Autoblog

Dash cam captures MD trooper clipped by semi truck

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Videos, Police/Emergency

Most states have some sort of "Move Over" law requiring drivers to change lanes or slow down when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road, and the reason for these laws is to prevent what happened to Maryland state trooper David Avila. He had just pulled over a Hyundai Santa Fe when a semi truck veered onto the shoulder, hit the parked police car and clipped Avila, who was standing next to the pulled-over vehicle.

The incident happened on June 14, and it was all captured on the cruiser's dash camera. After being hit by the truck, Avila staggered over to the guard rail before collapsing. There is no audio in the YouTube video, but you can hear what happened in the video on the Today Show by scrolling down. Just seconds before he was hit, you can hear the truck running over the rumble strips, and even after he was injured, Avila remained aware of the situation by telling the motorist to remain in his vehicle. He had injuries to his shoulder, back and leg, and the patrolman remains in physical therapy.

On top of the failure of the semi truck to move over, the motorist in the Hyundai also stopped on a part of the shoulder that was very narrow, making the situation even more dangerous for Avila. As for the truck driver, he has been identified as William Riegel, Jr. of Pennsylvania. Riegel was subsequently fined $100 for negligent driving and failing to obey the move over law.

Scroll down to watch the video and the news report of the incident. Warning: the video is a bit graphic, as it shows the trooper being clipped by the truck.

Continue reading Dash cam captures MD trooper clipped by semi truck

Dash cam captures MD trooper clipped by semi truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABC: Thousands of rejected/condemned gas pumps in use, could cost you $$$

Chris Shunk — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Videos

Most of us likely assume that the gas pump that is providing petrol is giving you the fuel that you pay for - no more or less. While that may be true in most cases, ABC News in Baltimore, Maryland proves that sometimes pumps do bad things to good people.

The report details Maryland state gas station inspections that have revealed over 4,000 defective pumps over the last four years. In all, that's between five and six percent of the 40,000 gas pumps in Maryland, or way too many error-prone pumps for our tastes.

While our primary concern is that customers aren't getting what they pay for, it seems the gas station owners are more likely to get the short end of the stick. The report claims that station owners are three times more likely to lose money than the customer. Scroll down to watch the ABC News report.

Continue reading ABC: Thousands of rejected/condemned gas pumps in use, could cost you $$$

ABC: Thousands of rejected/condemned gas pumps in use, could cost you $$$ originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep driver with homemade turret intended to shoot protest fireworks on National Mall

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Safety, Videos, Jeep

It's not the Call of Duty Jeep, but Glenn Neff and his Jeep Grand Cherokee were captured in Maryland ready for battle. Police found the Jeep outfitted with a homemade turret and awful lot of fireworks. Neff's apparent plan? To launch a fireworks barrage upon the National Mall to bring attention to issues he has with the banking industry.

Makes perfect sense to us, too.

Thankfully, the 27-year-old would-be pyrotechnics wizard was spotted by police in the Cabin John Regional Park located in Bethesda, Maryland. Officers spotted Neff's red Jeep in an isolated area of the park after it was closed. The SUV was loaded with fireworks, the aforementioned turret and a handful of PVC tubes with which to launch the colorful artillery.

Glenn Neff has been taken into custody and charged with three felonies related to the fireworks and his plan to assault the National Mall. Not surprisingly, Neff was also charged with possession of drugs, and all of the charges against him add up to a bond set at $2 million.

Internally, we're currently investigating the garage of our own John Neff (no relation) to make sure his sparklers and roman candles aren't being used for nefarious plots designed to bring attention to his own gripes with the banking industry.

We'll get back to you on that front, but for now, click past the jump to watch local news coverage what went down in Bethesda.

Continue reading Jeep driver with homemade turret intended to shoot protest fireworks on National Mall

Jeep driver with homemade turret intended to shoot protest fireworks on National Mall originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Motorcyclist wins taping case against Maryland state police

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Motorcycle

Anthony Graber meets the Maryland State Police - Click above to watch video after the jump

Score one for the good guys. Not that we think police in general are bad guys or anything, but after watching this video of a Maryland state trooper jumping out of his unmarked car in plain clothes while brandishing a gun, we're not exactly keen to put him in the good guy category, either.

In any case, Anthony Graber, a man who was out shooting video of his (not exactly completely legal) motorcycling exploits when he was confronted by the aforementioned officer, was charged with felony wiretapping for recording the state trooper's actions when being pulled over.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Judge Emory A. Pitt Jr. has thrown out the wiretapping charge, leaving Graber only to answer for his traffic violations. Why? Common sense, it would seem, has prevailed. The judge ruled that police officers shouldn't have an expectation of privacy when engaged in a traffic stop. He said, in part:

Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public. When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation.

Reacquaint yourself with the completely legal video after the break. Hat tips to Jason and Tom!

[Sources: Baltimore Sun, Slashdot]

Continue reading Followup: Motorcyclist wins taping case against Maryland state police

Followup: Motorcyclist wins taping case against Maryland state police originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Serial drunk driver hits judge who let him off 11 years earlier

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

Back in 1998, Rene Fernandez received two DUIs in a span of three months. The first judge sentenced him to probation, the second judge, Edwin Collier, sentenced him to 60 days in jail but suspended the sentence. Last August, the now 45-year-old Fernandez was inebriated at more than twice the legal limit, got into his Chevrolet Tahoe and started driving, ultimately plowing into a Honda Accord in the oncoming lane.

That Accord was driven by 85-year-old retired Judge Edwin Collier, who had his wife, 81-year-old Ellen Collier in the passenger seat. Yes, it was an accident involving the same Fernandez and the same Judge Collier from 1998. Fernandez is now looking at an 18-month stint in a Montgomery County, Maryland prison for the DUI and the life-threatening injuries he caused to the Colliers.

[Source: Business Gazette | Image: Getty]

Report: Serial drunk driver hits judge who let him off 11 years earlier originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Plans under way for harborfront IndyCar Grand Prix in Baltimore

Noah Joseph — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Racing fans looking for that Monaco or Long Beach-style harbor-front open-wheel racing experience on the East Coast of the United States will be pleased to learn that plans are under way to bring an IndyCar street race to Baltimore's picturesque Inner Harbor. The plan, still being assessed by local officials, would involve a four-day event at the end of the summer (book-ending the season started by the Indy 500) for at least five years starting in 2011.

Baltimore Racing Development is bringing in consultants, including two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., to evaluate the prospect, which would be based around a track running through downtown Baltimore, past Camden Yards and Oriole Park, along the Inner Harbor by the National Aquarium and past the Maryland Science Center. Organizers are looking at Indy races in St. Petersburg, Toronto and Long Beach as their model, projecting some $100 million in tourism revenue from 150,000 visitors during an four-day event that would eclipse the Preakness Stakes horse race as the biggest racing event in the area. Thanks to hoov23 for the tip!

[Source: The Baltimore Sun | Image: Stephen Munday/ALLSPORT/Getty]

REPORT: Plans under way for harborfront IndyCar Grand Prix in Baltimore originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Humor

Teens are known for having a lot of time, some seriously outrageous ideas for filling that time, and a slightly obsessive need for revenge. Add a few residential speed cameras into that mix, and what you have is a creative perversion of the entire speed camera system. Teens in Maryland have evidently been printing out the license plates numbers of rival teens, putting them on their own cars, and then purposely blasting by speed cameras posted in residential neighborhoods. The rival teen -- or his parents -- then gets a $40 citation in the mail.

The police say they haven't heard anything about it, and the local government doesn't sound like it has come up with any way to prevent or limit the habit. Which means that teens will be teens, and parents will be left to complain about it and fight the citations in court. Said one parent, "I hope the public at large will complain loudly enough that local Montgomery County government officials will change their policy of using these cameras for monetary gain. The practice of sending speeding tickets to faceless recipients without any type of verification is unwarranted and an exploitation of our rights." Oh, these kids today...

[Source: The Sentinel]

Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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