Dad Disabled Airbags Before Fatal Crash

"CASTAIC, CA — The theory that a Lancaster man deliberately killed himself and his two children by slamming his car into a parked truck on Interstate 5 was bolstered by the discovery of airbag sensors apparently removed from the vehicle, a homicide detective said Wednesday.

"Alan Dean Edwards, 46, and his two children—Erick Dean Edwards, 8, and Alona Marie Edwards, 5—were killed instantly early Monday when the car driven by Edwards rammed into a semi-truck and trailer parked legally off the I-5 north of Castaic, according to the county coroner.

"When asked Wednesday if the crash was a murder/suicide, sheriff’s homicide Lt. Eddie Hernandez replied, `It’s starting to look that way.`

"Detectives searched the Edwards home Tuesday and found two airbag sensors left in `a conspicuous place,` suggesting the devices that trigger the release of life-saving airbags had been deliberately removed from the 1997 Honda Accord Alan Edwards was driving.

"`It was kind of like a statement,` Hernandez said of the placement of the relay sensors.

"The crash occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Monday on the southbound side of the I-5 at the Whittaker Brake Check, an area where truckers can pull out of lanes to check their brakes before a five-mile downgrade.

"The Yuba City driver of a 2006 Freightliner and utility semi-trailer was parked legally in the brake check area and taking a nap when Edwards’ white Honda slammed into the back of his trailer, shearing off the top of the car. The truck driver was not injured.

"Investigators with both the CHP and the coroner’s department concluded the crash was deliberate and that Edwards purposely drove around obstacles in his path before the collision, Hernandez said Tuesday."

From signalscv.com...

Murder Suspect Slams SUV Into Concrete Wall

"ANAHEIM, CA — A man died in a fiery crash next to the 91 Freeway in Anaheim following a police chase Monday night, and authorities believe he is the suspect in a homicide investigation in Tustin.

"According to Lt. Jeff Hallock with the Orange County Sheriff's Department, deputies were called to a home on 18411 Warren Avenue between Newport and Holt avenues in Tustin for unknown trouble around 7 p.m.

"When they arrived, they found a woman, identified as 55-year-old Lahoma Ballester, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died.

"Hallock said investigators then learned about a white SUV believed to be related to the incident, and the information was provided to neighboring law enforcement agencies in the county.

"Santa Ana police found a vehicle matching the description and tried to make a traffic stop, but the driver kept going and a short pursuit ensued, Hallock said. The male driver was killed when he slammed the SUV into a sound wall at Rio Vista and Frontera streets in Anaheim.

"Investigators say they believe the collision with the wall was intentional because the driver accelerated and failed to brake right before impact.

"The coroner has not identified the driver, but authorities believe he is the suspect in Ballester's murder. According to investigators, the suspect and victim knew each other. They say the suspect has a child with the victim's daughter."

From abc7.com...

Car Chase, Crash Ends In Gunfire

"LOUISVILLE, KY — A Louisville couple is dead after what police say was a murder/suicide Monday night.

"Police say Anthony Puryear, 39, shot his wife, Shannon Puryear, 37, then killed himself outside a body shop in the 1700 block of Lincoln Avenue, just off Poplar Level Road.

"Police are still attempting to determine a motive and what led up to this shooting.

"They said the Puryears were in the process of getting a divorce and officers had never made any runs to their Louisville home.

"Police said, from what they can determine so far, the incident began with an altercation on the Watterson Expressway.

"Witnesses told police that it was obvious Anthony Puryear in his car was trying to get his wife to pull over her SUV.

"Instead she got off the Watterson Expressway at Poplar Level Road, followed by her husband’s car, police said.

"According to witnesses, she appeared to lose control and crashed into the garage of a nearby body shop.

"Police said Anthony Puryear got out of the car, shot Shannon Puryear, then turned the gun on himself.

"`From what I've been able to see this morning, there's no history of domestic violence. Neither of them had a criminal history. He's an active member of the Army. So there was nothing we saw that would indicate an incident like this happening,` said Louisville Metro Police Department Homicide Unit Lt. Todd Kessinger.

"Family members said the couple have two young daughters."

From WLKY.com...

Occupants Of Crashed Car Found Shot To Death

"GLENDALE, AZ — Two people are dead and Glendale police are trying to solve a mystery after a crash near the Loop 101.

"Glendale police say that around 7:30 Saturday night, an off-duty firefighter saw a car veer off the road and crash right in front of him near 59th Avenue and the North Valley Loop 101.

"When the firefighter got to the car, which Glendale Fire Department says had run into a ditch, he found a man and a woman dead inside with the car still running.

"The woman, a passenger in the car, had been shot in the face, according to a Glendale Fire official who said the driver had also been shot.

"Both occupants were confirmed dead at the scene.

"A steady rain hindered the search for clues though and right now police have few leads.

"Glendale Fire Department says it appears to be a murder/suicide, but the investigation is ongoing.

"The name of the man and woman have not yet been released."

From abc15.com...

World's Worst Driver Goes On Rampage, Commits Suicide

"CARTERSVILLE, GA — Northwest Georgia authorities are investigating a violent rampage that left two people dead and three wounded.

"They say a gunman shot multiple victims at one house, crashed a car into another house, shot the occupant, committed a carjacking, crashed the vehicle and shot himself in the head.

"Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap says three people were shot at a house in Cartersville and one was pronounced dead on the scene. Millsap says the gunman fled and crashed a car into a house where he kicked in the door in and shot an occupant in the hand.

"Millsap says the shooter then carjacked an elderly man and his grandson and crashed their vehicle into a truck. Millsap says the impact caused a fire and the gunman shot himself in the head."

From kolotv.com...

Car Crash Results From Botched Murder/Suicide

"LODI, CA — The San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office has released the name of a woman who was pronounced dead at the scene of a single car collision on Thursday afternoon, on East Kettleman Lane, between Locust Tree and Tretheway roads.

"The 23-year-old woman, identified as Ying Ka Lor of Fresno, was found dead in the vehicle from a gunshot wound on Wednesday afternoon.

"The man in the vehicle, who has not yet been identified, was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound.

"San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office investigators are treating the case as a murder/attempted suicide.

"The investigation is ongoing."

From target="_blank"lodinews.com...

Suspected Killer Shoots Himself After Police Chase, Crash

"KNOX, IN — Police and prosecutors in Starke County are awaiting the results of an autopsy on a Portage woman before charging anyone in her death last week.

"Kimberly Chavez, 50, was found dead Friday in her estranged husband’s home in the 8000 block of South U.S. 35 in Knox.

"Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff said he hopes to announce charges against Gary Chavez, whom he referred to as `our suspect.` Chavez, 57, has been charged with carjacking for allegedly stealing two vehicles in the county prior to a lengthy police chase through two counties Friday.

"Chavez also stole a pickup truck in Hebron, about 30 miles west of Knox, and then led police on a high-speed chase that ended when he lost control of the truck while trying to get on Interstate 65 from the 109th Avenue exit ramp, authorities said.

"They said that as officers approached the truck, Chavez shot himself in the head. He remained in critical condition Monday at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill.

"Kenny Pfost, chief of detectives for Starke County sheriff’s police, said Monday afternoon that police would not have more information to release until the autopsy is completed."

Read more at nwitimes.com...

Deadly December Crash Was Botched Suicide Bid

"LEBANON, NH — A former Fortune 500 executive was arraigned Friday on second-degree murder charges in a crash that killed a young Vermont couple expecting their first child in January.

"Robert Dellinger, 53, of Sunapee, told police he was depressed and trying to kill himself on Dec. 7 when he drove his pickup across an Interstate 89 median and into an oncoming car. Police say the truck became airborne and sheared off the top of the couple's car, killing them instantly. The unborn child also did not survive.

"He was arraigned on two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 29-year-old Jason Timmons and 24-year-old Amanda Murphy, who was eight-months pregnant.

"Dellinger sustained cuts on his head and face and was at first charged with two counts of reckless manslaughter. According to prosecutors, Dellinger told troopers after the crash that he had argued with his wife over medication he was taking for depression and was driving around when he decided to commit suicide."

From seacoastonline.com...

Killer Commits Suicide By Crashing Into Semi

"HOWELL, MI — Livingston County sheriff’s officials say an Oceola Township man killed his live-in girlfriend at their home and then committed suicide by intentionally striking a semi head-on in Monroe County.

"Authorities identified the crash victim as Mark William Herrick, 44. Neighbors identified the woman as Gail Dimitroff, 51, although police would not confirm that.

"Police discovered the woman dead in their home on 2557 Hilltop Lane in the Lakeshore Pointe subdivision around 2:30 p.m. Monday after the woman’s employer reported she hadn’t shown up for work.

"Officers searched for her boyfriend, identified as Herrick, and noticed his 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was gone. Police later learned the car was involved in a crash in Monroe County, and he was dead.

"`Preliminarily, the evidence points to this being a murder/suicide,` Livingston County Undersheriff Michael Murphy said. `We believe the 44-year-old man murdered the 51-year-old woman by blunt-force trauma. He then fled the scene and intentionally crashed his vehicle head-on into a semi, killing himself.`"

Source: Detroit Free Press...

Ex-Cop Kills Himself After Causing Fatal Crash

"FOSTERS, AL — The woman killed in what investigators are calling a double murder/suicide had filed for divorce from her husband just three days before.

"Melanie Powell and Ronald Hydrick were killed after Taylor Powell chased and ran them off the road early Sunday morning, according to authorities. The former Sheriff's deputy then shot himself in the head, they said.

"Court records indicate that Melanie Powell had filed for a divorce from her husband of more than 24 years on Thursday.

"Taylor Powell, 52, went to Ronald Hydrick's home on Cypress Road just after midnight Sunday. Powell's wife, Melanie Powell, 51, and Hydrick, 53, were sitting outside when the three were involved in a confrontation, said Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit Commander Sgt. Dale Phillips.

"While investigators can't be sure about what transpired since all parties are deceased, they believe Taylor Powell chased his wife and Hydrick for about a mile and a half before Hydrick crashed his Ford pickup truck at the bottom of a wooded ravine off Sylvan Loop Road.

"`The vehicle went into a roll and slammed into a tree at a high rate of speed causing tremendous damage,` Phillips said.

"Taylor Powell looked down and saw that they were dead before shooting himself in the head with his revolver, Phillips said."

Read more at Tuscaloosanews.com...

Suicidal Teen Driver Kills Random Motorist, Passenger

"EDISON, NJ — The Edison teenager who crashed his parents' car into another vehicle on Route 27 on Tuesday night, killing him and two other people, was attempting to kill himself and had written a suicide note, law enforcement sources [said].

"The teenager, a 15-year-old student at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, had written a suicide note on his body, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

"A law enforcement source and several classmates who requested anonymity identified the driver as Srijan Saha of Edison. Saha was interested in cars, rap music and art, according to classmates and his personal Facebook page, which says the teen was raised in Detroit, Mich.

"Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan declined to comment. In a statement released late Wednesday night, Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said the crash was being investigated as a `suicide-homicide,` but did not identify the teenage driver.

"Mohammed Zia, 46, and his brother-in-law Ali Behzad, 36, both of Edison, had gone out for a late night cup of coffee and were driving north on Route 27 near the Stony Road intersection when the teen's car struck theirs head-on around 12:30 a.m., authorities said. In his statement, Carey said the teen's vehicle veered into oncoming traffic shortly before the crash.

"The teenager and Behzad were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Carey. Zia died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital a short time later.

"On Tuesday, Bryan said it was unclear why the teen was driving, but confirmed the 15-year-old had borrowed the vehicle without his parent's permission."

Read more at nj.com...

Two Dead In Suicide Crash

"GRAHAM, WA — Two people were killed in a high-speed crash between a Ford Mustang and a pickup truck on a rural highway near Graham that has now been ruled a murder/suicide.

"Police responded to the scene, in the 19500 block of the Orting Kapowsin Highway, at about 10:15 Monday after receiving a report of a serious crash.

"The drivers of both vehicles were found dead at the accident scene. There were no passengers.

"A preliminary investigation found that the pickup was heading west on the highway when it was struck head-on by the Mustang being driven at more than 100 mph.

"The pickup driver was a 50-year-old man. The driver of the Mustang was a 19-year-old man, said sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. Their names were not immediately available.

"When deputies went to notify the 19-year-old's next of kin about the accident, they discovered that he had left a suicide note saying that he planned to drive his car into a power pole at 120 mph. Instead, he hit the pickup, killing the other driver instantly.

"The family of the 19-year-old later released a statement saying, `Our family is devastated by the loss of our son. Our hearts go out to the family of the man who was killed in this tragic accident. Words cannot express our sadness. We do not believe it was our son’s intent to harm anyone.`"

From KOMOnews.com...

Wife Killer Plows Car Into Parked Semi

"MILL CREEK, WA — Police say a pregnant woman found dead in an apartment early Monday was likely killed by her husband shortly before he was involved in a fatal car crash.

"Mill Creek police spokesman Ian Durkee said the investigation began just after midnight when officers were dispatched to a domestic dispute at an apartment complex in the 14700 block of Main Street.

"Officers found the 27-year-old woman dead inside, but there was no one else in the apartment.

"At the same time police were checking the apartment, officers responded to a fatal car crash about 4 miles away in the 18500 block of 35th Avenue SE.

"Durkee said the woman's husband was speeding when he crossed the centerline and slammed into a semi-truck trailer that was parked along the side of the road. He died at the scene, and no one else was hurt.

"Police have not released the names of the couple.

"Friends of the couple told investigators they had gone to the apartment Sunday night after the woman called and said her husband started acting strangely and was armed with a loaded shotgun.

"The friends believed they had defused the situation and left. That's when the husband attacked his wife, Durkee said.

"The man owned several firearms, according to police, but officials have not said exactly how the woman was killed other than stating that she suffered a `severe head wound.`

"Investigators spent much of the day collecting evidence at the apartment and the crash scene, but it was not clear what prompted the killing."

From komonews.com...