Stratford Woman Killed By Rogue Truck Tire On I-95 'Said Yes To Life,' Family Says
A 24-year-old Connecticut marine biologist remembered for her love of adventure, the ocean, and helping protect marine life was killed in a freak I-95 accident earlier this week when a detached truck tire crashed through the windshield of her SUV in Milford, police said.
Catherine "Cate" Margaret Palaia, of Stratford, was killed around 10:23 p.m. Sunday, July 13, while driving south on I-95, according to Connecticut State Police, who identified her the following day. Investigators said Palaia was driving a 2020 Toyota RAV4 when the front left tire of a northbound 2012 Ford F-250 came off the…
Plymouth Mourns Beloved Storyteller Killed In Motorcycle Crash; Rallies Around Wife
A Massachusetts community is coming together for the family of a well-known fisherman, carpenter, and storyteller who was killed last week in a Cape Cod motorcycle crash.
According to Massachusetts State Police, Thomas "Tom" Charles Matthews, 70, was killed just before 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, in a two-motorcycle crash on Route 6 eastbound in Sandwich. The other rider suffered serious injuries, authorities said.
Matthews worked as a skilled carpenter and commercial fisherman. He spent years fishing for cod, striped bass, bluefin tuna, and scallops. But those closest to him said he w…
Mike Robinson Dies In Seneca Rocks Fall, Leaves Generations Of Virginia Adventurers Behind
Some people measure a life by the mountains they climb.
Mike Robinson measured success by the people he brought along.
The Virginia outdoorsman, mentor, veteran, husband, grandfather, and familiar face on rivers and cliffs across the Mid-Atlantic died Saturday, July 11, after a climbing accident at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia.
He was 76.
For decades, the Stafford resident, originally from Montana, was the kind of person who seemed to know everyone in the outdoor community.
"He learned his great ethics from his parents, who taught us to judge people only on their characte…
Malaga Firefighter Dies After Crash Responding To Fire
South Jersey firefighter Robert "Bobby" Reider died on Friday, July 10, about two weeks after he was involved in a car crash while responding to a fire, the Malaga Fire Company said. Reider was 23 years old.
On Saturday, June 27, at 10:31 a.m., Reider, a Vineland native, was traveling north on Delsea Drive when his vehicle left the roadway, firefighters said. Reiger was extricated from the vehicle and airlifted to Cooper Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, firefighters said.
"His service and dedication will never be forgotten," the Malaga Fire Company said. "Year …
Mother Of 4 Elsa Grace Torres Dies Just Days Before Family's Planned Move In Virginia
There was a new beginning waiting for Elsa Grace Torres.
Just two days before the 32-year-old mother of four was set to move into a new home with her family, that future disappeared in a tragic crash.
Now, the people she leaves behind aren't just mourning how she died. They're remembering how she lived.
Torres, of Luray, Virginia, died Friday, July 10. She is survived by her four children, Isaac, Penelope, Phoenix and Indie, along with her partner, Jeff Kline, her mother, seven siblings and a large extended family.
A GoFundMe created by her sister, Hannah Evans, says Torres also leaves be…
Beloved Putnam Speech-Language Pathologist, Mom Of 3, Remembered For Love Of Her 'Kiddos'
A beloved elementary school worker who helped students find their voice is being remembered for the care and compassion she showed every child she met.
Maura Babbitt, of Putnam, died Saturday, July 11, her family said on social media. The wife and mother of three boys was a fighter, they said. She survived leukemia in her 20s and later beat breast cancer. Her family did not disclose the cause of her death.
"My mother was dealt cards that no one should’ve been dealt, but she took them, played them, and continued to prioritize everyone else around her before herself," her son Aidan Babbitt wr…
Randolph Mantooth Dies: Actor Built Decades-Long Career In Classic TV Shows, Soaps
He became famous playing a lifesaver, then spent decades honoring the people who do that work for real.
Actor Randolph Mantooth, best known for his role as firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on NBC’s 1970s series "Emergency!," died Thursday, July 9, at 80, according to multiple reports.
Mantooth died at a hospice facility in Ventura, California, after years of declining health, People reported, citing his brother, Donald Mantooth.
Entertainment Weekly also reported that Mantooth had battled several cancers before his death.
Born Randy DeRoy Mantooth in Sacramento, California, in 1945, he g…
Nearly $100K Raised In 48 Hours For Virginia Father, Community Leader: 'Unimaginable Void'
The numbers keep climbing.
Less than two days after Sathguru Dhandapani's death, nearly 1,000 people have donated almost $100,000 to help the Northern Virginia father's family, a reflection of the impact friends say he quietly made on thousands of lives long before they were asked to give.
Dhandapani died on Thursday, July 9, at Inova Fairfax Hospital after suffering critical injuries in a crash days earlier. He was 50.
Funeral services were held Saturday in Oakton, where family, friends, and members of the Tamil community gathered to remember a man they say was rarely far from the next pe…
'They Were Best Friends': Mother To Launch Foundation Honoring Malden Woman Killed In Crash
The mother of a Massachusetts woman killed in a New Hampshire motorcycle crash is turning her unthinkable loss into lasting purpose by creating a foundation that will carry on her daughter's lifelong mission of helping others, friends said.
Michaela Svetlana Waldrop, 29, of Malden, died in a motorcycle crash in Gorham, New Hampshire, on July 2, according to police. Now, her mother, Kris Waldrop, is working to establish the Michaela Waldrop Foundation, which will support underserved individuals and families in her daughter's honor.
Friends and loved ones have launched a GoFundMe t…
Final Words Of Former Rutgers Star Shared By Twin Brother
Former Rutgers defensive lineman Jamil Merrell has died, his twin brother announced in an emotional social media post Tuesday, July 7. He was 36 years old.
"As I write this, I'm sitting beside my twin brother, surrounded by our family, knowing that we're witnessing one of the hardest moments we'll ever have to face," Jamal Merrell wrote. "With tears in our eyes and love in our hearts, I want everyone to know that my twin brother, Jamil, is peacefully transitioning to be with God."
Before his death, Jamil shared one final message with his family, according to his brother.
"It's time fo…
Longtime Monroe-Lakeside Firefighter Who Served On 9/11 Dies: 'He Cared'
A longtime Orange County volunteer firefighter and retired FDNY firefighter who responded to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, has died following a battle with cancer.
John A. Braunagel Jr., a life member of the Monroe-Lakeside Fire & Rescue Company, died on Monday, July 6, according to the department.
Firefighters said Braunagel joined Monroe-Lakeside on Oct. 2, 1987, at the age of 18. Sponsored for membership by his father, the late John Braunagel Sr., he went on to build a decades-long career in the fire service, later joining the FDNY.
When terrorists attac…
