Archive for Tragic News
Some sobering and tragic news out of Staten Island in the wake of the Jets big win over the Patriots last night: Raymond Larsen, a 46-year-old man was struck and killed when he was run over by a 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 61-year-old woman at approximately 8:52 p.m. Larsen was taking a celebratory sled ride down his steep driveway when he and the sled entered the roadway and into oncoming traffic.
From a report on silive.com (via Pro Football Talk):
The car struck Larsen, and when police and emergency workers arrived, he was unconscious and unresponsive. Larsen was taken to Staten Island University Hospital, Prince’s Bay, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The driver, a 61-year-old woman who police have not identified, remained on the scene, police said. She did not have alcohol in her system, and investigators do not suspect any criminality on her part, authorities said.
Neighbors said they heard a loud sound, similar to a car hitting a pothole, and then minutes later heard ambulances and saw Larsen, clad in a New York Jets Mark Sanchez jersey, bleeding from the head, lifeless. Larsen reportedly took the disc-like sled out for a celebratory joyride after the Jets upset the New England Patriots in a playoff game last night. The game ended about an hour before the accident occurred.
Jesus.
Jets joyride turns deadly for Staten Island fan [silive.com (via Pro Football Talk)]
And no, I am not referring to the ravishing Barbara Bel Geddes, the character actress who portrayed “Miss Ellie” Ewing on Dallas. That woman was the epitome of beauty, class and dignity right up until her death in 2005 – at which point she was still eminently boneable (amirite?) – at the age of 82 from lung cancer in 2005.
No, I am of course referring to Miss Ellie, the Chinese Crested Hairless dog who won the 2009 World’s Ugliest Dog competition. Sorry to break the news, but Miss Ellie sadly passed away at the ripe old age of 17.
An obituary of sorts, courtesy of the Paw Print Post:
She starred in shows at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge , Tenn., and also had a worldwide following. She appeared on The Animal Planet cable show “Dogs 101.”
Pigeon Forge Mayor Keith Whaley proclaimed Nov. 12 as “Miss Ellie Day” for her efforts to raise money for the local humane society. Over the years, Ellie helped raise more than $100,000 for the Sevier County Humane Society. She appears in this video supporting that cause.
According to this story in the Asheville, N.C.’s Citizen Times, Miss Ellie was rescued when she was 7 years old and brought to live with her owner, Dawn Goehring, and 13 other rescue dogs. In her final days, Miss Ellie was continually working on raising awareness and money for rescue animals. She was entered in the 2010 World’s Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif., and had planned to travel to California next month to compete one more time.
It’s always refreshing to realize an ugly ass dog accomplished more with her life than you have with yours. Sigh.
Be that as it may, it has been a difficult week for celebrity deaths. First it was Gary Coleman, then Rue McClanahan shuffled off this mortal coil, now Miss Ellie? Who’s next? But now is not the time to worry about such trivial things – it is now Miss Ellie’s time to shine. Take it away, Christina Aguilera.
World’s ugliest dog passes away at 17 [Paw Print Post]
John M. Stephens, best known for his time spent playing for the New England Patriots from 1988-1992 and winning 1988 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, tragically died Tuesday in a one vehicle accident in Shreveport, Louisiana. Stephens also played for the Packers, Falcons and Chiefs until his playing career came to an end in 1993.
“He had a fantastic rookie year. For that period of time that he had success as a running back, there was nobody better,’’ Andre Tippett, Hall of Famer and Patriots executive director of community affairs, said last night. “It was amazing watching him. He really kind of shocked everybody when he came into the league. He brought it. He was a tough competitor. It was special watching him run.’’
Stephens will be remembered fondly as a punishing runner but perhaps just as much for his community service. He received the Gale Sayers Humanitarian Citation in 1988, which is given to the NFL rookie who does the most for their community.
My thoughts and sympathies go out to his family, friends and the entire New England Patriots organization. I wish I could extend the same to Patriots fans, but since he played for the team before 2001, most of the current fanbase probably wouldn’t have any idea who in the hell I was referring to.
John Stephens, 43; Patriots back was ’88 Rookie of Year [The Boston Globe]
Do you want to know what’s worse than getting struck by lightning? Having to get the lower portion of your leg amputated as a result. Sadly, that is the fate suffered by Jonathan Richter (right), a defender – I guess it should be former defender – for Danish soccer club FC Nordsjaellan. Richter was placed in an induced coma for ten days after he was struck by lightning July 20th during a match against Hvidovre.
The FC Nordsjaelland defender’s condition is improving and he will “very soon” be moved from the intensive care unit at a Copenhagen hospital, his family said in a statement posted Tuesday on the club’s Web page.
It said he “was making great progress” but gave no further details on the 24 year old.
The website POLITIKEN.DK provided additional details of Richter’s condition in a report dated August 2nd:
Søndag morgen fjernede lægerne på Hvidovre Hospital de sidste dele af respiratorudstyret fra offensivspilleren, der for knap to uger siden blev ramt af lynet under en fodboldkamp – kort efter kunne han for første gang tale.
Yeah, I have no friggin’ clue what that says either, but you know it’s not good when the words “gang tale” end a sentence, no matter the language.
Boy, talk about rotten luck. I wish Mr. Richter a speedy recovery and hope that he somehow manages to live a happy and productive life despite this tragedy. One thing that would be nice if his distant cousin, Andy Richter, could get him a behind-the-scenes walking tour of The Tonight Show set. Well, maybe not a walking tour, I guess. A wheeling tour, perhaps? That’s likely to put a spring in anyone’s step, wouldn’t you say?
Oh dear. I’m just going to go ahead and stop now.
Player’s leg amputated after lightning strike [The Seattle Times]
Jonathan Richter taler igen [POLITIKEN.DK]
Just terrible, gut-wrenching news: Tyler Maxwell (not pictured above), an eight-year-old boy from Glenville, West Virginia, died today at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston after collapsing yesterday during the opening day of football practice for a youth league.
Monday was the opening day of football practice for the youth league at the Gilmer County High School Titans practice field. Also on the field were about 30 high school players and Head Coach Bucky Stewart.
“It was pretty sad. He was an 8-year-old playing football. That’s killed me. I was there when it happened,” said Stewart. “Tuesday we started out the day with a prayer. Our guys are all going to go to the wake and we’re going to put stickers on our helmets for Tyler Maxwell.”
Sadly, we have grown somewhat accustomed to hearing about this when it happens to adult athletes, but to think that a little boy is gone at the age of 8 just breaks my heart. I don’t even know what to add except my thoughts are with his family. Just tragic.
Boy dies after collapsing at football practice [Parkersburg News & Sentinel]
