Wrong Way Crash Kills Two Following Police Pursuit

January 15, 2020 at 2:38 AM PST

Speaker 1: 00:00 Speaker 2: 00:22 Speaker 1: 00:29 Speaker 3: 00:47 Speaker 4: 01:19 Speaker 3: 01:30 Speaker 1: 01:39 Speaker 3: 01:55 Speaker 5: 02:22 Speaker 3: 02:33 Speaker 1: 02:49 Speaker 3: 03:03 Speaker 6: 03:22 Speaker 1: 03:24 Speaker 6: 03:28 Speaker 1: 03:36 Speaker 7: 04:00 Speaker 1: 04:44 Speaker 3: 05:20 Speaker 8: 05:49 Speaker 2: 05:58 Speaker 3: 06:01 Speaker 2: 06:18 Speaker 3: 06:25 Speaker 9: 06:48 Speaker 3: 06:57 Speaker 9: 07:21 Speaker 3: 07:28 Speaker 2: 08:27 Speaker 3: 08:27 Speaker 2: 08:37 Speaker 3: 08:43 Speaker 1: 08:56 It's Wednesday, January 15th I'm Deb Welsh and you're listening to San Diego news matters from KPPs coming up. Police pursuit policies in question again, following a deadly wrong way. Crash on the [inaudible] and the department of veterans affairs is one of the last medical providers to ban smoking tobacco and it's been a difficult transition for some veterans. We risk our lives in Vietnam over 50 years ago and they tell him that he can't have a cigarette. That more coming up right after the break. Thank you for joining us for San Diego news matters. I'm Deb Welch. Two people died Tuesday morning and a Carlsbad car crash caused by a wrong way. Driver KPBS reporter Prius Schreder has more Oceanside police attempted to pull over the driver of a black Ford F one 50 Tuesday morning when the vehicle took off the truck ended up driving 95 to a hundred miles per hour in the wrong direction on the I five northbound lanes in Carlsbad. The truck collided with the Pontiac and officials say the driver of the truck, a 42 year old San Diego man and the driver of the car, a 19 year old Marine stationed at camp Pendleton were killed. Officer Margiela, tulip is a spokesperson for the California highway patrol, which is investigating the crash a wrong way. Collisions are, are very rare, but when they do occur, we're, we're, we're, we're talking about very high speeds, uh, coming together, leaving not much room for, for survival. The passenger in the truck, a 35 year old San Diego man was taken to Scripps LA Jolla, [inaudible] K PBS news. California's spending $187 million more than any other state to encourage all residents to take part in the census. KPBS as Sarah [inaudible] says that the state also plans to do its own little census to check the numbers. The census Bureau gets, state officials are concerned. The U S census will undercount residents in California, so they are starting to conduct their own mini state census called the California neighborhoods count. Robert Bozak is the senior demographer with the Rand corporation, which is helping conduct the state's mini census count. He told KPBS mint the addition that no state has ever tried to do an independent verification of the federal census count, but it could have some financial benefits. The state estimates that we could be losing in the tens of billions of dollars over the next decade in terms of federal funds to the state, those it says if there's an undercount, the state could revise some of its numbers. That way they can be sure to allocate federal money correctly so communities get what they deserve. The mini census will do extensive outreach, especially in those hard to count communities. Sarah cuts Yani KPBS news. Amanda admitted to mailing nearly 8,000 parcels of meth, fentanyl, and heroin from San Diego. KPBS reporter Taryn Minto says, the postal service is becoming a more common way to deliver drugs. The same blue collection box where you may have mailed letters and bills was the key element in a sophisticated drug trafficking operation. Federal court documents show Eric Alexis Martineau admitted to shipping about a hundred boxes a week to people who used a hidden part of the internet known as the dark web to order drugs, I would say thousands of different cities and addresses assistant us attorney Sherry Walker. Hobson prosecuted the case. So this has been, um, kind of an alarming trend over the last few years. Um, especially with the increase of dark web cases. Martin O faces at least 10 years in prison and up to a $10 million fine. One other person was also arrested in connection to the case. Taryn mento KPBS news, a message for Martin O's lawyer was not returned. The group consumer watchdog says California should make the beverage industry take responsibility for recycling bottles and cans, Capitol public radio, Steve Melanie reports. It's a lot harder for people to find places to take used bottles and cans. Jamie court is with consumer watchdog. The problem is half the recycling centers in the state and redemption centers have closed over the last six years. And California's system is under major collapse because we don't have a place to bring our bottles. And cans. Instead of relying on a dwindling number of redemption centers, court says California should mandate that retailers take back empty beverage containers and expand the beverages included under the deposit program to wine and distilled spirits. He says beverage makers should also be held responsible for making sure consumers are recycling and getting their nickel and dime deposits back in Sacramento. I'm Steve [inaudible], a bill set to go before a Senate committee would make the beverage industry responsible for helping consumers recycle. The department of veterans affairs has been smoking at its medical facilities, eliminating designated smoking areas at hospitals and clinics. The change went into effect for patients and visitors in October and as of January 1st it also includes employees. The VA is one of the last medical providers to ban tobacco and it's been a difficult transition for some veterans from Tampa. Stephanie Columbian, he reports for the American home front project 70 year old air force veteran. Ronald West sits in his wheelchair just outside the fence that encloses the Tampa VA grounds. It's a cold day for Florida, so he's wearing a sweatshirt, a winter hat, and is wrapped in a blanket. He lights up a new port cigarette his second since wheeling himself out of his hospital room for a smoke. It was West third week there for a spinal cord injury and he says he comes out here a few times a day since he's no longer allowed to smoke on the property. It actually sucks. We had designated smoking areas. That's what the veterans is adhering to, but now no smoking on the campus. Come on West isn't alone on this sidewalk. The hospital fence is lined with smokers, most sporting employee badges and wearing scrubs plus a few more patients. Army veteran, Tom Rogers comes to the VA for his lung disease and other medical needs. He was angry to find out about the smoke free policy. We risk our lives in Vietnam over 50 years ago and they tell him that he can't have a cigarette. Patients aren't the only ones griping. When the VA announced the band would also apply to staff. The American Federation of government employees filed a grievance saying it violates a union contract that allows workers to smoke in designated areas. The issue was not everyone was sticking to those areas. According to dr Dawn Johnson, she promotes smoking cessation at the Tampa VA. we had a lot of problems where patients would be walking in to their medical appointments and would have to walk through people smoking. Replacing smoking areas are signs throughout the campus informing people about the change. There are still smokers who miss the message, but when hospital police or staff like Johnson spot them, they asked them to put out their cigarette and offer quick cards. That list ways to get help. Eventually VA hospitals will enforce the policy with citations and fines, but many like Tampa's are taking time to educate first. Some of our patients only come here once a year and if they didn't hear about it we can hold them responsible for it. Smoking has already banned at thousands of other health care facilities. Research shows that improves public health and doesn't affect employee retention. Three other VA unions agreed to the change. Still smoking has long been connected with military culture. The centers for disease control and prevention says more than a third of veterans started using tobacco after they entered the service, although less than 15% who use the VA smoke. Now veteran Colleen Danielson was already smoking before she joined the Marines in the 80s but says it was a huge part of her life. I used it, I thought as stress management, you know in the Marines we we, we got a few extra breaks for, you know, when we smoked outside a little bit more. Danielson quit cold Turkey years ago. Now she's a VA peer support specialist who helps other vets quit. The VA also offers counseling, a helpline and nicotine replacement products like patches and gum [inaudible] the two veterans smoking on the sidewalk say they have no interest in quitting. Still both say the policy isn't going to stop them from going to the VA. Ronald West, you stay rules. Hey, taken care of me. So you know, I'm following health workers in Tampa say they're not asking every vet to quit smoking. Just do it on the other side of the fence. I'm Stephanie Calambini in Tampa. This story was produced by the American Homefront project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veterans funding comes from the corporation for public broadcasting. That's all for San Diego news matters. If local news matters to you, consider supporting KPBS by going to kpbs.org and clicking on the give now button.

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