Jacob’s Journal – Weekly News Rewind (08/17-08/21)

Teen DUI Suspect Arrested After Car Collides With Bus in East L.A., Sending 14 to Hospital

Wednesday, August 19 (KTLA 5) – A 17-year-old was arrested by police on suspicion of DUI after a collision between a Metro bus and the driver’s Volkswagen Beetle on Wednesday morning. Authorities said 14 people were hospitalized as a result. Three were in critical condition and 11 had minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which responded to the incident at Whittier Boulevard and Downey Road in East Los Angeles.

Lyft will Continue Operating in California After Appeals Court Grants Reprieve

Thursday, August 20 (CNBC) – Lyft reversed a decision to suspend its rideshare service in California after, on Thursday, an appeals court extended the time it and Uber have to comply with a rule to reclassify its drivers as employees. Earlier in the day, Lyft stated it would suspend service in California as of midnight. Both companies now have a deadline of 5:00 p.m. on August 25 to agree to expedite procedures required by the court order. A recent lawsuit claims they have avoided paying expenses for workers by falsely claiming them as contractors, which doesn’t meet the standards of a new state labor law. However, they may avoid further legal action if voters support a measure to exempt app-based ride-hailing and food-delivery services.

Man in Custody Following Deadly Hit-and-Run Crash in Tujunga

Monday, August 17 (KTLA 5) – After a hit-and-run crash in the Tujunga neighborhood Monday  morning, the driver of a black BMW was taken into custody. At about 1:40 a.m., the BMW struck a blue Hyundai Elantra on Foothill Boulevard near Pinewood Avenue, according to police. A man in his 80s was killed in the Hyundai., which was pushed into traffic barriers by the collision. The driver of the BMW fled the scene but turned himself in to police about three hours later.

61 Deaths Reported Related to COVID-19 in LA County, Nearly 2,000 New Cases

Wednesday, August 19 (NBC Los Angeles) – The death toll from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County was raised to 5,396 after 61 deaths were reported on Wednesday. Those included four deaths in Long Beach and five fatalities reported there Tuesday. The county Department of Public Health also announced 1,956 new cases, which lifted the total number of cases in the county to 225,916. County public health director Barbara Ferrer reported 1,378 hospitalizations on Wednesday, which was up from Tuesday but below the roughly 2,200 in mid-July. Ferrer also discussed racial and income disparities during the pandemic and provided an update on transmission rates.

Pedestrian Hit By Car In Long Beach Dies After Week In Hospital

Wednesday, August 19 (CBS Los Angeles) – Alona Prescott, 22, of Long Beach died a week after being struck by a car in Long Beach, according to police. The victim had been hospitalized for a week. On August 7, Prescott was struck by a Honda Civic on Anaheim Street, west of Oregon Avenue, and died on August 14. Police said the driver remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators, while alcohol, drugs, or distracted driving were not factors in the incident.

LA Schools Announce Testing, Tracing for All Students, Staff

Monday, August 17 (AP) – As the Los Angeles Unified School District is set to reopen schools with distance learning, it is launching an aggressive coronavirus testing and contact tracing program for students, staff, and their families. The program will cover all students. Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Sunday the plan will provide data that will eventually help renew school operations. He also said family members of students and staff who test positive and show symptoms will have access to testing; if the results are positive, contact can be made with others to isolate the virus. The testing program will cost roughly $150 million in total and be a partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles and other institutions along with Microsoft, Anthem Blue Cross, and HealthNet.

Ventura Hit-and-Run: Driver Arrested After Allegedly Ramming Sergeant’s Patrol Car

Tuesday, August 18 (ABC 7) – A hit-and-run driver was arrested after ramming a Ventura County sherrif’s sergeant’s patrol vehicle multiple times. The suspect fled the scene after striking the patrol vehicle near Los Angeles Avenue and County Drive at about 2:13 a.m. on Tuesday. Based on video from the scene, the sergeant’s car flipped on its side, trapping him in the vehicle. He was then treated at a local hospital. Authorities identified the suspect as 28-year-old Frank Avalos, who was taken into custody after a short chase and charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.

Medical Workers Sue Riverside Hospital, Alleging They Were Told to Return to Work While Recovering from COVID-19

Thursday, August 20 (KTLA 5) – A group of workers from Riverside Community Hospital have filed a lawsuit claiming they were provided with inadequate protective equipment and ordered to return to work while recovering from the coronavirus. The lawsuit against HCA Healthcare was filed by three workers, a daughter of a fourth who died from COVID-19, and a hospital workers’ union. One worker reported being urged to skip sanitation procedures to speed up blood drawing. Hospital employees who died from the virus include 65-year-old Sally Lara and environmental services housekeeper Rosa Luna. Several other employees have tested positive.

Disney World is Nice But for Lakers and Bucks, There’s No Place Like Home

Wednesday, August 19 (NBC Los Angeles) – Members of the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and other NBA teams admitted that playing at Walt Disney World is great but not the same as playing in their home arenas. In a statement, Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton said he misses playing to a crowd. Other players admit feeling the same after being at the bubble for more than a month. Recent obstacles make it hard to shake off a loss, as players spend much of their time in rooms on campus rather than in familiar environments. Games scheduled for Thursday included the Pacers vs. Heat, Thunder vs. Rockets, Magic vs. Bucks, and Trail Blazers vs. Lakers.