surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Van crash......
Report on news this AM that a van carring 10 passengers has crashed in mountains in L.A.....going to or from JPL.....I believe some NOMADS work
there...any further news?......
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synch
Nomad
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Registered: 9-14-2004
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Mood: wandering...
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From LATIMES.com
LA Times headline article
Commuter Van Over the Side in Angeles Forest
A commuter van carrying employees from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory plunged down a steep mountain ravine in the Angeles Forest above La Canada this
morning, killing at least three people and leaving several others trapped in the vehicle, authorities said.
The white van was reportedly carrying 11 people when it drove off Angeles Forest Highway near Angeles Crest Highway about 6:30 a.m. and tumbled down a
hillside, according to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Ron Haralson. The injured were being airlifted to nearby hospitals, he said.
Television reports showed rescue workers pulling victims from the crushed vehicle and strapping them into stretchers; others were lifted directly into
helicopters that hovered above the fog shrouded hillsides.
One person apparently managed to crawl up the mountainside to flag down help, according to Associated Press.
"It's a delicate and time consuming operation," Haralson said.
JPL officials would only say that one of their vehicles had been involved in an accident and security personnel were en route.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
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Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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There has been no institutional news at JPL about this disaster. I know we'll be informed as soon as the security folks have information. When I
hear anything I'll post it here. Thanks for caring.
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Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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The van was from coming from Palmdale to JPL and left the Angeles Forest highway just before the Angeles Crest junction. Of the 10 passengers, 3 and
dead, 5 seriously injured and presently in local hospitals. No names yet released.
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Taco de Baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1913
Registered: 4-14-2004
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,140885,00.html
| Quote: | LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE ? A commuter van from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (search) tumbled 200 feet off a twisting mountain road Wednesday, killing
three people and injuring seven, at least four of them seriously, authorities said.
The van was carrying 10 people to work at the laboratory when it plunged off the Angeles Crest Highway (search) in the Angeles National Forest
(search) at about 6:30 a.m. and rolled down the mountainside, Los Angeles County Fire Department inspector Ron Haralson said.
"One person was able to get out of the van and make his way up to the road" to get help, Haralson said.
The van was carrying six employees of the lab in Pasadena, two contractors and two NASA employees, said Blaine Baggett, a JPL spokesman. Their names
were not immediately released.
"It's a very, very sad day for all of us at JPL," Baggett said, adding that employees will be offered grief counseling.
Three people were pronounced dead at the scene. One person was flung from the van. Others lay trapped in the battered white van in the middle of a
dense forest until firefighters arrived.
Firefighters tore off the doors to reach victims, who were taken by helicopter to hospitals.
Of the survivors, one person was in critical condition, three were in serious condition, two had minor injuries and one person was still being
evaluated, Haralson said.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Clouds and fog shrouded the site, at an altitude of about 1,500 feet. Snow dotted flanks of the
mountain, but the road itself was clear.
Hundreds of cars a day travel the highway, a twisting, two-lane blacktop with steep drops. Commuters living in the Antelope Valley (search) area
northeast of Los Angeles use it as a shortcut to reach a freeway in Pasadena.
JPL is the control center for several NASA projects, including the Mars rovers.
About 450 of the 5,500 people who work there participate in its vanpool program, which involves about 30 vans, Baggett said.
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A-OK
Nomad
Posts: 162
Registered: 9-11-2004
Location: San Diego
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That is horrible news. My prayers go out to the injured and families of the lost ones.
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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It's out to all the news media now and available on all the networks. They swamped the lab from early this morning through this evening.
Very sad story. Three dead, five others with serious injuries, three critical. WAY sad when this happens to so many at once. I heard a report from
a driver that was directly behind the van that there was no apparent reason they left the pavement. It's a sad time of year for this, not that there
is any good time. We should all be extra careful. If this loss of life causes more attention to driving...maybe it's not completely in vain.
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woody with a view
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to all nomads:
many of us will be hitting the road in the next week or two and i'd just like to wish everyone a safe and secure trip. i hope all will return with
nothing worse than tales of too much cerveza and fire water.
be good and look out for one another!
p.s. just saw a news clip of the accident and i'd say the survivors were extremely fortunate to have survived. that looked like a hellatious
scene...
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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While this is not a Baja issue, it is close to me and a great collection of folks, many of whom love and join in with Baja California explorations.
So many of us are into discovering remote places. There are few folks, in my experience, that need that. There is a great connection between the
exploration of deep space (JPL's charter in abstract) and the exploration of our solar system and beyond...Our Universe.
In part of my world, Baja is my universe. Like others of us I want more time to explore. We are all explorers in some way.
Thank you for caring about a moment that has nothing directly to do with Baja but involves fallen comrades.
We can all support them by...Exploring!
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Mexray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1016
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: California Delta
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Mike,
You were in our thoughts, the moment we heard of this terrible disaster involving your 'comrades in arms' from JPL...our prayers go with them tonight,
and in a selfish sort of way, thankful you weren't involved...all the best, amigo.
According to my clock...anytime is \'BAJA TIME\' & as Jimmy Buffett says,
\"It doesn\'t use numbers or moving hands It always just says now...\"
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Elena La Loca
Nomad
Posts: 143
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
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Double Ditto on that.
Tell MA hello for us. Glad to know you're safe, amigo.
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