How Far Away is Death?
How far away is death? From close calls to tragic accidents, these incidents are equally shocking as insightful.
Tune in every Thursday to see the newest edition, or scroll down to browse previous topics.
Collision alert
June 25, 2026
A small flight school plane came within 500 feet of a JetBlue aircraft (an Airbus 321neo) as revealed by FAA audio. The pilots of the JetBlue plane acted in time to avoid a collision after their onboard system conveyed a collision alert.
On Monday, June 1, 2026, JetBlue Flight 1256 was readying the aircraft to land at Fort Lauderdale International Airport when its onboard flight system alerted the pilots that another plane was close by and apparently not in communication with air traffic control.
Watch the KHOU video:
New drug threats on the radar
June 18, 2026
Unfortunately, drug addiction finds its way into the workplace, and new drugs have been identified by our local forensic administrators. Read the list below to learn more about these potentially deadly substances.
–cychlorphine: a synthetic opioid of the orphine class; regarded many times stronger than fentanyl; not detectable in a fentanyl test and not usually detectable in toxicology tests; increasingly popular to mix into counterfeit pills; and quick working to suppress breathing, often leading to death.
–mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and 7-OH mitragynine: “Both of these substances are linked to kratom, which is scientifically known as Mitragyna speciosa, according to the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education.”
“7-OH mitragynine: “Which may also be referred to as 7-Hydroxy mitragynine, is found in small amounts in kratom and is a metabolite of the primary psychoactive component found in Kratom, the CFSRE explains. However, a photo shared by the Knox County Regional Forensic Center states that it is also an opioid-like alkaloid, which is a naturally occurring compound, that is being increasingly sold in concentrated, synthetic forms, such as tablets and gummies.”
–Medetomidine: “According to the Centers for Disease Control, medetomidine is a sedative that is frequently found mixed in with illegally made fentanyl. Although it was first found in 2021, last year, there were more than 8,000 medetomidine reports submitted to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System.”
–Phenazolam: “Although it was first created in the 1980s as a potential pharmaceutical, the benzodiazepine Phenazolam has never been approved for therapeutic use. Benzodiazepines are a type of medication that slows down brain and nervous system activity, and the ones that are approved for human use are often used to treat anxiety, some mental health conditions, and seizures, according to the Cleveland Clinic.”
Content credit: All quotes are from WATE News, “LIST: 5 new drugs Knox County Regional Forensic Center is watching,” by Hope McAlee, posted: Jun 2, 2026 / 05:00 PM EDT, updated: Jun 2, 2026 / 05:00 PM EDT.
Read the full article here.
Thousands of vehicles recalled
June 11, 2026
We buy our cars and, after the outlay of so much money, we expect them to run flawlessly every time we drive them, right? Well, sometimes we have to adjust our expectations. Today’s recalls include Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru.
Toyota’s more than 81k recalls notice, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), involves the Instrument panel display which could fail to indicate warnings such as engine failure. Officials note that this failure can lead to crashes since the driver would not be alerted to malfunctions during vehicle operation.
Toyota models affected:
- 2025 Lexus UX Hybrid
- 2024 Lexus GX
- Toyota Mirai
- 2024-2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid
Hyundai is recalling more than 421k vehicles due to faulty software in the brakes, according to the NHTSA. The software can cause an incident of premature braking when the driver hasn’t engaged the brakes, with several cases of rear-ending with injuries already in the books.
Hyundai models recalled:
- 2025 to 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
- 2025 to 2026 Hyundai Tucson
- 2025 to 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
- 2025 to 2026 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid
Subaru is recalling more than 69k Forester and Forester hybrid cars due to a faulty moonroof which can suddenly detach without any warning, leading to the risk of an accident.
Cars.com tells us that “Affected vehicles include model-year 2026 Foresters and Forester Hybrids. The solid glass panel of the moonroof may have not been properly bonded to the sliding frame and may allow the panel to detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
“To resolve the issue, dealers will inspect the adhesion of the power moonroof glass panel and replace the assembly, if necessary, for free. Owners will be notified by mail July 24, but those with further questions can call Subaru at 844-373-6614 (Subaru’s number for this recall is WRF-26), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236, or visit its website to check their vehicle identification number and learn more.”
Airborne umbrella
June 4, 2026
A woman in Clarendon County was killed by an umbrella that became airborne at a restaurant in South Caroline during a high wind incident. Coroner Jacqueline Blackwell, Clarendon County coroner said that the victim, Dana Weigner, 56, died after apparently being struck in the neck by an airborne umbrella. First responders arriving at Driftwood Grill on Lake Marion attempted life-saving actions but were unable to revive Weigner.
Coroner Blackwell reported that officials are investigating wind conditions from Saturday, May 23, to ascertain the role weather played in the fatality near Palmetto Shores Campground on Lake Marion.
Tornado tears through lumber company
May 28, 2026
An EF-0 tornado tore through a town in Tennessee, significantly damaging a number of downtown buildings. Duncan Lumber, an essential New Tazewell business since 1908, was hit particularly hard, with one building decimated and significant damage to the entire site. One employee was onsite and escaped without injury.
Learn more here and remember to prepare during calmer times for unpredictable events.
Electric Ants
May 21, 2026
Did you know that electric ants are rated one of the world’s worst invasive species? Sometimes called “crazy ants,” these electric ants are strangely attracted to outlets, computers, phones—anything with a charge or current; their name comes from the sting of these ants which feels like a contact with an electric current.
Read more about how and where these electric ants are causing havoc.
Bear attacks
May 17, 2026
Bears in America’s national parks are making the news as hikers have experienced attacks. An investigation of the death of a hiker found in Glacier National Park led officials to rule the cause as a suspected surprise bear attack.
In another encounter, hikers at Yellowstone National Park were attacked by a bear near Old Faithful on Mystic Falls Trail.
Read how you can avoid being attacked by a bear when you are hiking or exploring near bear habitats.
By a split second
May 7, 2026
A woman driving a motorcycle in the Kartasura Terminal area, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, had pulled over to the roadside to rest upon her cycle. She sat up and moved her head a mere split second prior to a truck leaving the road and coming straight at her. The incident was captured on CCTV. The police investigation indicates that the truck driver may have fallen asleep just before veering off the road into vehicles on the side of the road and a power pole.
You may view the footage here.
Alligator close call
April 30, 2026
A Freeport, Texas, woman, Carol Jansky, and her husband were on their four-wheeler at their home, near the Freeport Golf Course. They were doing a routine check-in on the usually friendly alligator who has lived in a pond near the golf course for years and who frequents their property and the golf course.
However, the alligator displayed new behavior. Local KHOU 11 reported, “As they got to the edge of the pond, Jansky says the alligator came out of the water and began quickly walking toward them.
“When they saw the reptile suddenly speed up, they did the same thing, nearly tossing Carol off the back of the four-wheeler on top of the gator!
“The couple says they were very surprised by the alligator’s behavior, because it has never been aggressive before and they don’t feed it, so it becomes used to people.”
Head-splitting workday
April 23, 2026
A concussion injury happened at an offsite forest while an employee was collecting soil samples late in the workday.
To access the collection site, the employee who suffered a concussion had to cross over a roadside berm that happened to have a fallen tree on top of it. The employee thought there was enough clearance to go under this tree. There was not, and the employee hit their head on the tree while attempting to go under it.
The employee did not fall or lose consciousness. They did experience pain in their neck, right shoulder,
and on the top of their head. The employee did not feel their injury was severe enough to stop work, so
they continued sampling.
While maintaining situational awareness could have prevented this concussion and most other concussions shared through occurrence reporting these days, the team that developed this* made a deeper dive and provided recommended actions applicable at and away from work.
The next day, the employee was driving home and noticed they had a headache, head pressure,
sensitivity to light, pain in their neck and shoulder, and nausea. The employee stopped to call an oncall nurse with their medical provider. The nurse assessed that the employee could continue driving
and scheduled a follow-up appointment for later that evening. The employee was diagnosed with a
possible concussion during this appointment.
The employee went to LLNL Health Services the following Monday morning. Health Services determined that the employee had sustained a concussion.
Almost every task, no matter how mundane or routine or where it is executed (work or home), has one or more hazards associated with it. We lose sight of these hazards because:
• We rarely encounter or experience the hazard(s),
• When we do experience a hazard, the consequences are minor and insufficient to drive change, or
• We perceive the minor consequences as “the” consequences and not as leading indicators of
something worse that can happen.
Analysis identified three contributors to the employee’s injury:
• Unexpected condition (i.e., pause work condition) not acknowledged and addressed: The fallen tree
obstructing access to the sampling location did not merit stopping work and returning to step 1 of the
job hazards analysis. It did merit pausing work long enough to identify options for getting to the other
side of the fallen tree (e.g., walking around or climbing over the tree as well as crawling under it), the
associated hazards and the means of addressing them.
• Time Pressure. The worker was under a time crunch to complete the task at the end of the workday.
The crew had an early morning start the next day and could not postpone sampling until the next day.
This resulted in the worker A) rushing to access the sampling site and B) not paying full attention to
safely navigating the gap between the fallen tree and the berm.
• Spatial Disorientation. The worker was wearing a sun hat, and its brim blocked the worker’s view of
anything that was overhead and near the worker. The worker could evaluate the space between the
tree and berm before attempting to navigate it. However, the worker could not see the tree while
attempting to pass below it.
The key contributor to not promptly reporting and treating the injuries was not anticipating
conditions/potential failures and providing contingencies in response to them. The soil sampling was
being performed in very remote areas out of cell phone range. The potential need for communications
provisions appropriate to the work location and conditions, first aid kits, first aid training, and personnel
immediately available to render assistance were not addressed.
Maintain disciplined operations in whatever work is being performed.
• Pause work when an unexpected condition is encountered. Use this opportunity to evaluate
the unexpected condition(s), corresponding hazards/risks, and the response(s) needed to proceed
safely.
• Put safety first, not the schedule.
• Maintain situational and task awareness. Whether you are stationary or moving, know and
understand your relationship to your work environment, the task, and its potential hazards. Be alert
to changes in the work environment and task that may affect your safety posture, and keep in mind
that some of these changes may be the result of progressing through the task.
Have your concept of remote location include whenever distance or a physical separation imposed by work conditions/controls makes A) worker access to aid or B) aid access to workers a challenge. Evaluate whether additional controls and/or contingencies should be developed and implemented when this concept of remote location is used.
• Have first aid kits available and provide worker first aid training.
• Have reliable communication devices that provide effective communication with other crew members
and outside assistance, and a communication/check-in plan (e.g., action to locate the worker will be
taken if communication is not made within a certain timeline) while in locations where cell phone
service is not adequate.
• In cases where reliable communication is not possible, consider using a buddy system to support
injury prevention and, if necessary, recovery. A buddy system can:
* Increase the likelihood that unusual/unexpected conditions are identified, eliminated or mitigated.
* Provide visual monitoring of crew members or periodic communication between crew members
when visual monitoring is not possible or practical.
* Allow crew members to provide immediate assistance when unusual/unexpected conditions result
in an injury or other undesired outcome.
Give greater scrutiny to potential hazards that the combination of work environment and work
process may expose workers to. Example: Workers taking soil samples generally have little need for
head protection simply because they are taking soil samples. However, when sampling in heavily
forested areas, beneath solar panels, or near equipment in the sampling area, workers are more likely to
position themselves where some of these will become overhead objects when workers bend over, kneel,
squat, or reach to access the sampling location. This combination of work environment and work
process merits consideration of head protection for this task.
• Your supervisor.
• Your Integrated Safety Team member.
Content credit for this post: DOE OPEXShare, “Concussion Prompts Reconsideration of Remote Work Hazards and Contingencies,” published 11/15/2022, *Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS).
Going Bananas
April 16, 2026
Early morning October 28, 2025, a truck full of monkeys overturned in Jasper County, Mississippi. The accident involving the rhesus macaques caused public alarm along Interstate 59 and brought differing opinions from public officials and the local university, Tulane. Some monkeys fled into surrounding areas; others died; and a number were kept in their crates.
Pretty soon, the Jasper County area was rife with talk of disease, aggressive monkeys, and poor management of the situation. Apparently, the truck driver was the source, telling deputies the monkeys “carried diseases like COVID-19, herpes, and hepatitis C and that handlers needed protective gear to interact with them. These warnings led to the urgent response.”
Learn more about the misinformation spiral in the video.
Source/credit: AOL, “The Horrifying Aftermath When a Truck Full of Lab Monkeys Crashed,” Alexander Zarowski, November 2, 2025.
Deadliest Catch star dies in action
April 9, 2026
It’s been more than a month since Todd Meadows, deckhand on the Deadliest Catch, died from going overboard from the fishing vessel, the Aleutian Lady. The cause of death has been pronounced as accidental drowning with hypothermia complications. The fishing vessel was located in the Bering Strait at the time of the incident.
