Death toll rises in Nevada truck-train crash

Authorities say a tractor-trailer slammed into an Amtrak passenger train in Nevada on June 24.NEW: Sheriff's office: "No names are being released pending positive identification"Federal investigators try to rectify passenger manifest with number on the trainAuthorities say the truck skidded more than 300 feet before hitting the trainAmateur video paints a chaotic scene following the crashRead more about this story from CNN affiliate KOLO.

(CNN) -- Six people were killed when a tractor-trailer truck slammed into a Chicago-to-California Amtrak passenger train at a railroad crossing east of Reno, Nevada, authorities said late Saturday.

The death toll was released just as federal authorities said they were trying to account for passengers missing from the passenger train that was struck Friday at a railroad crossing near Lovelock, Nevada.

"No names are being released pending positive identification and notification of families," the Churchill County, Nevada, sheriff's department said in a written statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating, is trying to account for passengers listed on the manifest but not located after the crash, Earl Weener of the NTSB told reporters during a news conference late Saturday night in Sparks, Nevada.

In some cases, it is believed people got off the train earlier or bought a ticket but did not take the train, he said.

"There are a number of reasons that the manifest and that number don't jibe," Weener said.

The 10-car train, which was on its way to Emeryville, California, was carrying 204 passengers and 14 crew members, Amtrak said in a statement released Friday.

It was not immediately clear how many people were injured. Amtrak said that numerous people aboard the train had been taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Amateur video taken after the crash showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the train as a fire burned. Passengers and crew members stood outside.

One voice on the video can be heard telling people to get away from the smoke. Another tells a woman, out of view, to "hang and jump." A third voice asks someone, "Are you OK?"

"Next thing I know, we get hit by something. A big ball of fire comes in. I jumped out the window," passenger Justin Rhine told CNN affiliate KOLO-TV in Reno. "I saw people flying on the other side of the train."

Skid marks show the driver of the truck slammed on his brakes, sliding more than 300 feet before hitting the train, sparking a fire, Weener said. The fire burned the truck and two train cars, he said.

The initial investigation found the signal light and crossing guard arms were working, and that there was good visibility of the train tracks from the road, he said.

The truck was the lead in a three-truck convoy as it approached the train tracks, Weener said.

The two following saw the train signal and slowed to stop, "waiting for him to come to stop," he said.

Though the driver of the truck has not been identified, Weener said the truck belonged to John Davies Trucking of Battle Mountain, Nevada.

The trucking company, which advertises itself as family-owned business that hauls concrete, did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

CNN

2 dead in Nevada truck-train collision

At least two people are dead after a collision involving a train and tractor-trailer in Nevada on Friday.NEW: Nevada Highway Patrol confirms two deaths in truck-train crashNEW: The accident scene is shut down for federal accident investigatorsThe crash involved a Chicago-to-California Amtrak passenger train

(CNN) -- The site of a deadly truck-train collision east of Reno, Nevada, remained shut down Saturday as federal accident investigators examined the scene, a state trooper said.

Two people died in the accident Friday morning, Trooper Dan Lopez of the Nevada Highway Patrol confirmed Saturday.

It was unclear how many people were injured when a tractor-trailer slammed into a Chicago-to-California Amtrak passenger train at a railroad crossing near Lovelock, Nevada.

Amtrak said Friday that numerous people aboard the train had been transported to hospitals for treatment.

The truck struck the train, which was on its way to Emeryville, California, at 11:20 a.m., Amtrak said in a written statement. The train was carrying 204 passengers and 14 crew members, according to the statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched investigators within hours of the accident, the agency said.

Amateur video taken after the crash showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the train as a fire burned.

CNN

Woman found in Nevada wilderness moved to Canadian hospital

Rita Chretien was rescued last week after being stranded for 49 days. Authorities are still searching for husband Albert.Rita and her husband Albert Chretien got lost in the Nevada wilderness March 19
She was found on Friday, 49 days later
Her husband is still missing

(CNN) -- The Canadian woman who was rescued last week after being stranded and alone for 49 days in a Nevada wilderness has transferred from an Idaho hospital to one in her home country, a hospital statement said early Wednesday.

Rita Chretien, 56, was transported Tuesday afternoon from St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls to a British Columbia hospital, according to the medical center. She was upgraded to good from fair condition earlier in the day.

"She is enjoying solid foods and had a dinner of salmon, rice and green beans last night," a hospital statement said Tuesday. "This morning she had a breakfast burrito with homemade salsa. A 'bowl of soul' coffee was brought to her from a local coffee house. It included a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and a dollop of whipped cream, which Rita said was delicious."

Doctors said the indicators of her recovery are "very good," the statement said.

Meanwhile, authorities are still searching for her husband, Raymond, who left his wife in their van on March 22 so that he could find help.

Scores of men and women had searched for the Chretiens since the Penticton, British Columbia, residents were last seen March 19 leaving a Shell gas station convenience store in Baker City, Oregon.

On Friday, more than a month later, hunters wandered into the area where the van was sitting.

Rita Chretien shot up from her spot in the 2000 Chevrolet Astro's back seat when she heard them outside, mustered strength to open the door and stepped out shoeless. She waved.

While the odds are dwindling that Albert Chretien will be found alive, authorities haven't ruled it out.

Rita Chretien lived off the little food she had -- beef jerky, some trail mix, fish oil pills and one piece of hard candy per day. She went outside for a walk once a day, using the sunlight to melt snow for drinking water and going to a nearby stream.

She read a few books (some several times) and the Bible and recorded her thoughts in a journal.

The Chretiens were en route to a trade show convention in Las Vegas when they turned off the highway onto a forest service road that led into Nevada, intending to enjoy the "scenic route," her son said, who'd heard the full story from his weakened mother.

The couple took some wrong turns and had thought, based on their map, that their road was better than it was. Pictures released by the sheriff's department show the van in an extremely remote area with no visible roads.

The van was stuck in caked mud, with a shovel pictured near the back of the van, indicating that someone had been trying to free the vehicle from the mud.

CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this story.

CNN

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Embattled Nevada senator plans to resign

John Ensign: "I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation." STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe Nevada senator is the focus of a Senate ethics investigationEnsign previously had said he would not run for re-election next yearTwo Nevada Congress members announced previously they will run for Ensign's seat Washington (CNN) -- Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who is under an ethics investigation by the Senate, announced Thursday that he will resign his seat on May 3.

Ensign had previously said he would not run for re-election in 2012 following revelations that he had an affair with a female aide who was the wife of another top aide, and that his parents subsequently gave money to the aides' family.

"While I stand behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule, or standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn out proceedings, or especially public hearings," Ensign said in the statement. "For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great."

Ensign: There are consequences for sin

Ensign has admitted to having an affair with Cindy Hampton, a campaign aide and the wife of Ensign's former chief of staff, Doug Hampton. Investigators are looking into efforts by Ensign to assist the Hampton family by providing a nearly $100,000 payment to them, arranging lobbying work for Doug Hampton, and possibly meeting with Doug Hampton on a lobbying matter in violation of Senate rules.

View the Original article

ACORN Pleads Guilty to Voter Registration Fraud in Nevada

AP

ACORN Logo

The defunct political advocacy group ACORN has pleaded guilty to one count of an election law violation in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ACORN attorney Lisa Rasmussen told Fox News that a plea agreement was worked out with the state attorney general. The violation was for unlawfully providing compensation for registering voters based on the total number of people registered. Sentencing for the organization is set for Aug. 10, and the potential fine is a maximum of $5,000.

ACORN itself was named as a criminal defendant in the case for allegedly running an illegal voter registration scheme called "21," or "Blackjack," which paid ACORN workersarned bonuses based on the number of voters they registered in Nevada during the 2008 election. 

This is the only case in the country in which ACORN itself was named as a felony defendant. The organization, a one-time community-based activist group, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after dozens of its workers allegedly committed voter fraud in cases that led to numerous convictions. 

The deputy regional director of ACORN, Amy Busefink, was sentenced to a year of probation in January after she pleaded the equivalent of a no-contest to two misdemeanor counts of conspiracy in relation to the voter registration payment plan.

ACORN field director Christopher Edwards copped a plea with prosecutors and agreed to testify against Busefink and ACORN.

The original complaint filed in May of 2009, included 26 counts of compensation for registration of voters, a felony At the time Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, said at the time that "we would be aggressive in our pursuit and prosecution of any fraudulent activity that might threaten the integrity of the election process."

Among the fake names proseuctors said that were filed by ACORN were Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo, along with other members of the team.

ACORN has long faced criticism after dozens of its workers allegedly committed voter registration fraud during the 2008 election. The group dissolved amid falling revenues last year after conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute caught some of its workers offering tax advice to them.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article