According to the Massachusetts State Police, Dow was exiting the parking lot of the hospital when she apparently suffered a medical emergency causing her foot to continue depressing the gas pedal. The Acura traveled across Eastville Avenue and entered the woods, where it collided with a tree. Witnesses claim that the wheels continued to spin after the car was stopped against the tree; this may have caused the car to ignite. The car driver's side door was apparently pinned against the large cedar tree.

When rescue crews arrived, Dow was still in the vehicle and unresponsive and they were not able to extricate her from the car. Dow was taken to Martha's Vineyard Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The accident remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.

Source: The Martha's Vineyard Times

February 2, 2010 - Makenzie Goode, 17, from Warwick, Massachusetts was killed as a result of serious personal injuries sustained during a single car accident during a snowstorm in Winchester on Friday. Goode's vehicle hit a fire hydrant after she lost control of her 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. The accident occurred on Route 78 at around 7:30 a.m.

According to the Winchester Police Department, Goode was traveling north on Route 78 when her car drifted into the southbound lanes. When she tried to regain control, her vehicle spun out and eventually collided with a fire hydrant on the northbound side of the street. Apparently, the hydrant made direct impact with the driver's side door. Goode was reportedly wearing a seat belt.

Goode was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she eventually passed away on Sunday.

Police believe the crash was caused by the inclement weather, but the accident remains under investigation.

Source: SentinelSource.com

February 2, 2010 - Elizabeth Vargas, 37, from Attleboro, Massachusetts, has died as a result of serious personal injuries she sustained when her car collided with a utility pole in Norton. The accident occurred at around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning while Vargas was traveling on West Main Street. Apparently, Vargas was returning home from an overnight shift at her employer in Carver.

Vargas was transported by ambulance to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where she was pronounced dead. Vargas' vehicle was the only car involved in the crash. The utility pole was severely damaged and had to be repaired.

The accident remains under investigation by the Norton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police.

Source: Wicked Local Easton

January 26, 2010 - Megan Ponte, 23, from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, was severely injured when the 1996 Toyota Camry driven by Jaroslaw Cuzytek, 26, from West Warwick, Rhode Island, rolled over. The accident occurred at around 12:57 a.m. on Saturday while Cuzytek was traveling west on Route 195 just before Exit 10 towards Route 88 in Westport, Massachusetts. Apparently Cuzytek lost control of the vehicle causing it to hit a concrete barrier and subsequently rollover.

Ponte, who was thrown from the vehicle, was taken by ambulance to Charlton Memorial Hospital. She was then transferred to Rhode Island Hospital, where she remains in serious condition as of Monday morning. Cuzytek was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Massachusetts State Police, neither Cuzytek nor Ponte were wearing seatbelts.

The cause of this accident is unclear at this time and remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.

Source: The Providence Journal

January 25, 2010 - Paula Domenico, 39, from Abington, Massachusetts, suffered severe personal injuries when she was struck by an unmarked Massachusetts State Police cruiser while she was jogging in Weymouth. The unidentified State Police lieutenant was traveling north on Route 18 when his cruiser collided with Domenico at the intersection of Route 58. The accident occurred at around 2:26 p.m. on Friday.

Domenico was taken to South Shore Hospital, where she is recovering from her injuries. According to the Weymouth Police, the lieutenant's vision may have been obstructed by a bus traveling in the adjacent lane. The lieutenant was apparently driving to work to begin a shift at the South Boston State Police barracks.

The accident remains under investigation.

Source: The Patriot Ledger

Source: SouthCoastToday.com

January 13, 2010 - John Revene, 47, of Westboro, Massachusetts, sustained serious personal injuries in a car accident yesterday when the tanker truck he was driving rolled over onto three vehicles. Elizabeth Buchanan, 52, from Arlington, sustained minor injuries when her 2006 Toyota Matrix was crushed by the truck. The two other drivers, Richard Frese, 64, of Concord, and Christiane Rabich, 48, from Ontario, Canada, were not injured in the accident. The accident occurred at 8:58 a.m. yesterday morning on Route 2 Westbound in Lincoln.

Revene's 2006 Freightliner truck was transporting 8500 gallons of diesel fuel, but no fuel was spilled when the truck rolled over. According to police, the tanker truck went onto the right shoulder of Route 2 just prior to the accident.

Revene was transported by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. Buchanan was taken to Emerson Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

The Massachusetts State Police charged Revene with speeding, and is still investigating the cause of the accident.

Source: The Boston Herald

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According to the SEC, from 2003 to December 2008 the Moodys disclosed information to their clients and future investors, which grossly overstated the historical returns and current value of their funds by as much as $160 million. The complaint claims that statements made by the Moodys were based on Nadel's unverified figures. The SEC claims that there were several indications to the Moodys that should have caused them to question Nadel's numbers.

The SEC also claims that the Moodys told investors that they made all of their own investment and trading decisions, when in fact it was Nadel that maintained virtually total control over these decisions. According to the complaint, the Moodys did not exercise any legitimate supervisory role over Nadel, and failed to independently verify any of his numbers.

January 8, 2010 - The SEC alleges Richard Elkinson operated an investment scam that bilked 130 investors out of at least $28 million dollars, based on a civil complaint filed yesterday. According to the complaint, which was filed in a federal court in Massachusetts, Elkinson ran the scam out of his Framingham, Massachusetts home. Elkinson was arrested earlier this week in Mississippi and a criminal complaint was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Elkinson told investors that his business, Northeast Sales, facilitated deals between the Japanese uniform manufacturer and large purchasers including state and local governments and even the U.S. Olympic Committee. Elkinson sought investors to help finance the 50% down payments required for these supposed contracts. To raise these funds, Northeast Sales issued promissory notes with annual interest rates ranging from 9-13%. The SEC alleges that in reality Northeast Sales did not have a relationship with a Japanese uniform manufacturer and no supply contracts actually existed.

January 7, 2010 - Taryn Conley, 23 from South Boston, Massachusetts, apparently drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with two other vehicles on Quincy Shore Drive. John Sullivan, 47 from Weymouth, and his passenger Robert McNeil, 47, sustained head, neck, and back injuries. Geraldine Burns, 65 from Scituate, was driving the third car and suffered neck, back and leg injuries. The accident occurred at around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday night in Quincy.

Witnesses at the scene claimed that Conley was driving erratically prior to the accident. According to the Quincy Police, Conley fled the scene of the accident on foot but was subsequently apprehended. Justin Quilles, 26 from Holbrook and a passenger in Conley's car, was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for a 2009 larceny case.

Both Conley and Quilles were scheduled to appear in Quincy District Court Thursday morning. Conley was charged with operating to endanger and leaving the scene of an accident. Police asserted that alcohol did not appear to be the cause of the accident, but drugs may have been involved.

Sullivan, McNeil, and Burns were all transported by ambulance to Quincy Medical Center and treated for their injuries.

The accident is still under investigation by the Quincy Police.

Source: The Patriot Ledger

January 7, 2010 - Richard Elkinson, 76 of Framingham, Massachusetts, was allegedly operating an investment scam out of his home through his company Northeast Sales. The criminal complaint filed by U.S. Attorney, Carmen M. Ortiz' office claims that Elkinson raised $29 million from 130 investors over the last 20 years. On Tuesday, Elkinson was arrested in Mississippi and will be arraigned in Massachusetts in the near future.

Northeast Sales claimed investor capital was used to broker contracts with a uniform manufacturer in Japan. Many of the victims of the alleged scheme were friends and long time colleagues of Elkinson.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), in 2003 or 2004, Elkinson recruited Jay Fialko and Jeff Ross to work as "finders" to induce more investors. Fialko and Ross were both investors in Northeast Sales since 1997 and the two men operate Ross Fialko Capital Partners in Newton, MA. According to the FBI, the two men raised about $10 million for Northeast Sales and received about $200,000 for their referrals. Ross and Fialko cooperated with the FBI and are not expected to be charged criminally.

January 6, 2010 - Gerard Boucher, 48 of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and his co-worker Geraldo Hernandez, 33 from Haverhill, are both recovering from serious injuries sustained when scaffolding collapsed underneath them on December 22, 2009. On Tuesday, Boucher was listed in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hernandez is recuperating at home after being released from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Boucher and Hernandez were hanging fascia board trim along the second story of the home located at 25-27 Kent Street in Newburyport when the scaffolding collapsed beneath them. The two men hit the concrete sidewalk below and Boucher suffered serious head trauma.

Boucher does a lot of work in the area and his company, G.M. Boucher Contractor, Inc., was performing the renovations to the home at 25-27 Kent Street.

The accident remains under investigation by the Andover office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Source: The Daily News

January 5, 2010 - Vania Teixeira, 29 of Pelham, New Hampshire, has died as a result of serious personal injuries sustained in a four car pileup on Route 93 South. Damien Davis, 34 from New Boston, New Hampshire, and Marilee Colon, 27 from Lowell, Massachusetts, were both injured in the crash. Maria DeSouza, 39 also from Lowell, was not injured in the accident. The crash occurred near Route 133 at 6:43 a.m. on Tuesday.

Teixeira, who was driving a 1999 Toyota Carolla, was taken by ambulance to Lawrence General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Davis, who was driving a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta, and Colon, who was driving a 2006 Ford Fusion, were both taken to Lawrence General, where they were treated for minor injuries and released.

According the Massachusetts State Police, Teixeira was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from her vehicle. Apparently all of the other drivers were wearing seatbelts.

Route 93 South was closed, with the exception of the breakdown lane, for more than an hour following the crash. The crash remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police.

Source: The Lowell Sun

December 29, 2009 - Philip Hyland Daniels was allegedly drunk and driving the wrong way on the Massachusetts Turnpike early Sunday morning. Daniels' 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed head-on into a 1978 MG Midget driven by Rene Bronfield, 49, from Worcester, Massachusetts. A passenger in the MG died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

Daniels is a 33 year old financial operations manager from Norwood, Massachusetts. He is accused of driving while under the influence while traveling west in the eastbound lanes of Route 90 near the Prudential Tunnel in Boston. The two vehicles collided at around 1:49 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Bronfield's passenger, whose identity has not yet been released, was pinned underneath the dashboard and pronounced dead at the scene. The jaws of life were required to remove Bronfield from the MG, which was crushed by the Jeep. Bronfield was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is being treated for life threatening injuries. Bronfield has reportedly lost an eye and suffered massive head trauma.

Daniels apparently did not suffer any significant injuries in the crash. Daniels was arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court where he pleaded not guilty to motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol and various charges stemming from the accident. The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles has suspended Daniels' license. Daniels is currently being held on $100,000 bail.

The Massachusetts State Police claim that Daniels had a blood alcohol level of 0.23 at the time of the accident. In Massachusetts, the legal limit for blood alcohol content is 0.08. Daniels did not have any prior alcohol related driving offenses.

Source: The Boston Herald

December 23, 2009 - Gerard Boucher, 48 from Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Geraldo Hernandez, 37 of Haverhill, were seriously injured when the scaffolding, which they were using to renovate a home in Newburyport, collapsed beneath them Tuesday afternoon. The two men were working at the home located at 25-27 Kent Street when the accident occurred.

According to police, the men were hanging fascia board trim along the roof on the side of the house adjacent to the home at 29 Kent Street. It appears that a faulty bracing support caused the scaffolding to tumble. A third worker, who was installing ice shields on the roof at the time of the accident, heard the crash but did not see the men fall.

When rescue workers arrived on the scene, both victims were unconscious and Boucher had visible massive head trauma. The men were treated at the scene and then brought to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport. Boucher was subsequently transferred by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. Hernandez was also airlifted to Beth Israel Hospital, where he is listed in good condition.

This accident remains under investigation by the Newburyport Police Department and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Source: The Gloucester Times, The Gloucester Times