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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT BLACKBERRY EDITION Tuesday, April 18, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Blue Ridge Parkway Accident with Fatality, Serious Injury A 19-year-old woman who was driving down the parkway near mile marker 206 lost control of her vehicle and rolled it over around 3 a.m. on April 14th. The car was traveling southbound when its right side wheels dropped off the road edge. The driver attempted to correct, but lost control of the vehicle, which slid into an embankment and rolled over. A 20-year-old male passenger was killed and the driver sustained serious injuries. A 17-year-old male passenger in the back seat sustained minor injuries, but was able to pull the other two people from the vehicle. All three were from Mount Airy, North Carolina. An investigation is underway. The Roanoke Valley Regional Crash Team, an interagency task force involving NPS, state and local agencies, will be conducting a thorough investigation in coming days. [Steve Stinnett, Assistant Chief Ranger] Padre Island NS Conviction for Possessing Ammunition On October 7, 2005, park rangers made a vehicle stop for a traffic violation which led to the discovery of 21 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia and ammunition. The driver, a 30-year-old man from San Antonio, was found to be a convicted felon and confirmed gang member. An investigation by ATF&E agents and park rangers resulted in the filing of several charges. The driver subsequently pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and received a five year prison sentence. [Randy Larson, Chief Ranger] Big Cypress NP Assist on Fatality On the afternoon of April 12th, the Collier County Sheriff's Office notified an Everglades NP district ranger that a body had been found floating in waters near what they thought might be park land. A crime scene unit was being dispatched to the scene and the sheriff's office asked for assistance with obtaining transportation to the site and in determining jurisdictional lines. Everglades advised Big Cypress of the incident and of the possibility that it had occurred within the boundaries of the latter. Due to the uncertainty of the location of the incident and the circumstances surrounding the apparent death, Big Cypress NP notified the FBI. It was decided to continue having Collier County Sheriff's Office take the lead on the investigation, with full support from both NPS units. Rangers from both parks responded to the on-water location along with a sheriff's deputy to secure the scene and document the GPS coordinates. Rangers assisted in the body recovery and a search of nearby areas for evidence and also provided the sheriff's office with a GIS-based map of the locations investigated. The investigation into cause of death is ongoing. The identity of the victim is unknown. Ultimately, it was determined that the body was located about 100 yards outside of Big Cypress's boundary. [Ed Clark, Chief Ranger] PARKS AND PEOPLE Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP GS-5/7/9 Park Ranger The park is recruiting for a law enforcement ranger at the GS 5, 7, or 9 level. The job is being advertised through OPM as well as merit promotion. The park consists of four separate Civil War battlefields and three other detached sites encompassing over 8,000 acres. The park maintains over 30 miles of roads, about half of which are exclusive jurisdiction. Work often involves cooperating with other enforcement and emergency service agencies of four counties and one city in areas of exclusive, concurrent, and proprietary jurisdiction. Contact chief ranger Keith Kelly at 540-654-5535 for additional information. * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |