Truck-driving illegal alien from India arrested for horrific hit-and-run that killed 2 young Americans



California Highway Patrol officers responded around 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday to a multiple-vehicle crash near Lodi that left two young Americans dead. The man believed to be responsible for the carnage — an illegal alien from India — reportedly fled the scene on foot.

The suspect, 24-year-old Manvir Singh, was quickly tracked down and arrested by San Joaquin County sheriff's deputies and taken to the county jail, where he remains in custody as of early Thursday.

'This criminal illegal alien from India should never have been behind the wheel of a semi-truck and allowed to kill.'

The deceased, ages 20 and 16, were sitting in a Kia Forte and slowing to a stop behind a Nissan Frontier and a Toyota Camry in the far right lane of northbound Highway 99 when a heavy-duty truck driven by the suspect and carrying a fully loaded semi-trailer smashed into them, reported Freight Waves.

According to CHP, the 80,000-pound truck hammered the rear of the Kia and launched it into the Camry, killing two Americans and sending five others to hospital, two of whom suffered critical injuries.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom's California — where an estimated 35% of the commercial drivers are Sikh, an Indian religious group — issued Singh a commercial driver's license in March 2025.

RELATED: Fraudulent trucking carriers just ran out of road with new registration system, DOT says

Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Duffy noted further that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration investigators "are looking into how this illegal got his CDL and will investigate the trucking company who employed this driver."

Amritsar Trans Inc., the intrastate freight company that reportedly operates the truck, is registered in Manteca, California; owns or leases five vehicles; has nine drivers; is unrated by the FMCSA; and is apparently run by Baljeet Singh.

Freight Waves highlighted that the company was cited for six violations across 11 inspections in the two-year window that ended April 24, 2026. One of the violations was for speeding 15 or more miles per hour over the posted limit, and another was for falsifying duty status to conceal having driven over hours.

Manvir Singh has been charged with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, felony hit-and-run resulting in death or injury, and obstructing or resisting arrest. The Indian, whose bail has been set at $185,000, is set to appear in court Thursday afternoon.

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that Manvir Singh illegally entered the country through Arizona in 2023 and was subsequently released into the U.S. by the Biden administration.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer request in hopes that California authorities will ultimately transfer the illegal alien into federal custody.

"This criminal illegal alien from India should never have been behind the wheel of a semi-truck and allowed to kill two innocent people in a multi-vehicle crash in California," DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. "He is now charged with vehicular manslaughter, hit and run resulting in death or injury, and resisting a police officer."

"This is yet another example of why illegal aliens should not be operating trucks on American highways," added Bis.

Transportation Secretary Duffy emphasized that "Dalilah’s law would have revoked this illegal trucker’s license. Congress must pass Dalilah’s Law NOW."

H.R. 5688, Dalilah's Law, would ban states from issuing commercial driver's licenses to illegal aliens and limit issuance to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and holders of specific work visas. The legislation would also require the revocation of any existing ineligible CDLs.

The legislation takes its name from Dalilah Coleman, a little girl grievously injured in a car accident that was caused by an illegal alien from India who reportedly obtained a commercial driver's license from Gov. Gavin Newsom's Department of Motor Vehicles.

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License to kill: The nationwide scam turning America's highways into death traps



By now we've all seen the video. An Indian man driving an 18-wheeler on the Florida Turnpike attempts an illegal U-turn, carelessly pulling his rig across two lanes of traffic. A minivan traveling at highway speed crashes into the trailer, killing all three of its occupants.

The horrific August 12 accident has dominated headlines and social media for the past week and seems to have struck a very raw nerve in Americans across the country.

It’s about stopping a system that endangers the public, destroys good jobs, and shows open contempt for the skill and sacrifice of America’s truckers.

Hardest to forget is the face of the driver, one Harjinder Singh. Thanks to driver-facing camera footage obtained and released by the trucking industry YouTube channel "Bonehead Truckers," we can watch Singh up close as he makes his fatal decision.

It's shocking to observe that Singh fails to check for oncoming traffic before executing his dangerous maneuver. More shocking still is the utter lack of emotion he displays in the seconds after the minivan has plowed into his trailer.

Even once he exits his cab and surveys the carnage, Singh remains unnervingly expressionless. In a widely circulated photo of Singh standing outside his truck and staring into the camera, he appears to show no remorse or emotion of any kind. In fact, he looks almost defiant.

License to kill

A careless — and seemingly uncaring — illegal immigrant worker destroying the lives of three Americans. The incident immediately went viral. The facts of the case, once they emerged, only added fuel to the fire.

While Singh was driving under a California-issued commercial driver's license, he was in the United States illegally, crossing from Mexico back in 2018. Washington state illegally issued him a CDL first, which California unquestioningly honored when Singh went to work for a company based there. Republicans and Democrats quickly began to fight over who should take the blame for Singh remaining in America.

According to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), his state may have issued Singh a "limited-term, non-domiciled" CDL in 2024, but it was the Trump administration that allowed him to stay in America in the first place.

Department of Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin countered that the first Trump administration rejected Singh's work authorization in 2020, only to have President Biden grant it in 2021. A spokesman for Newsom then retorted that Singh's work permit was renewed this April.

For his part, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) placed the blame squarely on Newsom and his state's sanctuary policies.

— (@)

Blame to spare

But DeSantis is as much to blame for the highways of America becoming death traps as is Newsom, or a number of other governors. Picking on Newsom or DeSantis misses the point, although they could be doing more to clean up their respective state DOTs and DMVs.

Gavin Newsom’s DMV and DOT in California have been egregious on this issue and remain defiant in enforcing President Trump’s executive order on enforcing English language proficiency.

Research by American Truckers United shows that these two states are among at least 10 that, after President Biden’s 2021 “Trucking Task Force,” issued an unusually high number of “limited-term” or “non-domicile” CDLs to recent arrivals — many with questionable work credentials or, like Harjinder Singh, through sob stories designed to avoid deportation.

Florida, in particular, has seen a major CDL bribery scheme, in which hundreds of licenses were sold for cash without exams or skill tests. The state also harbors a cottage industry of substandard trucking schools. One graduate, Jean Marie St. Lot, a recent immigrant from Haiti, admitted after a deadly 2021 Texas crash that his three-week course had taught him nothing about winter driving.

No English, no problem

California has its own network of poor-quality schools, some even offering classes in Punjabi, despite the federal requirement that commercial drivers be proficient in English. That’s why President Trump’s April executive order reinstating the English language proficiency rule was so significant.

Since June, the DOT has sidelined 1,500 illiterate drivers, according to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. But with over 400,000 new CDLs issued in the year after Biden’s task force — many to drivers who couldn’t meet basic standards — removing 1,500 is barely a start. Singh himself was pulled over in New Mexico just weeks before his fatal Florida crash.

It was not until after the fatal crash that Singh's command of English was put to the test. According to the DOT, Singh "failed the [ELP] assessment, providing correct responses to just two of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying one of 4 highway traffic signs."

'Shortage' scam

This outrage goes beyond one illegal alien with a fraudulent CDL. The entire industry is being hollowed out by foreign drivers who lack training, language skills, and often legal status.

The American Trucking Association has fueled this crisis for decades, peddling the false narrative of a “driver shortage” to justify endless subsidies for CDL mills. Instead of raising pay to retain drivers, mega-carriers embraced turnover rates above 100%, cycling through cheap recruits while pocketing taxpayer money.

Today, that model is reinforced by NGOs and nonprofits aligned with Biden-era immigration policies.

Tax haul

Writing at her Substack, Highway Veritas, independent trucking industry researcher Danielle Chaffin notes that the system deliberately channels taxpayer dollars into programs for “fresh recruits” — immigrants, refugees, foster youth, and "justice-involved individuals" (what we used to call ex-convicts) — who qualify for federally funded workforce schemes. More recruits mean more subsidies, which keep the churn alive.

Who benefits? Recent arrivals often go to work for their fellow immigrants, who have built huge networks of small trucking companies by exploiting every available loophole.

Many haul freight for Amazon through its Relay subcontracting system, where pay is far lower than what American truckers once earned. The results are predictable: tragedies like the Austin crash this March, when Ethiopian driver Solomun Araya — licensed only four months — plowed into stopped traffic, killing five, including all four members of a young family with children, and injuring 12 others.

RELATED: Highway to hell: Mass influx of foreign-born truckers cause carnage on American roads

Gina Ferazzi/Win Mcnamee/Getty Images

Off the hook

These small carriers are often “chameleon carriers,” changing names and registrations to dodge regulators, sometimes literally scribbling new numbers on taped-up paper signs. They collapse one LLC when violations pile up and reappear under another the next day, with the same trucks and the same drivers.

As Chaffin puts it in her excellent piece on chameleons, "The trucking industry remains one of the few places in America where a company can get shut down for killing someone … and be back in business tomorrow."

Transportation Secretary Duffy has opened an investigation into the flood of questionable CDLs. But focusing on drivers alone won’t solve the crisis. The real culprits are the companies — often foreign-owned — that exploit corrupt licensing systems, cut corners on training, and then feed cheap labor into supply chains for corporate giants like Amazon.

The truck stops here?

Americans are sick of watching their loved ones die on roads made dangerous by this racket. This isn’t about which governor governs worse or about empty grandstanding over immigration policy. It’s about stopping a system that endangers the public, destroys good jobs, and shows open contempt for the skill and sacrifice of America’s truckers.

As this essay was going to print, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X to signal how seriously the administration takes this problem:

— (@)

Welcome news for this trucker, and no doubt for many others. I thank Secretary Rubio for honoring the work of so many trucking advocates who have been discussing these issues for years now.

But be aware: Turning off the flow doesn’t do very much about the hundreds of thousands of ill-trained, often illiterate, and dubiously licensed replacement "truckers" who are already here.

We look forward to seeing Secretary Duffy work with presumptive new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration head Derek Barrs to remove these dangerous operators from our industry. They are a clear and present danger to the lives of American motorists, and they must be taken off the road for good.

Woman loses limb after freak accident at California mini-golf course



A Ventura, California, mini-golf venue was at the center of a tragic accident last week that had a woman's family members rushing to provide emergency medical services.

Golf N' Stuff in Ventura boasts a massive miniature golf course with a castle, palace, and a bevy of palm trees decorating the property. Those palm trees proved to be a horrific feature for the Magana family, who were there to celebrate their 13-year-old son Damien's birthday.

'After that, we went straight into stopping the bleeding.'

While father Amando, son Damien, and older son Junior were golfing, the celebration turned disastrous when they heard the sound of a branch breaking.

Just after 5:30 p.m., 53-year-old Adela Magana was sitting on a bench watching her family play when one of the palm trees at the venue fell on top of her.

"I was going to go look for the ball, and by that time, I heard a screeching sound — like a branch breaking," Junior said, according to the Ventura County Star. "I thought nothing of it, but then I heard a big old thump, and people were running toward my mom."

Junior, his father, and two other strangers reportedly lifted the approximately 40-foot tree off the woman while staff comforted the child.

"After that, we went straight into stopping the bleeding," Junior continued.

The young adult said the team of people attending to his mother used a belt as a tourniquet while others called 911.

Ventura City Fire responded within about 20 minutes and transported her to Ventura County Medical Center, but the damage was sadly already done.

RELATED: Nike ditches wokeness in family-friendly golf ad: 'More of this, please!'

Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Surgeons reportedly attempted to save the limb, but Adela Magana's arm was so badly injured that the nerves and blood vessels were unsalvageable. The next day, doctors amputated the arm just below the shoulder.

A Golf N' Stuff manager declined to comment on the incident to the local outlet but did remark that the mini-golf course was open.

Magana's son Junior attempted to explain the family's birthday plans, which never concluded due to the tragedy.

"We were trying to make his birthday a little bit better because it was mid-week, and we didn't know what to do," he said. "We thought of something fast: Play mini golf and then go have dinner afterward. But we never got to dinner."

Daughter Nancy, who was seemingly not at the golf course, commented on the affect the accident had on Damien, "It's a lot to take in as a 13-year-old to witness that. It's always going to be there for him."

RELATED: Which way, America: Scottie Scheffler or the WNBA?

Photo by Paul Lakatos/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Adela will require more surgery, learn how to use a prosthetic, and go through rehabilitation.

"She's a very strong woman — even at this point. ... She's not able to talk, but she's able to nod her head. She has a long journey ahead of her," Nancy said of her mother.

Adela has four children and one grandchild, and reportedly manufactures bolts for the auto-racing industry.

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'Unimaginable tragedy': Siemens executive, wife, and kids killed when helicopter crashes into Hudson River



A Bell 206 L-4 helicopter carrying six people — three children and three adults, including the pilot — crashed Thursday into the Hudson River, just off of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Footage of the incident shows the fuselage pitching backward and plummeting hundreds of feet into the cold waters below, its tail and main rotor system apparently shorn off. Moments after the helicopter crashes into the river, just missing a Jersey City pier, its rotor can be seen in the footage smashing into nearby waters.

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch indicated that four victims were pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where they succumbed to their injuries. New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that all six passengers are deceased.

According to the Telegraph, Agustín Escobar, the technology company Siemens' CEO for rail infrastructure, was aboard along with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, ages 4, 5, and 11. The family, visiting from Spain, were on a sightseeing trip. They chartered a helicopter with Michael Roth's tour company, New York Helicopter.

'We're all devastated.'

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend, Agustin Escobar, and his beloved family," Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens, said in a statement Friday. "We will miss him and his family immensely."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the accident an "unimaginable tragedy."

President Donald Trump said in response to the tragic incident, "The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims."

The doomed aircraft left the Downtown Skyport in Manhattan at 2:59 p.m. and crashed roughly 15 minutes later.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that the tour helicopter was in New York's Special Flight Rules Area, "which means no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed." Before the helicopter entered the area, air traffic control from LaGuardia airport was providing assistance.

Tisch indicated that shortly after passing the George Washington Bridge, the aircraft "lost control and hit the water."

The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the incident.

Roth told the Telegraph, "He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn't arrive."

"We're all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying," said Roth.

"I got a call from my manager and my downtown heliport and she said she heard there was a crash, and then my phone blew up from everybody," continued Roth. "Then one of my pilots flew over the Hudson and saw the helicopter upside down."

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement Thursday evening that dive operations by the NYPD and New Jersey State Police would resume Friday, as major parts of the aircraft had not yet been recovered.

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DC authorities suspect no survivors of deadly midair collision; haunting air traffic control audio released



A PSA Airlines plane operating an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening. After generating a large fireball over the Potomac River, the remains of both aircraft dropped into the frigid waters.

As authorities do not expect to find any survivors amid the ice and debris, rescue efforts have given way to recovery efforts.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which has launched a joint investigation into the deadly incident with the National Transportation Safety Board, confirmed that American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to runway 33 at the airport just before 8:50 p.m. local time.

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board Flight 5342. Three service members were aboard the helicopter, which the Pentagon indicated was out of Ford Belvoir, Virginia.

'Tower, did you see that?'

Flight surveillance data indicated that the helicopter, apparently on a training flight, was heading south along the District side of the river prior to the collision, reported the Washington Post. The plane was several hundred feet above the water when it came into contact with the Army helicopter.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated during a press conference Thursday morning that the helicopter and the plane were both in a "standard flight pattern" and that based on what he has seen so far, the collision was "absolutely" preventable.

Air traffic control audio has emerged capturing the final communications between the tower and the doomed helicopter as well as observers' reactions in the immediate aftermath.

In one clip released on LiveATC.net, a repository of of air traffic audio recordings, an air traffic controller can be heard saying around the 17:30-minute mark, "PAT25, do you have CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ."

The aviator in another aircraft can be heard chiming in moments later, "Tower, did you see that?"

An air traffic controller proceeded to direct planes to circumnavigate runway 33.

'This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.'

At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller can reportedly be heard in a recording saying, "Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three."

In another clip, an air traffic controller states, "Both the helicopter and the plane crashed into the river. It's east of the approach end of runway 33," later adding, "All runways are closed. Nobody's landing. No one is moving at all."

"I just saw a fireball, and then it was just gone," continued the air traffic controller. "I haven't seen anything since they hit the river, but it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit. I would say maybe a half-mile off the approach end of 33."

"We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said at the Thursday press conference. "We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident."

Donnelly noted that the bodies of 27 people from the plane and one person from the helicopter have been recovered so far.

U.S. Figure Skating told the Post that several members of its skating community were aboard the commercial airliner when it crashed. The likely victims, including athletes, coaches, and family members, were on their way home from the National Development Camp held in Wichita in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," said the statement.

President Donald Trump responded to the crash just after midnight, suggesting that something about the incident did not compute.

"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn[?]" the president wrote on Truth Social. "Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane[?] This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!"

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Trump’s Surgeon General Nominee Reportedly Linked To Tragic Death Of Father

'I couldn't save his life'

'Great day at the range': Dem candidate Lucas Kunce leaves reporter gushing blood at outing with Adam Kinzinger



In an apparent effort to outdo Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's embarrassing hunting-themed photo op, Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce attended a sport shooting campaign event Tuesday north of Kansas City with Harris booster Adam Kinzinger.

Unlike Walz, Kunce, a gun control advocate trying to unseat Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), actually hit something — or rather somebody: KSHB-TV reporter Ryan Gamboa.

According to the Kansas City Star, Kunce was firing a rifle at a private residence when a bullet fragment ricocheted off a steel target at close range and struck the reporter in the arm.

Upon realizing he left the fourth estate in need of first aid, Kunce wrapped his belt around Gamboa's arm to arrest the bleeding. KSHB indicated that its wounded reporter went to a nearby hospital for professional treatment and was later discharged.

'Will Kamala condemn the gun violence by Kunce and Kinzinger?'

Kunce attempted to make light of the incident, tweeting, "Great day at the range today with my friend @AdamKinzinger."

"We got to hang out with some union workers while exercising our freedom. Always have your first aid kit handy," continued Kunce. "Shrapnel can always fly when you hit a target like today, and you've got to be ready to go. We had four first aid kits, so we were able to take care of the situation, and I'm glad Ryan is okay and was able to continue reporting."

Criticism and mockery soon began pouring in.

Hawley, who The Hill indicated was leading Kunce by an average of 7.3% across 10 polls, noted, "When liberals play with guns, people get hurt."

The Republican senator asked in jest, "Will Kamala condemn the gun violence by Kunce and Kinzinger?"

Apparently unable to help himself, Hawley also wrote, "I know the Kunce campaign needed a shot in the arm, but this is taking it a little far," and "I condemn all acts of violence against reporters."

"It's been a really rough month for Dems trying to appear competent with firearms," wrote the National Association for Gun Rights.

After noting that "cosplay can be dangerous," Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt (R) shared a 2021 video of Kunce offering his services for a weapons safety course ahead of his last failed Senate run, writing, "This aged well."

Police analyst and Townhall columnist Phil Holloway had some questions: "Why did you put a tourniquet on a grazing flesh wound? Why are people wearing their eye protection on top of their head? Why are you firing .223 rounds at metal targets 20 feet away? Asking for a few million friends."

'Calm down, Dick Cheney.'

After dwelling on photos from the disastrous photo op, Sean Davis, co-founder of the Federalist, highlighted other issues Kunce and Kinzinger apparently failed to register:

  • "They are shooting steel at 5-7 yards with rifles, which could've killed somebody given the force with which the bullets will ricochet off the steel targets at [that] distance. You would instantly get permanently banned at my range if you did that. Zero questions asked."
  • "Kinzinger holds his rifle like a complete ninny, and that will never not be funny to me. And pro-tip for @AdamKinzinger: the eye protection works better when it's on your eyes, not your head. You stupid idiot. Try using your brain for once. You’re lucky you still have one after today."
  • "Kinzinger is for some reason using a high-powered scope (at least a 3-9x by the looks of it) to shoot a target 5 yards away."
  • "There is a bolt action rifle on the table, so presumably someone was also using that to shoot steel at 5 yards. Insane."
  • "There are at least two canisters of explosive Tannerite powder on the table, down range from where guns are being fired. That could've potentially killed or seriously injured someone if someone shot it or if someone was stupid enough to be shooting close enough to steel for a ricochet to hit it."
  • "At one point the cameraman is down range from all the guns, which — given the violations we’ve found so far — we can assume are not safe and unloaded. Way to think that one through, dummy."

Ryan Cleckner, a former special ops sniper, affirmed Davis' critiques, writing, "[Davis] told me 'it gets better the more you look at it.' He was so right."

"'Great day! We only shot one person!' Calm down, Dick Cheney," wrote one user.

Conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck noted, "Democrats need to stop cosplaying with guns because it's getting embarrassing."

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FBI investigating death of 12-year-old boy who fell from balcony of cruise ship



A 12-year-old boy has died after falling from the balcony of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas was on a seven-day cruise in the western Caribbean with stops in Honduras and Mexico.

'We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests.'

On Saturday, the ship was en route to Galveston, Texas.

On the last night of the cruise, a 12-year-old boy plummeted to his death after falling from a balcony.

According to People magazine, the boy fell from the ship's "Central Park" neighborhood — an open area in the ship's interior on the 8th deck — which includes bars, restaurants, shops, and more than 10,000 plants and flowers.

The FBI confirmed that it was investigating the incident, according to the Washington Post, noting that it's “the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas,” and was coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.

Royal Caribbean released a statement on the boy's death: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests. Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

The FBI and Royal Caribbean did not reveal the circumstances of how the boy fell from the balcony.

The Harmony of the Seas cruise ship docked in Galveston at 7 a.m. Sunday, according to cruise tracking site CruiseMapper.

In 2019, a 16-year-old boy fell to his death while attempting to climb into his room from the balcony of the Harmony of the Seas ship. The teen was on the eighth floor, according to the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office. The teen reportedly fell and landed on a pier after attempting to climb into his room from a nearby balcony because he forgot his room key.

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act that was passed in 2010, railings on cruise ships must be at least 42 inches tall.

Harmony of the Seas was first launched in 2016 and has 18 decks and a maximum capacity of 6,687.

Between 1995 and 2024, there were 416 people who went overboard while on cruise ships, according to data compiled by cruise industry researcher Ross Klein.

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NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and brother killed by suspected drunk driver on eve of sister's wedding: 'Unimaginable tragedy'



NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed on Thursday night — a day before their sister's wedding.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were riding bicycles down a road in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

'Both Matty and Johnny were terrifically admired by all of us. Wonderful young guys, and they impressed a lot of us off-ice.'

A Jeep Grand Cherokee attempted to pass a slower-moving sedan and an SUV while traveling north on County Route 551, police told WPVI.

The driver of the Grand Cherokee — 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of Woodstown – fatally hit the Gaudreau brothers, Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron of the New Jersey State Police said in a statement on Friday.

The Gaudreau brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.

Higgins was charged with two counts of death by auto and is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility.

Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the deadly accident, Lebron stated.

Citing the police affidavit, WPVI reported the state trooper who arrived at the scene detected a "strong odor of alcohol" on the driver. Higgins allegedly told the trooper he had consumed "five to six beers" before the fatal crash. The outlet reported that Higgins told investigators that his consumption of alcohol contributed to his impatience and reckless driving, according to the criminal complaint.

The trooper allegedly said Higgins failed a field sobriety test.

The Columbus Blue Jackets confirmed the sudden death of the NHL superstar with a statement that called the fatal crash an "unimaginable tragedy."

"The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy," the statement read. "Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend."

"Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice," the Blue Jackets said. "He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could."

"The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him," the statement continued. "Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago, and Columbus welcomed him with open arms."

The statement concluded, "We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy. At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve."

Johnny played two seasons with the Blue Jackets and nine seasons with the Calgary Flames.

The Calgary Flames said in a statement, "It’s with great sadness, we mourn the tragic deaths of our friend Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau. Our hearts are broken by this devastating loss. Johnny was and always will be a member of the Flames family and loved by all of Calgary."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, "The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew."

"While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother, and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path," Bettman stated.

"Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons," Bettmen added. "A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited."

Both Gaudreau brothers were hockey teammates at Boston College before Johnny was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2011.

Jerry York — who coached the Gaudreau brothers at Boston College — told the Associated Press, "Just devastating news for all of us connected with the Gaudreau family. Both Matty and Johnny were terrifically admired by all of us. Wonderful young guys, and they impressed a lot of us off-ice."

Johnny scored 20-plus goals six times and was a 115-point player in the 2021-2022 season when he had a career-best 40 goals and 75 assists.

Matthew was also a professional hockey player who spent time in the AHL and ECHL.

Johnny Gaudreau is survived by his wife, Meredith Gaudreau, and their two young children, 1-year-old daughter, Noa, and 6-month-old son, Johnny Jr.

Johnny and Matthew had been set to attend the wedding of their sister, Katie Gaudreau. The wedding ceremony is scheduled for Friday afternoon in New Jersey and a reception in Philadelphia later that night.

The brothers were supposed to be groomsmen during the wedding ceremony, according to the bride-to-be's wedding page.

This is the second tragedy for the Blue Jackets in recent years.

Columbus goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 when the 24-year-old was struck in the chest by a firework while attending the wedding of the daughter of then-Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace in Novi, Michigan.

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New York man arrested by arson bomb squad for giving 11-year-old son fireworks that set houses on fire



A New York man was arrested by an arson bomb squad for giving his 11-year-old son a firework that set two houses on fire, according to authorities.

According to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department, officers responded around 8:50 a.m. on the 4th of July to reports of a house fire in Levittown, New York.

Police determined that a 33-year-old father gave his 11-year-old son a firework and instructed him to light it. The explosive allegedly malfunctioned and soared into a nearby shed, which caused it to go up in flames.

The blaze in Long Island quickly spread to the defendant's home and then to a neighbor's house.

A single mother renting part of the first home to catch fire was reportedly forced to flee for her life from the burning house.

The Wantagh Fire Department responded and was able to extinguish the fires. However, both homes suffered extensive damage. No injuries were reported.

The Nassau County’s Arson Bomb Squad was also called to the scene and arrested Karamjit Singh without incident.

Singh was charged with second-degree arson, fourth-degree reckless endangerment, unlawfully selling of fireworks to someone under 18, unlawfully possessing fireworks, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Singh was released from jail without bail on Friday after pleading not guilty at his arraignment.

Singh's son was allegedly released to a family member.

Nassau County Fire Marshals launched an investigation into the fiery fireworks accident.

In nearby Suffolk County, a 21-year-old man reportedly severed three fingers on his left hand, damaged two fingers, and suffered burns on his leg in a fireworks accident on July 4th.

A 66-year-old Long Island man from Brentwood lost a hand and several fingers of his second hand after a fireworks explosion on Saturday night, according to WNBC.

As Blaze News previously reported, a South Carolina man was killed after putting a lit firework on top of his head while "showboating" during a 4th of July neighborhood block party. Video caught the last moments of the 41-year-old man's life as he was dancing in an Uncle Sam costume before his tragic, sudden death.

Blaze News also reported on a fatal fireworks accident on Independence Day in Tennessee. A 35-year-old man suffered a large chest wound and died after a firework exploded in his hands.

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