Latest news with #Real-ID
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Truck driver drank tequila before crash that killed college athlete, AL officials say
A 22-year-old college athlete was tragically killed when a truck driver slammed into his vehicle during a series of wrecks along an Alabama interstate, according to a lawsuit. The driver, 31-year-old John Walter McAdams, who has been charged with murder, told state troopers he drank a 'water bottle' of tequila and had a scoop of powdered Kratom — an illegal drug in Alabama — hours before the crashes May 6 in Limestone County, according to court documents. Now, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against McAdams and South Paw Transport LLC, the company responsible for the tractor-trailer which is based in Phil Campbell, Alabama. The lawsuit claims McAdams was distracted, under the influence of alcohol and impaired during the time of the collision that killed William Hardrick, a college athlete who played football at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. It also accuses South Paw Transport of negligently 'hiring, training and supervising' McAdams. 'The intent behind the wrongful death lawsuit is to make sure Mr. McAdams and his trucking company are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,' Samuel Ford, an attorney representing Hardrick's estate, told McClatchy News. Ford said they are in the process of learning whether McAdams worked for a company or was self-employed. McClatchy News reached out to South Paw Transport on May 15 but did not immediately receive a response. A judge denied McAdams' bond in a May 14 hearing, according to court documents. Limestone County is about a 30-mile drive west from Huntsville. Driver accused of multiple crashes For 27-miles, McAdams barreled southbound on I-65, according to court documents. He is accused of causing eight crashes, including the one that killed Hardrick, WBRC reported. According to Ford, Hardrick was on his way home from school in order to get a Real-ID to be able to travel with his team. Because of the impact, Hardrick was forced off the road, hitting a fence and a guardrail before overturning, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a May 15 statement shared with McClatchy News. He died at the scene. McAdams then continued down the highway, eventually pulling over thinking he had a flat tire, according to court documents. When state troopers reached him, they said he smelled like alcohol and showed signs of impairment during a roadside sobriety test, including being 'unsteady on his feet,' according to court documents, which also said he failed a breathalyzer test. 'He didn't seem to have any clue that he had crashed into multiple vehicles over a period of several miles,' Limestone County District Judge Gray West said in court documents, adding that McAdams' cabin was on fire, but he didn't seem to notice that either. Ron Russell, who witnessed one of the crashes, told WAFF he pulled over and started recording after almost being hit by McAdams. In a video taken by Russell, the tractor-trailer is shown speeding and driving into the shoulder of the road before crashing into a white SUV and continuing. 'He needs to reap what he sowed,' Russell told the outlet. 'He got behind the wheel, he killed someone, he's going to have to pay the price for what he did.' Community mourns 'phenomenal' student athlete Hardrick's parents — who had been divorced and estranged for years — came together in the moments after hearing the devastating news about their beloved son, Ford told McClatchy News. 'When (Hardrick's mom) found out what had happened to her son, she was just in complete, utter disbelief and actually still is,' he said. Ford said Hardrick had aspirations of playing in the National Football League. 'He was a phenomenal student athlete,' he said. 'Unfortunately, these dreams were destroyed by someone who decided to be reckless and careless.' In a May 7 statement, Gerald Harrison, university vice president and director of athletics, said Hardrick was new to the football program and the school. 'We will do everything we can to support his friends, family, and teammates at this time,' Harrison said. Hardrick's football coach, Jeff Faris, called him an 'exceptional young man' in the statement. 'He made everyone around him better and has made a real impact both on and off the field,' Faris said. 'We lift up the Hardrick family in prayer as we grieve this tragic loss with them.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Travelers passing through Manchester airport fly through security on first day of Real ID
Darcie Wigfall of Salem didn't have any delays getting through airport security for her girls trip to Florida on Wednesday. With a Real-ID compliant and newly designed New Hampshire driver's license, she sailed through the Transportation Security Administration's checkpoint at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. It was the first day every traveler 18 or older was required to have a Real ID or passport, or face extra screening to fly within the U.S. For Wigfall and most others, it was a breeze, even with the redesigned IDs, which gave some TSA agents scanning troubles in other parts of the country since the new licenses rolled out in January. Wigfall gave a thumbs-up as a TSA agent quickly checked her in, just as fast as one of her companions who all had Real IDs. 'They better not (have difficulties). Not today,' Wigfall said of the new license before going through security. 'They better not give me a hard time.' They didn't. Nor did TSA agents in Orlando, Florida, give a hard time to Gilford's Becky Orton, who flew back to New Hampshire on Wednesday morning without a Real ID-compliant driver's license. Orton made it with only a brief pause for extra screening, which was mostly just security agents swabbing her hands while verifying she was who she said she was. 'I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but they just pulled me aside and basically swabbed my palms,' Orton said. 'That was it. I gave my license. Oh, and they called me non-compliant.' How long did it take? 'Two seconds,' Orton said. Before coming home though, Orton did do her due diligence by having her passport mailed to Florida because she anticipated extra scrutiny flying back the day Real ID enforcement went into effect. Sadly, her passport didn't arrive in time, but thankfully it wasn't a big deal, she said. Nearly everyone who came through Manchester-Boston Regional Airport had a mostly normal experience Wednesday, said Elizabeth Selecky, federal security director for the TSA in New Hampshire. 'We've had a really strong showing of folks who are arriving with compliant IDs. Initially, it started out in the morning around 98% compliant, and we're still hovering around the 90% area,' Selecky around 12:30 p.m. Passing the test in NH John Marasco, the state's Division of Motor Vehicles director, said earlier this week the TSA informed him 62% of the credential authentication technology scanners had been upgraded nationwide. The other 38% of machines are expected to be able to accept the state's new licenses by May 12, he said. The Department of Homeland Security certified New Hampshire's new design as compliant on March 27. The CAT scanner upgrades were given priority in Manchester and the state's two other commercial airports in Portsmouth and Lebanon. Some problems have persisted at other smaller airports scattered around the U.S., and some Granite Staters coming into Boston Logan International Airport had reported scanners rejecting the new licenses earlier this year. Last week, the DMV and TSA tried to assure residents anyone with the new licenses or state-issued IDs should be able to travel without long delays. Both urged residents to bring a passport just in case. Public awareness pays off Not only has the DMV executed a media blitz for the last year to make sure residents understood how, why and when they should get a Real ID, the TSA did its part as well. Leading up to the deadline, Selecky and officials from the Manchester airport and Londonderry Police had a table near the entrance to the TSA checkpoint with games and information for travelers to help make something as mundane as having the proper ID fun and engaging for the public, she said. 'Because people were traveling out ahead of the kickoff date, they'd be traveling back after Real ID enforcement went fully into effect. So, it was just a good opportunity to answer those questions ahead of kickoff,' Selecky said. She said most travelers were well-informed and already had compliant IDs. Safety in the air The Real ID Act came about after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The goal of the program was to establish national safety standards and be able to verify the identities of anyone flying commercially or entering a federal building or nuclear power plant. Selecky said the bottom line is public safety. 'It's an additional layer of security and also something where it helps ensure that people are who they say they are,' she said. For more information about the Real ID, visit dpierce@
Business Journals
06-05-2025
- Business Journals
Real ID requirement takes effect this week. Here's what Buffalo travelers need to know.
Do you have flights booked this week? Make sure you bring an identification that's Real-ID compliant, and give yourself extra time at the airports.
