Regional Briefs – August 4, 2019

Focus on Speed Enforcement in New York This Week

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New York state officials say police will be cracking down on speeders this week.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee says agencies around the state will conduct a crackdown on speeding through Wednesday. The Speed Awareness Week campaign includes high-profile enforcement activity along with public service messages.

An analysis from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College shows fatal crashes in New York caused by speeding increased during the summer, with many occurring between noon and 6 p.m.

Authorities: 300 Gallons of Diesel Spill in NYC Hotel Cellar

NEW YORK (AP) – Authorities say 300 gallons of diesel fuel have spilled in a basement of a Times Square hotel.

The Fire Department says the spill was reported at 8:30 a.m. in a sub-cellar of a hotel at West 41st Street and Broadway. No injuries have been reported.

A department spokesman says it will take a considerable amount of time to clean up the spill.

Police: Accused Brake-Puller Arrested For Subway ‘Surfing’

NEW YORK (AP) – A man who authorities say caused dozens of New York City subway delays by pulling emergency brakes has been arrested again for allegedly “surfing” on the outside of a train.

Police say 23-year-old Isaiah Thompson was arrested Friday night on charges of reckless endangerment and trespassing. He’s accused of riding on the outside of a northbound 5 train in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Thompson was arrested in May after police said he was the man seen on a video pulling a train’s emergency brake and fleeing.

1 Person Dead, 4 People Sickened From Carbon Monoxide in Brooklyn

NEW YORK (AP) – Officials say one person is dead and four other have been sickened by carbon monoxide in Brooklyn.

Police say the victims were squatting in an unoccupied residential building.

The Fire Department responded to a building on Jackson Street in Williamsburg just after 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Gas Prices Stable in New Jersey, Elsewhere — And Could Drop

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Gas prices remained stable in New Jersey and around the nation last week, and analysts say they could drop a bit in coming days.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey on Friday was $2.78, a penny lower than last week and substantially below the average $2.90 at this time last year.

Analysts say drivers could see prices decrease in coming days following an 8 percent drop in crude oil prices late last week.

Woman Attacked by Coyote, Fights It Off With Baseball Bat

MAHWAH, N.J. (AP) – Authorities say a woman fought off a coyote with a baseball bat after it attacked and bit her several times in New Jersey. Mahwah police say the woman was walking on Grenadier Drive at about 6:15 p.m. on Friday when she encountered the animal.

She was taken to a hospital for treatment of the bites and told NorthJersey.com that she was recovering there Saturday.