Celebs Help Texas Kids Orphaned in Car Crash

The plight of three Houston children who were orphaned and seriously injured as a result of a deadly car accident earlier this month prompted various celebrities — including Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga — on Wednesday to encourage their fans to donate to a new campaign that is raising money for their care.

Bieber and other celebrities asked their fans via Twitter and Facebook to donate to the "Show Your Hearts" campaign. The money being raised from the campaign launched Wednesday will go to a trust fund that has been set up for the children's care.

"It is a really sad story, but this is an opportunity for me and my friends to do something good for others," Bieber said in a statement. "We can use our influence to do good. We are just doing our part and I hope those kids get something positive out of it."

In its first day, the campaign raised more than $30,000. A Facebook page that had previously been created to highlight the trust fund and publicize fundraising efforts, including bake sales and lemonade stands, that have taken place in the Houston area and around the U.S. has helped raise more than $200,000.

The July 2 accident in West Texas killed the children's parents, Joshua and Robin Berry. Their sons, 8-year-old Aaron and 9-year-old Peter, were permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Their 6-year-old sister Willa suffered several broken bones. The family had been driving back to Houston from a vacation in Colorado when another vehicle crashed into their minivan.

Willa is now at home but her brothers remain hospitalized. After being treated at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, the brothers are now at Shriner's Hospital for Children in Chicago where they are undergoing physical rehabilitation treatment.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian on Wednesday tweeted, "The family needs our help!! Such a tragic story!"

DeGeneres, on her television show's home page, asked fans to "join me in raising awareness and sending love and support to this family."

"We are also so grateful for the amazing efforts from Justin Bieber and his team to pull together the long list of celebrities supporting the kids," said Matt Berry, the children's uncle.

The Houston Rockets on Wednesday also announced a campaign, "10,000 Hugs-to-Help," to raise money that will be donated to the children's trust fund. The campaign will let Houstonians donate money in exchange for a hug from the team's mascot, Clutch.

"We are committed to assisting the various fundraising efforts that continue to be planned around our community in order to help provide Peter, Aaron and Willa with the support they will need in order to overcome the physical pain and devastating emotional trauma they have suffered," said Rockets owner Leslie Alexander.


source: ABC News (Lozano, 7/28)

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Two 18-Wheelers Collide; One Driver Injured

RIESEL,TX — An 18-wheeler rear-ended a second tractor-trailer rig Monday morning in Riesel and the driver of the second truck was flown to a Waco hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Riesel police Chief Danny Krumnow said at around 8 a.m. Monday, the driver of the first truck was stopped at a signal light at Texas Highway 6 and FM 1860 when the second rig whose driver failed to see the light struck the rear of the rig.

Krumnow said B. J. Newton, of Fort Worth, was flown by Air Evac helicopter to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.

Information about his injuries and his condition wasn’t immediately available.

The other driver was not injured.

Krumnow said traffic along both roadways was diverted for a short time.

Riesel police and fire units, along with an East Texas Medical Center ambulance, responded to the accident.

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source: www.kwtx.com (Gately, 7/11)

Texas Ranger Fan Falls Catching Foul Ball, Later Pronounced Dead

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Major League Baseball vowed Friday to "carefully review" an incident in which a Texas Rangers fan died Thursday night after falling over a left-field railing as he pursued a foul ball.

Firefighter Shannon Stone, from Brownwood, Texas, lost his balance while reaching out to catch a ball for his young son Cooper Stone that was thrown into the stands by Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton during the second inning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

"All of us at Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened over the tragic death of Mr. Stone last evening," MLB said in a statement Friday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his son and his entire family. Major League Baseball has the utmost sensitivity to the safety of all the fans that come to our ballparks. Our players are encouraged to be fan-friendly and we will carefully review this incident with our clubs to continue to ensure a safe environment for our fans."

Stone, 39, fell about 20 feet behind a wall supporting the left-field scoreboard. He was treated by Rangers medics before being taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

Stone went into full cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 8:26 p.m. local time, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, citing an Arlington Fire Department statement.

"Josh (Hamilton) is very distraught over this, as the entire team is," Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan said earlier in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident," Ryan added. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Brownwood City Manager Bobby Rountree confirmed early Friday that Cooper Stone was with his father at the ballpark. Rountree paid tribute to the "17 year veteran of the Fire Dept" in a statement reported by the Brownwood News.

"In respect for Shannon and his family, the City of Brownwood will fly its flags at half-mast through the day of the funeral," he said. "This is a tragedy for the Stone family, his firefighter brothers and the City of Brownwood. Please keep the Stone family and his fellow firefighters in your prayers."

Rountree confirmed the plans for Stone's funeral were still being finalized.

The incident came a year after a fan suffered serious injuries after falling about 30 feet in a similar incident at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.


source: msn.foxsports.com
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Commentary:

While no party other than Stone can be fully at blame here, the tragedy occurred a year after a similar incident. These circumstances bring questions to mind about the design of the safety railing at the Ballpark in Arlington. Any loss sustained as a result of poor design falls under Premise Liability in legal proceedings, and a Texas Injury Lawyer can help determine if you deserve compensation. Contact The Cole Legal Group today for a free consultation.

G.M. Recalls Almost 6,800 Pickups for Inaccurate Shift-Lever Reading

General Motors is recalling almost 6,800 pickups from the 2011 model year because they might roll away even when the automatic transmission’s selector appears to be in Park. The automaker also said it recalled 739 pickups and sport utility vehicles because of a possible loss of steering.

The pickups affected by the shift-lever issue are the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon equipped with the 4-speed automatic and either the 2.9-liter 4-cylinder or 3.7-liter 5-cylinder engine.

G.M. told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a defective clip could allow the shift lever to appear to be in Park when it was not. A worker at the assembly plant discovered the problem.

The 739 S.U.V.’s and pickups being recalled for possible steering problems are the 2011 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe; and GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL.

G.M. said the intermediate steering shaft bolts were not properly tightened. It learned of the problem after a Suburban had a steering problem and the vehicle was inspected at a dealership.

The automaker informed N.H.T.S.A. that the problem could occur on vehicles that were repaired at the assembly plant because “an error in the cab build process required the original cab to be removed and replaced with a new cab.” The proper process was not followed when the new cab was installed.

Alan Adler, a General Motors spokesman, wrote in an e-mail that the automaker was not aware of any accidents involving the affected vehicles in either recall.


source: New York Times (Jensen, 7/1)