Articles by andrewtraub/page/11

On Thursday, July 9, 2009, at 3 a.m. Kenneth Cottrell, a motorcyclist, was killed in a car accident.  Rudy Lucero was driving a Mazda and hit the motorcycle on  Road and 51st Street.  Cottrell was taken to Brackenridge where he later died.  Apparently, Lucero had been drinking as he was charged with intoxication manslaughter.  Any witnesses are…

Allstate America’s fifth annual ranking of U.S. cities for safe driving puts Austin in a familiar position – far behind almost everyone else. According to the study, Austin finished 179th out of 193 cities ranked. On average, the Austin-area driver will have an accident once every seven years.  In 2005, the study’s first year, Austin…

Austin police are still investigating a crash from Tuesday morning in which a pedestrian, Ernest Lee Moss, was killed. Moss, 63, of Austin was hit by a gray Chevrolet Suburban as he was walking on the sidewalk at 8:21 a.m. on East 51st Street just east of Manor Road near Bruce Spruce Circle, police said. …

Every month, 24,070 Texans lose their health care coverage, according to a report released Wednesday by an advocacy group. The report by Families USA, which is an advocate for quality, affordable health coverage for all Americans, comes as Congress is weighing, health care reforms pushed by President Barack Obama. The report says that between January…

While it is well known that driving while using cell phones can be dangerous, researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wanted to conduct a study in 2003 to assess the risk. However, the agency did not approve of the study because they feared it would anger the Congress.  Not only that, but senior government…

Becky Murphy’s boss Dr. Russell Boone was found stealing her health insurance number to buy painkillers for a year.  She reported him and was pretty upset that he was put on a probation and continued to practice even after he plead guilty to possession of a controlled substance by fraud.  His attorney is negotiating a settlement with…

David Michael Torbi, who goes by David Scott on the newscasts for KXAN was arrested on Friday evening for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.  His car was found in a drainage ditch near the 500 block of Lakeway Drive and when the police found him, he smelled of alcohol and was cursing and uncooperative.  They also…

The first study of drivers texting inside their vehicles shows that the risk sharply exceeds previous estimates based on laboratory research and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions. The new study, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision…

Texas leads the nation in the decline in fatal crashes involving teen drivers. Fatalities involving 16 to 19-year-old drivers fell 33 percent from 2002 to 2007, more than double the national rate of decline, according to a study released Monday. Driving experts attribute the decrease to the rigorous multistep program Texas teens must endure to…

Democratic lawmakers recently called for states to ban texting while driving or face cuts in highway money, citing the need to reduce driver distraction and potential highway deaths and injuries. “When drivers have their eyes on their cell phones instead of the road, the results can be dangerous and even deadly,” said Sen. Charles Schumer,…