Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 30, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press wednesday August 30, 2006 world a9 Dru Sjodin tire failure suspected cause of deadly bus crash Elizabethtown . ? investigators suspect a blown tire is behind a bus Accident on a major Highway in new York state that killed five peo ple including three canadians. Among the dead Are Montreal area residents Souleymane Tam Badou 16, Barry Haidou 34, and Doreen George 69. The bus Driver Ronald Burgess 52, and Antonide Dorce 81, both of new York were the other two people killed in the Accident. All were killed monday evening when a greyhound bus travelling from new York City to Montreal crashed through a Guardrail on inter state 87 and landed upside Down after rolling Over several times. New York state police said tire failure is a Likely cause of the bus crash. Wesley said adding he did not know if we Are listing tire failure As a pos it involved an inspection of the tires. Sible contributing Factor to this Acci Smith said the Driver of a Large Dent said maj. Richard Smith of the truck either heard a loud popping state police. There is no indication. Sound As the greyhound bus tried to in any Way that the bus was exceeding pass it on the interstate or saw its tire the Speed limit he added. Blow. The bus was found in the median it is believed a tire on the front left perpendicular to the North and South hand Side of the bus blew while bound lanes of travel Smith said. It Burgess tried to pass the truck in the was on its roof and passengers were left hand Lane. Found both in and outside the Don Jaquish Deputy director of Road conditions were dry at the emergency services for Essex coun time of the crash. To ., speculated that Burgess just Burgess had been driving for Grey tried to keep the bus upright and it hound for seven years company was at a very Steep spokesperson Eric Wesley said. Authorities Are continuing their that particular bus did pass its investigation. Annual Federal department of trans ? can West news service por tation inspection just last week victim fought for her life jury told preparing to decide Fate of accused by Dave Kolpack Fargo . ? Dru Sjodin fought for her life and left unmistakable Evi Dence pointing to Alfonso Rodriguez or. As the Man responsible for her death . Attorney Drew Wrigley told jurors As they prepared to decide Rodriguez a Fate. Rodriguez 53, a convicted sex offender from Crookston minn., has pleaded not guilty to a charge of kidnapping resulting in the death of the University of North Dakota student. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted. The Federal court jury of seven women and five men were Given the Case shortly after 4 . Local time yesterday and adjourned about an hour later without reaching a verdict. . District judge Ralph Erickson told them to choose a Leader and set their own sched ule for deliberations. Sjodin 22, of Pequot lakes minn., was abducted from the parking lot of a grand Forks shopping mall on nov. 22, 2003. Her body was found the following april in a Ravine near Crookston. In his closing arguments yesterday Wrigley told jurors that blood found in Rodriguez a car matched Sjodin Edna and it was found in a Mist pattern Indi Cating Sjodin fought her attacker and was beaten. Ladies and gentlemen Dru Sjodin battled him every step of the Way and she left us unmistakable messages Wrigley said. She a right Here he said pointing Sjodin a clothing introduced As evidence in court. She a right Here with All of us today. You can feel her Wrigley said fibres from Rodriguez a Blanket found on Sjodin a clothing and fibres from her clothing in his car were compelling evidence. He also said Rodriguez lied about his whereabouts on the Day Sjodin disappeared. His stories sprung leak after leak after leak Wrigley said. The Only witness called by Rodriguez a lawyers yesterday was George Sensabaugh jr., a forensic science professor from California who said tests for sexual assault were not reliable. Under questioning from assistant . Attorney Keith Reisenauer Sensabaugh said he knew few details about the Case and based his testimony on information from the autopsy and lab work. Defence lawyer Robert Hoy asked Erickson to acquit Rodriguez saying prosecutors did not prove Sjodin was alive when she was abducted from the grand Forks parking lot. Erickson denied the motion. The judge said the condition in which Sjodin a car was found with the Drivers door locked a shopping bag in the Back seat the passenger door unlocked and her Wallet in the front seat indicate the possibility that the victim was trans ported against her will within the lot prosecutors called 52 witnesses in the Case. ? associated press accused in Anhang Case enters plea san Juan puerto Rico ? a puerto rican dishwasher accused in the slay ing of a Canadian executive pleaded not guilty yesterday to murder and weapons charges a court official said. Jonathan roman 23, is charged in the september 2005 killing of Adam Anhang originally from Winnipeg who was beaten and stabbed to death in historic old san Juan a popular tourist District in the puerto rican capital. Roman pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and a weapons violation during a Reading of the charges in san Juan court. The trial is scheduled oct. 24. Roman who is free on bail worked As a dish Washer at the Pink skirt a bar and restaurant Anhang had purchased for his wife in old san Juan. The couple was walking in a Street when they were attacked by a Man. A witness later identified roman in a photo lineup and again in court. Romans lawyer has said another Man from the same neighbourhood As the defendant is responsible for the slaying but police Haven to located him. Anhang 32, was a real estate investor and ceo of an internet gambling com Pany. His wife Aurea Vazquez Rijos was treated for injuries sustained in the attack but declined to co operate with investigators police said. ? associated press austrian girl took car trips with captor Neighbour says Vienna Austria ? an austrian girl held in an underground cell for More than eight years took car trips with her captor and was seen alone in his Garden a Neighbour said yesterday adding fresh details to an increasingly Complex por trait of her Captivity. Josef Jantschek told state broadcaster Orf that he saw Natascha Pampusch Riding in the front seat of Wolfgang Priklopil a car and walking around his Gar Den alone several times Over the past few months. Other residents of Priklopil a Home town of Strass Hof a tidy suburb just Northeast of Vienna have claimed they glimpsed Pampusch outdoors at various times investigators have told reporters. And at least one other resident told an austrian newspaper that she had seen Pampusch in Priklopil a car. The details have Given nuance to the we Hope for new explanations and More lights in the darkness said police . Gerhard Lang of the Federal criminal investigations Bureau. Meanwhile police made a precaution Ary floor to floor search of the House where the girl now 18, was held to make sure it contains no other secret rooms or victims. Asked whether the renewed search of the House could yield More victims police declined to comment. Investigators have said Priklopil Edna turned up nothing in a countrywide criminal data base showing he had not been sought in any other missing person cases. Priklopil killed himself hours after his prisoners escape a week ago throwing himself under a train. Jantschek told Orf he thought it was Odd that Pampusch always entered the House through the garage where police widespread initial impression that Kam now say hidden stairs led to the cell she Pusch spent virtually every second of called Home until her dramatic Bolt to her Captivity in a windowless secret cell Freedom on aug. 23, while Priklopil 44, in Priklopil a garage. Was Busy with a cellphone Call. The Vic that Pampusch May have had More Tim was 10 when she was taken while Freedom than previously thought Sug walking to school on March 2, 1998. Gets Priklopil a control Over the girl she looked Friendly but Pale May have been so deep that she did to Jantschek said. When he asked Priklopil take advantage of possible opportunities whether Pampusch was a new Girlfriend to escape according to some experts. He said he was told she was a House Federal investigators said they keeper from the former Yugoslavia. Planned to resume questioning the Young woman about her ordeal today. ? associated press ;