GDELTArizona
Goldstein: 0.1Tone: -4.5
91-year-old woman survives rare 'internal decapitation' after crash
AVONDALE, Ariz. (KNXV/CNN NEWSOURCE/WKRC) - A married Arizona couple in their 90s is recovering after surviving a serious car crash that left the wife with a rare injury known as an "internal decapitation," a condition that is often fatal.
Gary and Martha Ramer, who have been married for more than 70 years, were injured last month while driving to visit family in Casa Grande.
According to Gary Ramer, their vehicle crashed into a ditch after he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
The crash totaled the couple's Subaru and left both with neck injuries. Martha Ramer, 91, suffered the most severe trauma and was airlifted to a hospital.
Doctors later diagnosed her with an internal decapitation, a rare injury in which the ligaments connecting the skull to the spine are torn.
“An internal decapitation is when the... ligaments that support the skull are torn completely,” said Dr. Bruno Subbarao of ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital. “Statistically, about 70% of individuals who have that, it's immediately fatal.”
Because of the severity of the injury, hospice care was initially recommended. However, after receiving a second medical opinion and learning she still had movement in much of her body, Martha and her family chose rehabilitation instead.
The couple spent 15 days in rehab and credit their recovery to faith, determination and medical care.
“We're already ahead,” Gary Ramer said. “We have hope.”
The Ramers are continuing their recovery at an assisted living facility and hope to eventually return home.
Open article →NBCUnited States
Goldstein: -7.0Tone: -100.0CAMEO 17
LONDON — A toddler was in critical condition Friday after being injured by a crocodile inside an enclosure at a zoo, British police said.
The 3-year-old boy, who has not been named, was pulled out of the crocodile enclosure Thursday at Johnsons of Old Hurst Zoo in Cambridgeshire, in southern England, by staff members and rushed to a local hospital.
Police did not say how the child ended up in the reptile’s enclosure, but said a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
“The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview,” Cambridgeshire police said in a statement.
The unnamed man was released on bail Friday while detectives continue their investigation, the statement added.
The child “sustained serious injuries while in the enclosure,” police said, and remained “in a critical but stable condition.”
“Our thoughts remain with the boy, and his family and specialist officers continue to support them through this difficult time,” Detective Inspector Verity McCann said. “Our enquiries are ongoing as we continue to understand the circumstances surrounding this distressing incident.”
The family-run zoo said in a statement that its Tropical House, where the crocodiles were kept, would be closed until further notice, “out of respect to the family.”
The zoo houses more than 100 animals including lions, tigers and capybaras, according to its website. Its staff has maintained “a particular fascination with crocodiles. We have cared for and been involved with these incredible animals for the past two decades,” it said.
Open article →GDELTTexas
Goldstein: -5.0Tone: -6.5
Deputies arrest 55-year-old man after a bathroom vent device was found
EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A 55-year-old man was arrested last week after a resident found a suspicious hidden device inside a bathroom vent that led to an investigation and arrest.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded on Jan. 20 to a residence in the 500 block of Talbot Avenue after the resident reported finding what appeared to be a concealed recording device inside a bathroom floor vent.
Investigators said the resident noticed a green light coming from the vent while in the bathroom and, after looking closer, found the device beneath the vent cover.
Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit obtained a search warrant and conducted a forensic examination of the device, authorities said.
As a result of the investigation, detectives identified 55-year-old Gildardo Perez as the person responsible for placing and operating the concealed recording device, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Perez was arrested on June 9 and charged with four counts of invasive visual recording.
Perez was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a total bond of $100,000, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing.
RECOMMENDED: Man sought after gun pulled on West El Paso bar security guards
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.
Open article →