Security & Safety Briefs - Nov. 18 - Nov. 24
The Latest Headlines:
- Fatal Crashes Caused by Animals on the Rise
- Woman Pleads Guilty in Deadly Smuggling Case
- Government to Increase Safety Checks on Union Pacific
- Woman Pleads Guilty in Deadly Smuggling Case
Fatal Crashes Caused by Animals on the Rise
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found a record 210 motorists were killed in collisions with animals in 2003, more than 40 from a year earlier.About 75% of the fatal collisions involved deer, the group said in a release. There were a total of 1.5 million deer crashes in 2003, injuring 13,713 people and causing $1.1 billion in vehicle damage, according to the study.
In addition, the study said accidents were most likely to occur in November because hunters were out and deer were in the middle of their mating season.
Woman Pleads Guilty in Deadly Smuggling Case
A woman became the fifth person to plead guilty to participating in a smuggling operation in which 19 illegal immigrants died inside a trailer in May 2003, the Associated Press re-ported.Norma Gonzalez Sanchez pleaded guilty to harboring and transporting illegal immigrants into the United States and causing serious injury or death to a person as a result.
Prosecutors said Sanchez was a member of the smuggling operation that tried to transport a group of more than 70 immigrants from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston last May. However, after the immigrants began succumbing to the heat, they were abandoned at a truck stop. Seventeen were found dead at the scene and two died later.
Sasnchez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 14 and faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Transport Topics
Government to Increase Safety Checks on Union Pacific
The Federal Railway Administration said it had signed a "compliance agreement" with freight railroad Union Pacific that would result in tougher safety enforcement, the New York Times reported.The agency said UP promised to repair "notable deficiencies" that regulators found when they inspected its operation in southern Texas.
In addition, the agency planned to send 10 additional inspectors to Texas and New Mexico, and require managers to have added safety training, the Times said. Several crashes and derailments in the region killed seven people over the last year.
Union Pacific said in a statement that it was fully cooperating and had begun repairing problems. Transport Topics
