1 of 2 | Two trains collided between Hilleroed and Kagerup at Isteroedvejen, Denmark, Thursday morning. At least 19 are injured. Photo by Steven Knap/EPA
April 23 (UPI) — Two passenger trains crashed head-on in Denmark on Thursday leaving 18 injured, five of them critically, law enforcement officials said.
The trains collided at 6:29 a.m. CEST, traveling on a line that connects Hillerød and Kagerup in the North Zealand region of northeast Denmark. Hillerød is about 19 miles from Copenhagen. There were 37 people aboard. North Zealand police said the trains were traveling fast, but the exact speed wasn’t known.
No cause of the crash has been determined, said Tim Ole Simonsen of the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department, but he told Danish TV that all the injured were taken to the hospital by either ambulance or air.
“I am deeply shaken and shocked, and my thoughts are with all those involved,” Gribskov Mayor Trine Egetved posted on Facebook. “The local track is used by many Gribskov citizens, employees and pupils. Emergency services are working at full pressure, and we are trying from the central team to get an overview of what has happened more accurately and make sure that everyone gets the help they need.”
Fire and rescue service leader Christoffer Buhl Martekilde told reporters, “The two trains collided head-on, causing large damage to them and sending broken glass flying everywhere.”
North Zealand Police Inspector Morten Pedersen said his agency will work with Denmark’s Accident Investigation Board to find out what happened, the BBC reported.
Klaus Jensen, accident board manager, told TV2 that investigators were exploring “all hypotheses,” including “a failure in the signalling system or whether there may have been a failure due to human factors,” the BBC reported.
Several train staff were injured, said Claus Pedersson, safety director at Lokaltog, the Danish railway company, to Danish broadcaster DR.
He said the crash was “one of the worst we can imagine in the railway industry.”
“We see accidents like this happen from time to time, and the most important thing is that we learn from it,” Pedersson said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement that she was “very moved by the terrible train accident on the Gribskov line this morning.” She told TV2, “Several people are in a critical condition. My thoughts go out to the injured, their relatives and everyone affected by the accident.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he offered help for the incident response, but Danish police declined the offer.
April 20 (UPI) — A Southwest Airlines flight arriving at Nashville International Airport over the weekend was directed into the path of another Southwest flight that was taking off, causing them to pass within 500 vertical feet of each other.
A flight arriving from Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Saturday evening initiated a go-around before landing because it was facing “gusty winds” during it’s approach, but air traffic controllers directed the crew into the path of another flight, USA Today, WSMV and WTVF reported.
The other flight was departing NIA on a parallel runway, which caused the close call, and “both flight crews responded to onboard alerts” because the two aircraft were 500 feet apart, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Five hundred feet is equivalent to 1 2/3 football fields, including the end zones, or two Boeing 747s lined up nose-to-tail, which is half the 1,000-foot distance the FAA requires aircraft to maintain.
The air traffic controller who gave the errant order recognized the mistake and corrected himself with both flight crews, who had already responded to alerts from their Traffic Collision Avoidance System, devices that are standard on all commercial aircraft.
“We are engaged with the FAA as part of the investigation,” Southwest said in a statement.
“Southwest appreciates the professionalism of its Pilots and Flights Crews in responding to the event,” the company said. “Nothing is more importing to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Rayburn House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
April 20 (UPI) — Two employees of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and two Mexican law enforcement officers were killed in a car crash over the weekend while returning from an operation to destroy laboratories in the northern state of Chihuahua, officials said.
The four people were traveling in a vehicle when they skidded off the road and into a ravine at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Chihuahua Attorney General Cesar Jauregui Moreno told reporters in a press conference.
He identified the deceased as Agency Director Pedro Roman Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Mendez Montes of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency and two instructor officers from the U.S. Embassy, whose names have not been made public.
“From here, we extend our deepest condolences and wish peace and resignation to the families of those who died in this unfortunate accident,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson to Mexico offered his condolences online.
“We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,” he said in a statement.
“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities. It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.”
The incident occurred as they were returning from an operation that destroyed six clandestine laboratories in the municipality of Morelos, where Jauregui said synthetic drugs were being produced.
The site was located following a three-month investigation and destroyed on Friday and Saturday.
“It is one of the largest sites found in the country where chemical drugs were being produced,” Jauregui said during the press conference.
Alex Manninger played for Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus at peak of his career while winning 33 Austria caps.
Published On 16 Apr 202616 Apr 2026
Former Austria goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who played for Arsenal and a string of Italian clubs, has died at the age of 48 when the car he was driving was hit by a train at a crossing near Salzburg.
The Austrian Football Association (OEFB) and clubs associated with the player, who retired as a professional in 2017, mourned his passing on Thursday.
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Manninger made 33 appearances for Austria and played for Arsenal from 1997 to 2001 with the club winning the league title and FA Cup in the 1997-1998 season. He ended his career at Liverpool in 2017.
In Italy, the Austrian played for Fiorentina, Torino, Bologna, Siena, Udinese and Juventus.
“Alexander Manninger was an outstanding ambassador of Austrian football on and off the pitch,” OEFB Sporting Director Peter Schoettel said in a statement.
“With his international career, he has set standards and inspired and shaped many young goalkeepers. His professionalism, his calmness and his reliability made him an important part of his teams and also of the national team.”
Salzburg police said in a statement that the accident happened about 8:20am (06:20 GMT). First responders freed the driver from the vehicle, but resuscitation was unsuccessful.
“According to initial investigations, the car was hit by a railcar of the Salzburger Lokalbahn while crossing the railway crossing and dragged along. The driver was alone in the vehicle. The train driver was uninjured,” the police said.
Fiorentina said they will observe a minute’s silence and wear black armbands for Thursday’s home Conference League game with Crystal Palace while league leaders Arsenal conveyed their shock on social media.
Other clubs, including Liverpool, issued statements of condolence.
“Today is a very sad day. We have lost not only a great athlete, but a man of rare values: humility, dedication, and an exceptional sense of professionalism,” Juventus said
“Alex Manninger will be remembered for the example he set, on and off the pitch.”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.S. Navy has finally confirmed that an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone crashed back on April 9. The circumstances that led to the loss of the uncrewed aircraft remain unknown, but the incident has now been described as a mishap. The uncrewed aircraft had vanished unexpectedly from online flight tracking sites while flying over the Persian Gulf, but where exactly where it went down is unclear.
You can read more about what was already known about the fate of the MQ-4C in our initial reporting here.
Naval Safety Command’s latest publicly available mishap summary report, which appears to have been published today, includes the following brief entry:
“9 Apr 2026 (Location Withheld – OPSEC [Operational Security]) MQ-4C crashed, no injury to personnel.”
Not surprisingly, this is categorized as a Class A mishap, which is defined as one that causes more than $2 million in damages, results in one or more individuals dying or being permanently disabled, or any combination of the above. Navy budget documents last pegged the unit price of an MQ-4C at just over $238 million. As of 2025, the Navy had 20 of these drones in service in total, with plans to acquire seven more.
A list of recent Class A mishaps included in the Naval Safety Command’s latest publicly available mishap summary report. USN
TWZ reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM for comment. The Navy directed us to contact CENTCOM, and the command declined to comment.
The MQ-4C was widely assumed to have gone down last week. Right before the flow of online tracking data stopped, a huge and sudden loss of altitude, from a typical cruising altitude of around 50,000 feet down to below 10,000 feet, was recorded. At the time, the drone looked to be heading back to its base at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy after completing a surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
The drone’s transponder had also been broadcasting (or “squawking”) the code 7700, which is a general declaration of an in-flight emergency, at the time. However, as TWZ noted at the time, the code, by itself, does not provide details about the nature or severity of the emergency. There were also reports that the Triton had initially squawked 7400, a different code used to declare the drone had lost its connection with controllers on the ground.
On its way back to base, the US Navy MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone that had been patrolling the Strait of Hormuz took a turn towards Iran, squawked code 7700 (general emergency), and started descending, falling off ADS-B as it dropped under 10k feet. pic.twitter.com/1Ki8OsEk9k
As noted, where exactly the drone went down is not clear. It was last tracked flying in international airspace over the Persian Gulf in the direction of Iran, but there is no evidence it went down in that country.
It is also unknown what steps may have been taken, or still be underway, to recover the downed MQ-4C. Each one of the drones carries a powerful active electronically scanned array (AESA) multi-mode radar, electro-optical and infrared video cameras in a turret under the nose, and electronic support measures systems for collecting electronic intelligence passively. The Navy, in cooperation with prime contractor Northrop Grumman, has also been working to upgrade the signals intelligence suites on these drones in recent years.
A stock picture of an MQ-4C. USN
If an adversary could recover any of these systems largely intact, it could represent a significant intelligence loss. Though there are no indications whatsoever that the MQ-4C went down due to hostile fire, recovery of the wreckage could still be of benefit for propaganda purposes, especially for Iran in the context of the latest conflict.
Iran did shoot down a Navy RQ-4 Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (BAMS-D) drone while it was flying over the Gulf of Oman in 2019, and promptly put what remained of the uncrewed aircraft on display. The BAMS-D was a precursor to the MQ-4C. The Triton is derived from the core RQ-4 Global Hawk design, but is optimized for long-duration overwater missions.
As an aside, another MQ-4C was tracked flying a routine mission over the Persian Gulf today. This was the first such sortie visible online since April 9, which could reflect a pause in operations following the crash. Last week, TWZ pointed out that Tritons were likely to play an important role in surveilling the Persian Gulf, as well as the Strait of Hormuz, amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The capabilities the drones offer are likely to be even more important now as the U.S. military works to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to regular maritime traffic to and from other countries in the region.
We will provide additional details about the crash of MQ-4C if and when they become available.
Jaume Guardeno sustained serious injuries after collision with a car at the end of a Volta a Catalunya cycling race.
Published On 14 Apr 202614 Apr 2026
Young Spanish rider Jaume Guardeno remains in a critical condition in hospital two weeks after a crash while training.
“Jaume continues his fight in the intensive care unit of Tauli Hospital in Sabadell, where he’s been since March 31, when he suffered an accident while training,” the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team said in a statement on Tuesday.
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The 23-year-old Guardeno sustained serious injuries when he collided with a vehicle, reportedly head injuries, after his bicycle struck a rock, days after he finished 29th in the Volta a Catalunya race.
Guardeno finished 14th in the Spanish Vuelta last year, and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA is due to make its Tour de France debut this year.
“His condition remains critical, although stable within the seriousness of his condition. He is under constant monitoring and is scheduled to undergo further procedures in the coming days to aid his recovery,” the team added.
Cycling is enjoying a resurgence in popularity thanks to young riders Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, but dangers remain. Last month, Olympic champion Tom Pidcock pulled out of the Volta a Catalunya after crashing down a ravine, and Italian cyclist Debora Silvestri was hospitalised after crashing during the women’s Milan-San Remo one-day classic.
EastEnders spoilers have teased some big moments ahead as the path is paved for Grant Mitchell’s return after some sad news about Nigel Bates, while there’s also a car crash
EastEnders spoilers have teased some big moments ahead (Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
There’s big scenes ahead on EastEnders next week, including a stunt, a sad twist and big news about a returning legend.
Grant Mitchell’s return to the BBC soap is finally about to happen, and the path is set next week. It comes off the back of a sad update about his long-time friend Nigel Bates, whose health is continuing to deteriorate amid his dementia battle.
There’s also stunt drama as two separate families are caught up in a car accident – but will everyone be okay? People are confronted over bad behaviour, feud are put to bed and there’s some worrying scenes on the cards.
According to new spoilers, Ravi Gulati continues to struggle amid his mental health battle, feeling powerless that he is unable to protect his family. His actions to keep them safe soon spark concern, and soon there’s a revelation that rocks everyone.
Priya Nandra-Hart’s attempt to help partner Ravi leads to an accident on the road, as their car collides with another vehicle driven by Max Branning and Cindy Beale, with baby Jimmy also in the car. Both families are shaken, but Ravi returns home before fleeing.
Max is able to help Cindy and Jimmy, and they head to the hospital to get checked over – while there’s also a moment between secret lovers Max and Cindy. Back in Walford, Priya is trying to track down missing Ravi.
It’s not long before she finds him on the bridge, with him having climbed up after fleeing his family. As Priya talks to Ravi, she makes him realise that he needs help, and he agrees to get down to safety.
Will she be able to get him the help he desperately needs? Their son Nugget is also facing trouble, as he realises Will has recorded and shared a video of him having a seizure online.
Nugget confronts Will and his friends about their video, but will he get the reaction he’s hoping for? Warring business rivals Elaine Peacock and Ian Beale finally put their feud to rest next week.
Sadly, Nigel’s condition deteriorates and the news soon reaches a devastated Sam Mitchell and Mark Fowler Jr. The news sees Sam and Mark make contact with Grant, asking him to return to be there for Phil and Nigel.
Mark actually suggests it believing he should know what is happening with Nigel, but also he and Sam are worried about how Phil will cope. We do know that Grant is coming back to the BBC soap very soon, so how will Mark feel about seeing his dad?
KATIE Price has been banned from driving for the seventh time – meaning she’s spent six years since 2010 barred from getting behind the wheel.
The ex-glamour model and mum-of-five’s latest run-in with the law comes after a Ford Capri registered to her was caught at 80mph on the A64 near Strutton in North Yorkshire.
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Katie Price has now been banned from driving seven timesCredit: InstagramCCTV issued by North Yorkshire Police of Price seen driving a Ford Capri at 80 mphCredit: PAPrice overturned her BMW in September 2021Credit: PA
CCTV released by police shows the 47-year-old behind the wheel during the incident on October 15, 2025, the same day Price appeared on stage with celeb pal Kerry Katona for An Evening with Katie Price & Kerry Katona at Scarborough Spa.
She has now been prosecuted and convicted of failing to respond to police, landing her with a six-month driving ban and a legal bill topping £1,000.
Speaking previously toThe Sun, Price also said she was suresomeone she knows had left anonymous complaintsto the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), accusing her of being “not fit to drive” to stop her getting her licence back.
Katie Price’s seven driving bans
Ban 1 – December 2010: Price was given 12 points between June 2008 and December 2010, resulting in a six month ban
Ban 2 – August 2012: She was slapped with a 12-month ban after failing to respond to two speeding tickets
Ban 3 – February 2018: The star was banned for another six months for failing to give details about the person driving her speeding car
Ban 4 – January 2019: Price was banned for a further three months for driving while banned
Ban 5 – November 2019 she was issued with another ban, this time for two years – which was eventually cut to 18 months on appeal
Ban 6 – December 2021: Price was arrested for turning over her BMW and as a result was banned for a sixth time for two years
Ban 7 – April 2026: Court papers show Price was charged with speeding and failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle after being caught driving at 80mph
Ban 1 – December 2010
In June 2008 she was given three points for talking on her phone while behind the wheel.
In July 2010 she was given another four points for speeding at 99mph, and a further three that September for veering from her lane in her 7½-ton pink horsebox.
Price’s first ban, for six months, came that December after she was given three more points for doing 83mph.
Ban 2 – August 2012
In August 2012, she was slapped with a 12-month ban after failing to respond to two speeding tickets.
The former glamour model was described by a judge as having ‘one of the worst driving records’Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdPrice crashed her £63,000 Range Rover while allegedly on her mobile phoneCredit: Splash NewsPrice going to her car after previously appearing at Guildford MagistratesCredit: Kevin Dunnett – The Sun
Ban 3 – February 2018
In February 2018, the star was banned for another six months for failing to give details about the person driving her speeding car.
Ban 4 – January 2019
The following January saw Price banned for a further three months for driving while banned, and then a month later was slapped with another three months.
Ban 5 – November 2019
Later that November she was issued with another ban, this time for two years – which was eventually cut to 18 months on appeal.
Ban 6 – December 2021
In September 2021 Price was arrested for turning over her BMW in a drink driving smash in Horsham, West Sussex, and as a result was banned for a sixth time for two years and given a suspended sentence that December.
Repeat offenders would usually face a minimum of 12 weeks behind bars but her sentence was reduced below the custody threshold after she entered rehab while on holiday in Las Vegas.
At Crawley magistrates’ court on December 14 2021, District Judge Amanda Kelly admitted the public would be “appalled” — and that Price deserved to be spending Christmas behind bars.
She added: “Your actions on that night were incredibly selfish.
“When you chose to get behind the wheel of the car that night, you showed no consideration for others.
“You could have killed someone’s child, partner, parent or friend.
“You appear to think, it seems, that you are above the law.”
Speaking about the incident to The Sun, Price said: “I could have killed myself.
“I could have killed someone else. I deserved to be punished, enough was enough.
“Getting in the car was a terrible mistake I’m so sorry for.
“That was a prime example of me having been triggered and not knowing how to handle it, an example of me spiralling out of control because I needed help.”
Ban 7 – April 2026
Price’s latest conviction and driving disqualification was dealt with last week in the Single Justice Procedure, a secretive court process where magistrates deal with criminal cases behind closed doors.
Court papers show Price was charged with speeding and failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle.
The Ford Capri was caught on a speed camera on a 70mph stretch of the A64 at 3.03pm on October 15 last year.
Price outside Bexley Magistrates’ Court following her drink driving trial where she was banned from driving for three months in 2019Credit: PA:Press Association
She was sent a police letter about the incident on October 20, and a reminder on November 10, warning her of looming criminal proceedings.
However, the police force said no response was received to either letter.
Magistrate Claire Sagar, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday, found Price guilty of the failure to respond to police charge, ordering her to pay a £660 fine, £120 in costs, and a £264 victim surcharge.
Due to the secretive nature of the court process, it is not known if Price was given the chance to argue against another driving ban, it is unclear whether the court knew of her previous driving record, and the records do not reveal if she already had penalty points on her licence.
The speeding charge was withdrawn by the police.
The Sun has approached Price’s reps for comment.
Katie’s previous driving convictions
KATIE Price has now been banned from driving seven times in the last 15 years after a series of infringements.
OCTOBER 2003: Escapes a speeding charge on a technicality.
JUNE 2008: Given three points for talking on mobile.
JULY 2010: Four points for speeding at 99mph.
SEPTEMBER: Three points for veering from her lane in her 7½-ton pink horsebox.
DECEMBER: Six-month ban after three more points for doing 83mph in a 70mph zone takes her total to 13.
AUGUST 2012: 12-month ban after failing to respond to two speeding tickets.
FEBRUARY 2018: Banned for six months for failing to give details about the person driving her speeding car.
JULY: Quizzed by police for getting behind the wheel while still banned. Says she thought ban was over.
SEPTEMBER: Crashes her £63,000 Ranger Rover while allegedly on her mobile.
OCTOBER: Held for suspected drink-driving. Spent a night in the cells.
DECEMBER: Charged over the drink-drive allegation.
JANUARY 2019: Three month ban for driving while banned.
FEBRUARY: Further three months after another driving conviction.
AUTUMN: Issued with sixth ban, this time for two years. Cut to 18 months on appeal.
MARCH 2021: Drives boyfriend’s Range Rover. An admin error meant an extra six months under totting up rules had not been added. Questioned by police.
SEPTEMBER: Arrested after turning over car
DECEMBER: Price banned from driving and given 16-week suspended sentence
JULY 2023: Model caught speeding on A417 near Gloucestershire. Her Range Rover is also seized by officers.
NOVEMBER: Price is convicted of driving without a licence by JPs at Cheltenham.
JANUARY 2024: The mum is slapped with a fine for the speeding offence on the A417.
MARCH: Price is ordered to pay another fine and handed more points on her licence after being caught driving without licence or insurance.
APRIL 2026: Her latest run-in with the law comes after a Ford Capri registered in her name was caught at 80mph on the A64 near to the North Yorkshire village of Stutton.
A California state senator alleges that police officers fabricated evidence to falsely accuse her of driving under the influence after she was T-boned at an intersection near the state Capitol.
Their motive, she claims, was discriminatory bias and a piece of legislation she wrote that law enforcement agencies did not like.
Now, she is suing the city of Sacramento alleging “a deliberate and unlawful campaign to falsely accuse, arrest, and discredit her.”
On Monday, state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) filed a federal lawsuit against the city as well as the police officers who cited her for driving under the influence in May. The Sacramento district attorney’s office declined to file charges after a blood test showed there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.
Cervantes accuses officers of pushing forward with an arrest despite lacking probable cause and building a case against her based on false statements. She said officers submitted false information to the DMV, forcing her to retain a lawyer to stop her license from being suspended or revoked, according to the complaint.
The Riverside County legislator alleges that this conduct was in retaliation for a bill she authored seeking to restrict how law enforcement agencies store and use data from automatic license plate readers. She claims that officers discriminated against her as an LGBTQ Latina woman and provided more respectful treatment to the white woman who was at fault in the crash.
Cervantes further alleges that unknown parties within the Sacramento Police Department leaked news of her arrest to the press in a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation. Representatives for both the city and the Police Department said Monday that they were unable to comment on pending litigation.
“This case is about the abuse of power,” Cervantes’ attorney James Quadra said in a statement Monday. “Officers ignored the facts, fabricated evidence, and tried to turn a victim into a criminal.”
In September, Cervantes filed a government claim against the city, a necessary precursor to taking further legal action. Her lawsuit, filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of California, seeks damages for violations of federal civil rights and state law, including false arrest, unlawful search and seizure, and defamation.
The crash took place at 12:55 p.m. on May 19, 2025, when Cervantes’ car was hit by a driver who failed to yield to the right of way at an intersection in downtown Sacramento. The state senator was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment where officers met and interviewed her for hours, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that “despite clear damage to the vehicles showing that the other driver, a young white woman, had t-boned Senator Cervantes’ vehicle” the responding officer “treated the at-fault driver with a deference and respect which was not accorded to Senator Cervantes.”
At the hospital, one of the officers requested that Cervantes submit to a “subjective sobriety test” that included measuring her eye’s response to stimuli, according to the complaint. Cervantes said she was troubled by this request given that she broke no traffic laws and was the victim of a dangerous driver.
In order to obtain a warrant to obtain a blood draw, the officer “falsely claimed that Senator Cervantes had an unsteady gait, slurred speech, and an appearance of drowsiness,” the complaint alleges.
After news of the crash became public, a spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department told reporters that “based on the objective signs, officers believed that Cervantes was under the influence of a central nervous system depressant.” Redacted test results Cervantes chose to share with the media showed she had a near-zero blood alcohol level, and the district attorney declined to file charges later that month.
Her lawsuit accuses parties within the Police Department of falsely telling the media she was driving under the influence “with the intent to harm Senator Cervantes because of her sponsorship of SB Bill 274 and her status as a Latina member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The bill sought to restrict law enforcement’s use of automatic license plate readers, following concerns that the technology was being used to violate driver’s privacy and that data was being unlawfully shared with agencies outside of the state.
Civil liberty groups such as the ACLU have demanded that California police stop sharing automatic license plate reader data with out-of-state agencies that could use it to prosecute women traveling to seek abortion care.
In June, an investigation by Calmatters found that law enforcement agencies across Southern California, including the Los Angeles Police Department, violated state law by sharing information from automated license plate readers with Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Senate Bill 274 passed the state Senate and Assembly but was vetoed in October by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sided with law enforcement agencies that expressed concerns over how the bill could hinder their ability to solve crimes.
The bill would have limited the lists agencies could use to monitor for certain cars, required enhanced data security and privacy training for officers and mandated that certain data be deleted after 60 days.
In a letter explaining his veto, Newsom wrote that the bill “failed to strike the delicate balance between protecting individual privacy and ensuring public safety.” He noted that, in instances such as cold cases, license plate data are needed to solve crimes beyond a 60-day window.
Actor Tori Spelling and seven children were injured after being involved in an accident Thursday in Temecula.
Spelling and all the children were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated for injuries, according to NBC News and multiple reports.
She is the mother of four of the children traveling in the SUV she was driving when it was struck by another vehicle that was allegedly speeding and ran a red light.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s office told People in a statement Sunday that deputies responded to a crash at 5:45 p.m. Thursday in Temecula, 80 miles outside of Los Angeles.
The drivers and passengers were evaluated at the scene, and no arrests were made. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Spelling is the daughter of the TV producer Aaron Spelling and is best known as a co-star of the 1990s hit Fox drama “Beverly Hills, 90210.” She is the mother of five children, Liam, 19, Stella, 17, Hattie, 14, Finn, 13, and Beau, 9, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Dean McDermott.
In 2011, Spelling was involved in a crash with her children in a vehicle that she said was prompted by paparazzi. Spelling was pregnant at the time of the incident, and her oldest two children were in the car. “Paparazzi chased me w/the kids 2school,” she wrote in a post on Twitter. “I was trying to get away from him and had a pretty big accident. Took down whole wall of school.”
The city of Broussard, La., was the scene of an incident on Saturday in which a local man was charged with driving his car into a crowd of parade-goers, inflicting multiple injuries. Authorities charged Todd Landry, 57, with 18 counts of negligent injury and driving while intoxicated. Photo courtesy City of Broussard/Facebook
April 5 (UPI) — A 57-year-old man stands charged with driving his car into a crowd of parade-goers in southern Louisiana while drunk and causing multiple injuries, authorities say.
Todd Landry, of Jeanerette, La., was arrested Saturday after “striking multiple pedestrians” during the Lao New Year Parade in Broussard, La., located about seven miles south of Lafayette, La., in Iberia Parish, according to Louisiana State Police.
The exact number of people injured in the 2:30 p.m. incident remained unconfirmed on Sunday but Acadian Ambulance reported it transported a total of 11 patients by ground and two patients by air to nearby hospitals.
State troopers said they arrested Landry and booked him into the Iberia Parish jail on 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, one count of first-offense driving while impaired, careless operation of a vehicle and having an open container of alcohol in his car.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Iberia Parish Sheriff Tommy Romero on Sunday extended “heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the victims, their families, and the entire Laos community during this difficult time.
“We stand with those affected and ask our community to keep them in your prayers.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also expressed concern, writing on X, “Sharon and I are praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene.”
State Attorney General Liz Murrill said her office “will be following up with responding law enforcement agencies to offer support.”
Eugene Mirman appears to be in good spirits after being injured in a fiery car crash.
The comedian and “Bob’s Burgers” actor shared an Instagram update Friday to reassure fans he is “doing relatively alright, all things considered.” Mirman was hospitalized for serious injuries on Tuesday after being pulled out of the window of his Lucid Gravity that had caught fire after crashing into the Bedford Toll Plaza in New Hampshire.
“I am extraordinarily thankful to the heroic people that pulled me from the car and to the warm, kind and talented staff at the hospital that cared for me and got me on the mend!” Mirman wrote in the caption accompanying a photo of himself bandaged up and holding a piece of art that reads “Life is an Adventure.” “I am thankful beyond words to be here and doing relatively alright, all things considered.”
He also thanked everyone who had reached out with “well wishes, love and kind messages.” While Mirman appears a bit banged up in the photo, it did not keep him from including a dash of humor in his update.
“I don’t have my phone, so haven’t been online much,” his post continued. “I do not recommend my method of decreasing screen-time. If you’re a friend who sent a kind, loving message, you should know that it was hard to not respond with, ‘I’d love to be on your podcast.’ I love you all and please take care of yourselves.”
Among those who helped Mirman before first responders arrived were New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte and her security detail.
“I want to thank the Trooper on my security detail and the bystanders who stepped up to help at the scene of the crash for their brave lifesaving efforts today,” Ayotte wrote Tuesday in a post on X. “Joe and I are praying for the full recovery of the driver who was injured today.”
Mirman voices middle child Gene Belcher in Fox’s animated comedy “Bob’s Burgers,” which is currently in its 16th season.
After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president,” according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge.
The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn’t clear if Woods was referring to President Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods.
Shortly after the golfer’s March 27 arrest, Trump was asked about Woods and told reporters: “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump spoke to Woods after the crash.
The footage also shows how Woods appeared to be astonished as he was handcuffed after failing a sobriety test and a video from the back of the patrol car shows the handcuffed golfer hiccupping, yawning and repeatedly appearing to nod off during the 15-minute ride.
Woods told authorities he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. No one was injured.
“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods told an officer as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest.
In this image from police body camera video released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, golfer Tiger Woods performs a field sobriety test following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday.
(Associated Press)
Body camera footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar then conducting a roadside sobriety test and telling Woods: “I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI.”
“I’m being arrested?” Woods responded.
“Yes, sir,” Levenar said.
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and found two white pills.
“That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities would later confirm that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.
In the body camera footage, Woods told Levenar that he had not drunk any alcohol and that he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though Woods’ words are muted in the released video as he describes some of the drugs.
At the sheriff’s office complex, after Woods was escorted into the “DUI room” where drivers are tested for being under the influence, Woods said, “I’m not drunk. I’m on a prescription medication,” according to a supplemental sheriff’s office report released Thursday.
Woods, 50, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence. He posted a statement Tuesday night saying that he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health.”
Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense.
During the field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. Woods explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 surgeries on his right leg, and that his ankle seizes up while walking.
Tiger Woods is strapped into a police vehicle following a car crash in Jupiter Island, Fla., on Friday in image from video provided by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
(Associated Press)
Woods, who was hiccupping during questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to tell him several times to keep his head straight, according to an arrest report.
“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” Levenar wrote.
Woods is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.
His injuries have kept him from accomplishing more, including from a 2021 Los Angeles car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation. He has not played an official event since the 2024 British Open. He was recovering from a seventh back surgery in October and was trying to return at the Masters, where he is a five-time champion.
“Bob’s Burgers” voice actor and comedian Eugene Mirman was pulled from a fiery car crash and hospitalized with serious injuries.
Before noon on Tuesday, Mirman’s Lucid Gravity struck the Bedford Toll Plaza in New Hampshire as he was traveling northbound on the F.E. Everett Turnpike. Callers reporting the crash said the vehicle had caught fire and the driver appeared to be trapped inside. New Hampshire State Police said that while units were responding to the 911 calls, Gov. Kelly Ayotte and her security detail came upon the crash and stopped to help.
A trooper assigned to the governor’s detail and two others pulled Mirman from the burning car through a window before first responders arrived. Gov. Ayotte retrieved a fire extinguisher, according to State Police Col. Mark Hall.
“Certainly, their actions were heroic in what they did,” Hall said. “Without hesitation, they put themselves in danger to render aid to someone who was in need of it.”
The actor was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Videos of the incident show the vehicle badly damaged and engulfed in flames.
“Eugene was in a very scary car accident,” Mirman’s agent, Jay Glassner, confirmed in a statement Wednesday. “He wants to thank the bystanders, state police, first responders and hospital staff who saved him. He is grateful to be on the mend. At this time, we kindly ask for privacy for Eugene and his family as he focuses on recovering from his injuries.”
The crash remains under investigation.
The animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” which centers on a family that runs a restaurant, celebrated its 300th episode, titled “Grand Pre-Pre-Pre-Opening,” when the Fox favorite premiered its 16th season in the fall.
Often referred to as a “comfort show,” the series features Mirman as kid brother Gene Belcher.
“It’s just a mix of warmhearted and funny and sort of grounded,” the actor told The Times last year.
“There’s a sibling camaraderie that is really lovely,” Mirman continued. “It reminds me of the camaraderie on TV and movies in the ’80s. That era of the stuff I grew up watching.”
The Associated Press and Times staff writer Tracy Brown contributed to this report.
The PGA Tour also issued its first comment on Woods following the golfer’s statement.
“Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course,” it said.
“But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well‑being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step.”
The golf body’s CEO, Brian Rolapp, added: “Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known.
“Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry.
“My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”
Last week’s accident was the latest in a string of incidents that have littered Woods’ recent years.
His marriage ended – as did lucrative sponsorship deals – after he struck a fire hydrant, a tree and several hedges outside his home in a 2009 incident which sparked accusations of extramarital affairs.
Then in 2017 he was sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving. That came after police officers found Woods slumped at the wheel of his car near his home. A toxicology report found he had several legal medications in his system and marijuana’s active ingredient.
In 2021, Woods survived a serious accident which left him with extensive injuries. He has had multiple surgeries since, and played only a limited schedule.
Last week, he competed in the TGL indoor golf league – his first competitive golf for more than a year – following more back surgery and an Achilles injury.
Plea comes hours after sheriff’s report said the golfer showed signs of impairment at the scene of last week’s crash.
Published On 31 Mar 202631 Mar 2026
Golfer Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash last week.
The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed that Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month.
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Woods’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated, and he had opioid pills in his pocket when interviewed at the scene of the crash, according to the arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The golfer’s movements were slow and lethargic, and he was sweating as he talked to deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report. Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped a truck in front of him, the report said.
Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone, used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said.
When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, “I take a few.”
Woods’s agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.
The golfer was travelling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted that Woods had shown signs of impairment.
The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report.
The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, with the golfer needing to climb out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the truck driver was injured.
During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. The golfer explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 leg operations, and that his ankle seizes up while walking. Woods, who was hiccupping during the questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests, and deputies had to instruct him several times to keep his head straight, the report said.
“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods’ normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” the deputy wrote after the tests.
Woods, 50, is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognisable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.
But his injuries kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in a 2021 car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.
At this latest crash, Woods agreed to a breathalyser test, which showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.
No one from Woods’s camp or the PGA Tour – he is on the board and is the chairman of the committee reshaping the competition model – has commented since his arrest.
Woods, who has been involved in many crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He is scheduled for arraignment on April 23. Online court records do not list a lawyer for him.
Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test has become a misdemeanour, even for a first offence.
Tiger Woods failed field sobriety tests after crashing into another vehicle last week, and had bloodshot eyes and two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit released Tuesday.
Woods, 50, told investigators he did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed because he was looking at his cell phone and changing the radio station, the affidavit said. His Land Rover rolled onto its side after hitting a Ford-F150 pickup truck pulling a small trailer.
The prescription opioid pills were found during a search after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, causing property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Woods told deputies he had taken prescription medications earlier that day.
The accident and arrest occurred Friday afternoon near Woods’ home on Jupiter Island, Fla. Although Woods appeared impaired, he told deputies he had not consumed alcohol, which Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said was confirmed by a breathalyzer test.
“Our DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify the signs of impairment,” Budensiek said.
A Martin County Sheriff deputy noted that Woods had bloodshot and glassy eyes and extremely dilated pupils, according to the affidavit. Woods also was “sweating profusely” while performing field sobriety tests.
Asked if he had any medical conditions, the 82-time PGA Tour champion replied that he has had seven back surgeries and at least 20 leg operations. He was wearing a compression sleeve over his right knee.
“Woods’ movement was lethargic and slow,” sheriff’s deputy Tatiana Levenar wrote in the report. “While walking, I observed Woods limping and stumbling to the right.
“I asked Woods if he was able to perform tasks such as walking and lifting his leg. Woods advised he has a limp and his ankle seizes while walking.”
The affidavit also noted that “Woods had hiccups during the entire investigation.”
The crash is the fourth major incident involving Woods behind the wheel since 2009. When he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in May 2017, Woods was found to have five drugs in his system, including hydrocodone and Dilaudid. Woods checked into a rehab clinic shortly thereafter and completed treatment.
Around Thanksgiving 2009, a report that Woods had been in a car accident near his home erupted into a major scandal involving allegations of affairs. It resulted in Woods’ divorce from Elin Nordegren, the mother of his children.
In 2021, Woods was seriously injured in a rollover crash near Rancho Palos Verdes the morning after the Genesis Invitational, which he hosted at Riviera Country Club. He had to be extricated from the wreckage of the Genesis GV80 SUV he was driving
Woods underwent “a long surgical procedure” on his lower right leg and ankle, according to a statement he released. Doctors inserted a rod into his leg and placed screws into his foot and ankle.
Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing property damage following a rollover car crash Friday afternoon in Florida, authorities said.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said that Woods, 50, had tried to overtake another vehicle when his Land Rover clipped it. Woods climbed out of the passenger side of the car. He showed signs of impairment at the scene and was arrested, authorities said. Woods was driving alone, and neither he nor the driver of the other car were injured in the crash.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office released Tiger Woods’ booking photo on Friday night following the golfer’s arrest.
(Martin County Sheriff’s Office via Associated Press)
Woods’ talent agency, Excel Sports Management, did not respond to a request for comment.
A breathalyzer test showed he had no alcohol in his system, but he refused to do a urine test, Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said at a news conference around 5 p.m. local time.
The crash occurred around 1 p.m. local time, the department said in a Facebook post. The Jupiter Island Police Dept. was first to respond to the scene and found a pickup truck that had been pulling a pressure cleaner trailer and Woods’ Land Rover rolled over on the driver’s side door, Budensiek said. Officers talked to Woods and then asked the sheriff’s office for help.
The sheriff’s office determined that the pickup truck was slowing down to make a turn into a driveway off of a two-lane road with no shoulder when the driver looked in his mirror and saw the Land Rover approaching quickly from behind. The pickup driver tried to get out of the way of the approaching car. The Land Rover swerved at the last moment to avoid a crash, clipped the back end of the trailer, listed to the side and rolled onto the driver’s side door.
At the scene, Woods appeared lethargic, the sheriff’s office said, and was arrested following “in depth” roadside tests. The sheriff said he does not know exactly what Woods was intoxicated with, but concluded it was likely due to “some type of medication or drug.”
Because Woods refused to submit to a urinalysis, “we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash,” the sheriff said. No drugs or medications were found in Woods’ car.
In addition to DUI and property damage, Woods also was charged with refusal to submit to a lawful test, Budensiek said. All three charges are misdemeanors.
Under Florida law, Woods had to remain in Martin County jail for at least eight hours following the arrest.
Asked if Woods would get preferential treatment, Budensiek said the celebrity would not be with other inmates who could take advantage of his position. Otherwise, it would be just another case.
“We know we arrested a high-profile figure,” Budensiek said. “I’m not trying to dramatize, but it doesn’t matter who you are. If you break the law, we’re going to follow the law. That’s a really easy path to take.”
Around Thanksgiving 2009, a report that Woods had been in a car accident near his home erupted into a major scandal involving allegations of affairs with multiple women. It resulted in Woods’ divorce from Elin Nordegren, the mother of his children.
Assistant Editor Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this story.
Sheriff Budensiek told reporters at a news conference that the crash happened after Woods allegedly attempted to overtake a pressure cleaner truck at “a high rate of speed”.
DUI investigators came to the scene and “Mr Woods did exemplify signs of impairment”, the sheriff said.
“They did several tests on him,” Budensiek told reporters. “He did explain the injuries and surgeries that he’s had and we did take that into account, but they did some in-depth roadside tests.”
He was placed under arrest after the incident, which took place on Beach Road in Jupiter Island just before 14:00 local time on Friday (about 19:00 GMT).
The sheriff explained that investigators at the scene and jail were “really not suspicious of alcohol being involved” and Woods ultimately passed a breathalyser test with “triple zeros”. But, he added, Woods then refused a urine test.
Budensiek also said Woods had been “co-operative but was trying not to incriminate himself”.
“He has a right to refuse that test,” added the sheriff. “There is a statute which he will be charged with for refusing to take that test, but we will never get definitive results as to what he was impaired on at the time of the crash.”
US president Donald Trump was asked about the crash on Friday, saying: “I feel so badly. [Woods has] got some difficulty. There was an accident. That’s all I know.
“He’s a very close friend of mine, he’s an amazing person, an amazing man.”
Sheriff Budensiek said Woods would remain in jail for eight hours then be released on bond. The charges are misdemeanours, not felonies.
The BBC has contacted the golfer’s representatives for comment.
She has stopped taking painkillers but is still exhausted.
She is back home in Park City, Utah, but spends nearly all of her time in rehab.
She is 41 and has won four overall World Cup championships, with 84 World Cup wins and three Olympic medals, including gold in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
“I don’t like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what’s going to happen,” said Vonn, who appears on the magazine’s cover in a long, black dress with a split that shows her left leg — bandages and all.
“I have no idea what my life will be like in two years or three years or four years. I could have two kids by then. I could have no kids and want to race again. I could live in Europe. I could be doing anything.”
She added: “It’s hard to tell with this injury. It’s so [messed] up.”
Vonn, who returned to racing in late 2024 after nearly six years away from the sport, had two victories and three other podium finishes in her five World Cup races during the most recent season. In December, Vonn announced she would be competing in her “5th and final Olympics!”
“I wanted to win the Olympics, and I wanted to win the downhill title, and I was on track to do both of those things,” Vonn told Vanity Fair.
On Jan. 30, Vonn suffered a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, with meniscus and bone damage, when she crashed during a downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
She decided to compete at the Olympics anyway and had a couple of successful training runs leading up to the Feb. 8 downhill competition.
“I was in the exact mental state that I wanted to be in,” Vonn said. “I was ready to go.”
Unfortunately, her race didn’t last long. Vonn lost control on the first jump, spun sideways in the air, slammed to the ground and needed to be airlifted from the course. Vonn and other skiing experts have said that the ruptured ACL likely had nothing to do with her crash at the Olympics.
Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture and other major damage. It contributed to a condition called compartment syndrome, which involves excessive pressure building up inside a muscle and possibly can lead to permanent injury or amputation.
Five surgeries later, Vonn is on the road to recovery. She has posted several photos and videos on Instagram as she amps up her fitness routine again. In a March 15 post on X, Vonn wrote that she’s not ready to discuss her skiing future.
“My focus has been on recovering from my injury and getting back to normal life,” she wrote, adding, “I’ll let you know when I decide.”
Vonn did tell Vanity Fair that she’s not crazy about the idea of the catastrophe at the Winter Games being the public’s last impression of her as a skier.
“I don’t want people to hang on this crash and be remembered for that. What I did before the Olympics has never been done before. I was number one in the standings. No one remembers that I was winning.”
In the aftermath of the collision of Air Canada flight AC8646 with a fire truck in New York, US transportation chief Sean Duffy emphasized that seat belts helped save lives
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. — President Trump is set to pay his respects on Wednesday at a Delaware military base when the remains of six U.S. service members killed in the crash of a refueling aircraft are returned to their families.
It will be the second time since launching the war with Iran on Feb. 28 that the Republican president will attend the solemn military ritual known as a dignified transfer, which he once described as the “toughest thing” he has had to do as commander in chief.
All six crew members of a KC-135 Air Force refueling aircraft were killed last week in a plane crash over friendly territory in western Iraq while supporting operations against Iran. They were from Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington state.
“Every person on that aircraft carried a weight most Americans will never see, and they carried it with professionalism, courage, and a level of quiet excellence that deserves to be recognized,” retired Lt. Col Ernesto Nisperos, a friend of one of those killed, said in a text message Wednesday.
The crash brought the U.S. death toll in Operation Epic Fury to at least 13 service members. About 200 U.S. service members have been injured, including 10 severely, the Pentagon has said.
Trump last traveled to Dover Air Force Base on March 7 for the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members who were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait. He saluted as flag-draped transfer cases containing the remains of the fallen service members were carried from military aircraft to vehicles waiting to take them to the base’s mortuary facility to prepare them for their final resting place.
“It’s the bad part of war,” he told reporters afterward. Asked then if he worried about having to make multiple trips to the base for additional dignified transfers as the war continued, he said, “I’m sure. I hate to do it, but it’s a part of war, isn’t it?”
U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said that the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace” over Iraq but that the loss of the aircraft during a combat mission was “not due to hostile or friendly fire.” The circumstances were under investigation. The other plane landed safely.
The crash killed three people assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida: Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, who served in Birmingham, Ala.; Capt. Ariana Linse Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky.
Klinner, who left behind a wife, a 2-year-old son and 7-month-old twins, was known for his steady command and goofy nature, as well as a willingness to help others. Pruitt’s husband described her as a “radiant” woman who lit up the room. Savino was a friend, mentee and “source of positive energy” who was proud of her Puerto Rican heritage and inspired young Latinas, said Nisperos, who is serving as spokesman for her family.
“She had had this warmth that made you feel seen, a strength that showed up in everything she touched, and a spark — that spice — that made her unforgettable,” Nisperos said. “If you knew her, even for a moment, you knew you were in the presence of someone who was going to change the world.”
The three others were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio: Capt. Seth Koval, 38, a resident of Stoutsville, Ohio, who was from Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, who lived in Columbus; and Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus.
Koval grew up dreaming of becoming a pilot, according to his wife, who described him as a loving, generous “fixer of all things.” Angst’s family said his life was defined by service, generosity and “a genuine love for people.” Simmons loved confiding in his 85-year-old grandmother and working out with her, Sen. Jon Husted said Tuesday, when he and Sen. Bernie Moreno honored the Ohio airmen on the Senate floor.
“To the mom and dad of these three young soldiers, I can’t even process what you’re going through. I can’t even imagine the emotions that you’re feeling,” Moreno said. “Just know that America is grateful beyond words for the sacrifice that your heroic young sons made.”
Superville writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Holly Ramer in Concord, N.H., and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.