The 2007 accident which claimed the life of Robin Young, 42, of Danville, NH when he was struck by a flying car, was a result of speeding, news reports said.
According to three witnesses who testified in Haverhill District Court yesterday, the driver, Marie Pigaga, 50, of Plaistow, was going at high speed when her black 2000 Mercedes-Benz went over a short brick retaining wall at a gas station and struck Young.
An expert from the state police accident reconstruction team calculated that Pigaga's car was going 49 mph when it hit the pedestrian.
Young was severely injured and died a few hours later at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Pigaga is being tried on a charge of motor vehicle homicide. This would be the third time she as appeared before a Massachusetts court. Her previous two misdemeanor charges ended in mistrials in April, 2009, and February, 2010.
Showing posts with label Flying Car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flying Car. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
MBTA Worker Saves Man from Burning Car
Earlier this week an MBTA Green line worker pulled an injured man out of the back seath of a burning car in Arlington, MA.
According to firefighters, he probably saved the man's life when he freed him from the burning taxi cab, the Boston Herald news article said.
About 7 am on Monday, John Bailey, 63, of Medford, who has worked for MBTA for 36 years, was on his way to work when he saw a taxi cab jump over an embankment and crash into a tree along the Mystic Valley Parkway near the Medford line in Arlington, the Boston Globe reported.
Bailey said he stopped his car when he saw that the taxi's engine caught on fire.
He immediately ran down to the burning car to help. He opened the back passenger door and found a passenger whose face was covered in blood. There was no driver in the car.
Bailey began to pull the passenger out of the car and called for help since he had difficulty getting him all the way out of the vehicle.
Another man arrived and helped Bailey pull the injured man out of the taxi, which was soon fully engulfed in flames. By then firefighters arrived at the scene.
The injured passenger was later identified as George Kane, 42, of Lexington.
The taxi cab driver, Jean M. Franck, 47, of Medford, was discovered on the embankment suffering from a broken leg and head contusions.
Both Franck and Kane were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where they were reported to be in fair condition.
State Police think the accident happened due to excessive speed. The taxi cab, a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria owned by Arlex Taxi Company in Medford, was speeding when Franck lost control, went off the road and traveled along the Mystic River for a short distance. He then re-entered the roadway and rear-ended a Toyota Camry. The crash sent the taxi into a tree and Franck was thrown from the car, which burst into flames, police said.
The other driver, Alain Velis, 41, of Medford, was not injured.
Franck is facing the possiblity of three charges including reckless operation of a vehicle, operating with a suspended license and a marked lane violation.
Arlington Fire Chief Robert Jefferson said he will be writing a letter of commendation for Bailey for his bravery and quick response.
“We couldn’t be more proud of him. He represents the best of MBTA employees,” said MBTA General Manager Richard Davey.
According to firefighters, he probably saved the man's life when he freed him from the burning taxi cab, the Boston Herald news article said.
About 7 am on Monday, John Bailey, 63, of Medford, who has worked for MBTA for 36 years, was on his way to work when he saw a taxi cab jump over an embankment and crash into a tree along the Mystic Valley Parkway near the Medford line in Arlington, the Boston Globe reported.
Bailey said he stopped his car when he saw that the taxi's engine caught on fire.
He immediately ran down to the burning car to help. He opened the back passenger door and found a passenger whose face was covered in blood. There was no driver in the car.
Bailey began to pull the passenger out of the car and called for help since he had difficulty getting him all the way out of the vehicle.
Another man arrived and helped Bailey pull the injured man out of the taxi, which was soon fully engulfed in flames. By then firefighters arrived at the scene.
The injured passenger was later identified as George Kane, 42, of Lexington.
The taxi cab driver, Jean M. Franck, 47, of Medford, was discovered on the embankment suffering from a broken leg and head contusions.
Both Franck and Kane were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where they were reported to be in fair condition.
State Police think the accident happened due to excessive speed. The taxi cab, a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria owned by Arlex Taxi Company in Medford, was speeding when Franck lost control, went off the road and traveled along the Mystic River for a short distance. He then re-entered the roadway and rear-ended a Toyota Camry. The crash sent the taxi into a tree and Franck was thrown from the car, which burst into flames, police said.
The other driver, Alain Velis, 41, of Medford, was not injured.
Franck is facing the possiblity of three charges including reckless operation of a vehicle, operating with a suspended license and a marked lane violation.
Arlington Fire Chief Robert Jefferson said he will be writing a letter of commendation for Bailey for his bravery and quick response.
“We couldn’t be more proud of him. He represents the best of MBTA employees,” said MBTA General Manager Richard Davey.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Flying Cars Just Around the Corner
We found a curious story reported by AP about cars with wings which might become reality in 2011. Could it be?
The company that would produce them, Terrafugia (Latin for "escape from the land"), is based in Woburn, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006 by 5 MIT grad students with passion for flying (all 5 were also pilots), Terrafugia plans to deliver the first car-plane, called the Transition, to consumers by the end of 2011.
"It's the next 'wow' vehicle," Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh told AP, "Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly."
A big step toward success was reached after the Federal Aviation Administration granted a special weight limit exemption to the Transition.
Although the Transition is a long way from cartoon dreams of flying cars, the car will be able to master both worlds - roads and airways. It will have wings which unfold for flying, and fold back for driving in one minute.
For now, the Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, and it still needs a runway for takeoff and landing.
Terrafugia is working with the FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
It is designed to fly under 10,000 feet with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Gas mileage on the road is about 30 mpg.
The price - $194,000.
A bit pricey for some, but already more than 70 orders with deposits have been made. Little boys' dreams do not die easily.
The company that would produce them, Terrafugia (Latin for "escape from the land"), is based in Woburn, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006 by 5 MIT grad students with passion for flying (all 5 were also pilots), Terrafugia plans to deliver the first car-plane, called the Transition, to consumers by the end of 2011.
"It's the next 'wow' vehicle," Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh told AP, "Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly."
A big step toward success was reached after the Federal Aviation Administration granted a special weight limit exemption to the Transition.
Although the Transition is a long way from cartoon dreams of flying cars, the car will be able to master both worlds - roads and airways. It will have wings which unfold for flying, and fold back for driving in one minute.
For now, the Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, and it still needs a runway for takeoff and landing.
Terrafugia is working with the FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
It is designed to fly under 10,000 feet with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Gas mileage on the road is about 30 mpg.
The price - $194,000.
A bit pricey for some, but already more than 70 orders with deposits have been made. Little boys' dreams do not die easily.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)