was cancelled while it was decided the F1 race would go ahead as planned. A minute’s silence was held ahead of Sunday's F1 grand prix after which Ferrari’s race winner Charles Leclerc dedicated the win to his friend.  Of the investigation, F1 race director Michael Masi said: “There is an investigation, and it will go from there. The FIA with our technical department, our safety department, and all of the various departments in the FIA commenced an investigation immediately.  “I don’t think we will put any time on it. Will will go through the process of conducting a full and complete investigation, as the FIA does with all serious incidents. It will be all aspects of the incident.”


eveningstandard--2019-09-29--Woman fighting for life and three children injured after car crashes into church in Leeds

A woman is fighting for her life and a baby and two children were left injured after a car smashed into a church in Leeds.  West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to Regent Street in Leeds at around midday on Sunday after a silver Peugeot left the road and crashed into the building.  The building was reported to be a UCKG Help Centre.  A 26-year-old female passenger in the vehicle has been taken to hospital in a critical condition, while the driver and other passengers - including two adults and a baby - suffered minor injuries.  A spokesman said a blue Audi had been involved in the collision and that the driver of that car, a 27-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of driving whilst over the prescribed limit.  Two children on the pavement when the crash happened also suffered minor injuries, the force said.  A spokesman added: "The road is still closed, and could be for some time whilst police carry out their investigation.  "Officers are appealing to the public for witnesses to the collision itself or if anyone saw the vehicles prior to the collision."


eveningstandard--2019-10-31--Orpington crash: One dead and 15 injured after two buses and car collide in Sevenoaks Road, south-ea

Orpington crash: One dead and 15 injured after two buses and car collide in Sevenoaks Road, south-east London

A man died and 15 people were rushed to hospital after two buses and a car crashed in south-east London.  Firefighters pulled casualties from the single decker buses involved in the smash in Sevenoaks Road, Orpington, late on Thursday night.  Dramatic images showed debris scattered across the street and a car and bus with their frontages severely damaged following the collision.  A man, who police said was the driver of the car, was arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving. He remained in custody overnight  Scotland Yard confirmed one man had died at the scene and London Ambulance Service (LAS) said 15 people had been injured in the crash at about 10pm.  Three people were being treated for serious injuries on Friday morning, while the remaining 12 sustained minor injuries.  London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Graham Ellis said: "Firefighters rescued several casualties from the buses and immediately undertook first aid."  LAS said in statement: "We treated 15 patients and took them to hospital. Despite the best efforts of our medics, a person sadly died at the scene.  The conditions of those injured in the crash was not immediately released by officials.  Road closures were in place and drivers were told to find alternative routes.  In statement, the Met Police said: "One person, no further details, was pronounced dead at the scene.  "Enquiries are ongoing to trace next of kin."  It continued: "A man, the driver of the car, has been arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving, he is currently in police custody."  A spokeswoman for the force confirmed that the person who died in the crash was a man.


eveningstandard--2019-12-07--Dollis Hill crash: Man dies after car hits lamp post in north west London

A man has died after a car hit a lamp post in north west London.  Police were called to Dollis Hill Lane today at 9.08am.  Two people were recovered from the car and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.21am.  The passenger was rushed to hospital and his condition has not been confirmed.  A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Police were called at 09:08hrs on Saturday, 7 December to reports of a car in collision with a lamp post on Dollis Hill Lane at the junction with Brook Road, NW2.  “Officers, the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended. Two people were recovered from the vehicle.  “The male driver was pronounced dead at the scene at 09:21hrs."  Road closures have been put in place.


eveningstandard--2019-12-14--Stratford crash: Three injured after car mounts pavement in east London

A woman and two men have been injured after a car mounted the pavement outside an east London shopping centre.  The car crashed into the three pedestrians and a traffic light on Great Eastern Road outside Stratford Shopping Centre just before 9am on Saturday.  The woman, aged in her 30s, was taken to hospital where she was treated for a head injury, police said.  The two men, one aged in his 30s and the other in his 50s, had minor injuries.  Police said the car stopped at the scene.  No arrests have been made.  A road closure was initially put in place at the scene and has since been taken down.  New: Daily podcast from the Evening Standard  Subscribe to The Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or your chosen podcast provider. New episodes every weekday from 4pm.


eveningstandard--2019-12-22--Battersea crash: One dead and several injured after fireball collision between National Express coac

Battersea crash: One dead and several injured after fireball collision between National Express coach and car

One person has died and more are injured after a crash between a National Express coach and a car in south west London.  The vehicles were engulfed in flames after the smash which happened in Battersea in the early hours of Sunday.  The driver of the car died at the scene and two others, including a bus passenger, were taken to hospital  Footage circulating on social media of the scene shows both vehicles on fire on Queenstown Road close to Chelsea Bridge.  Taken on Snapchat, police and ambulance crews can be seen trying to dampen the flames, which have engulfed both the coach and the car, and rescue people from inside.  Witnesses can be heard saying the vehicles “exploded” after they crashed into each other.  One occupant of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other occupant was treated by paramedics.  National Express confirmed one of their vehicles on the A3 service from Gatwick to London Victoria was involved in the crash.  They said: "One passenger was taken to hospital and all other passengers were safely transferred to a replacement vehicle for onward travel.  "Emergency services attended the scene and we will continue to provide every assistance with the ongoing investigation.  "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the occupant of the car, who sadly passed away."  A Met Police spokesman said: "Police were called at approximately 4.30am on Sunday, December 22 to reports of a car in collision with a coach on Queenstown Road.  "One occupant of the car – no further details – was pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant of the car is being treated at the scene.  "No reports of any other injuries at this time. Road closures remain in place."  A London Ambulance Service spokesman that despite the “best efforts of our medics, one patient sadly died at the scene”.  “We took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We treated two further patients for minor injuries: we took one of them to hospital and the other was discharged at the scene.”  Emergency services were unable to give any further details of the driver.


eveningstandard--2019-12-28--Five killed as plane crashes into car park near Walmart in Louisiana

Five people were killed when a plane plummeted to the ground near a supermarket in Louisiana.  Footage showed smoke rising from the scene of the crash, in a car park near a Walmart in Lafayette, with flames consuming the craft.  The incident took place at 9.22am local time, while officers told the outlet six people were on board.  A spokesman for the Lafayette Fire Department said that five people had died in the crash, the New York Times reports.  Lafayette Police Lt. Scott Morgan told Fox: “We know it came down in a parking lot.”  He added it had taken off from Lafayette Regional Airport.  Reports have suggested multiple fatalities, with KPEL965 reporting five deaths.  Acadian Ambulance services said its teams took two patients to hospital - though reports suggest one of these was not in the plane but hurt by the crash.  The plane is reported to have hit a car as it smashed to the ground.  Nearby resident Kevin Jackson told KLFY. "I noticed (the plane) was low and smoking like hell. It shook my trailer.  "I knew something was bad. I went in my house, and all you heard was this massive explosion."  Steven Ensminger Jr., the son of the offensive coordinator for the Louisiana State University football team, said his wife, Carley McCord, was on board the flight and died when it crashed. He said the plane was en route to the Peach Bowl playoff game in Atlanta between LSU and Oklahoma.  "I just don't feel like this is real," Mr Ensminger Jr. told the AP in an Instagram message. "I'm praying it's not real."


jerusalempost--2019-12-09--Two killed, two injured in Negev car crash

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jerusalempost--2019-12-28--Seven injured in car crash between three vehicles in Jerusalem


npr--2019-04-18--Bus Carrying Tourists Crashes in Portugal At Least 29 Reported Dead

Bus Carrying Tourists Crashes in Portugal; At Least 29 Reported Dead  A tour bus has crashed in Portugal, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens, authorities said.  The incident occurred Wednesday evening on the island of Madeira, a vacation destination known as the pearl of the Atlantic. The bus swerved off a winding street in the coastal town of Caniço and then tumbled down a hill. Many of the victims are German citizens, whose identities have not yet been made public.  By Thursday morning, nine people who had been injured in the crash were discharged from a local hospital, according to Lusa News Agency, while 18 remained in care.  A Portuguese man and woman are among the injured, Tomasia Alves, head of the Funchal hospital, told reporters on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.  Heiko Maas, Germany's minister of foreign affairs, announced that he would fly to Madeira on Thursday with doctors, psychologists and consular officers. He planned to speak to people who had been affected by the crash. The office also had set up a hotline for families.  Photographs from the scene show ambulances parked near the wrecked vehicle and rescue works helping wounded passengers on the lush hillside.  Many of the victims were said to be between 40 and 50 years old.  "It's with sadness and dismay that I think of our compatriots and all the other people who were affected by the terrible bus accident on Madeira," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement posted on Twitter by spokesman Steffen Seibert.  Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa expressed his regrets to the families and said he conveyed his condolences to Merkel.  Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash. Pedro Calado, the vice president of the island's regional government, told reporters that the bus was five years old and had passed inspections, according to AP.  The company that owns the vehicle, Madeira Automobile Society, reportedly vowed its "deep commitment" to uncovering the "facts, causes and responsibilities" that led to the fatal bus ride.