It was about five to six, near the peak of commuter home-rush, and I was chatting with a colleague as we were about to cross Elizabeth Street on Martin Place, nearly finished work. As the Green Man appeared and the aural cue called "popata-popata-popata," we stepped out to the street and heard the other sounds - the screech and ominous thump (the thump is really loud, a lot louder than you'd expect). Calls of "Oh God no!" and the city incident-navigation of following other people's gazes led the eye to the crowd who had gathered around the man who was hit. An immediate core of helpers was established - some to talk to and reassure the man (he had a bump on the head but was conscious, complaining of pain in his probably-broken leg), some to call for help and some to direct traffic around the scene. The ambulance arrived within five minutes. It's quite odd, to me, that after nearly fifteen years of living in the Big Smoke this was the first time I'd witnessed a pedestrian accident happening (albeit aurally). Sure, I'd seen the occasional screech'n'bump, but they had always ended with no damage to either side apart from scratched bumpers and egos. I've seen the aftermath of severe accidents as well, the pools of blood, and shoes poking out from under blankets - but never that moment of thump and crunch. Weird. In this instance it seems both people were at fault to some degree - it appeared that the pedestrian had hopped across traffic to the median strip, and had then stepped out without looking when the lights changed, while the driver had obviously cruised through an orange light as it had turned red (very common). Someone was hit on the very same intersection a couple of mornings before. Another was killed last week a few blocks away, when she ran in front of a bus at an intersection. It sure was a loud THUMP. I think part of it was the sound of bones breaking. He's an incredibly lucky man.

Florida - Early Sunday morning, firefighters from Waldo Fire Rescue and the Gainesville Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials Response Team were dispatched to the Cafe Risque Adult Supercenter in Waldo where a suspicious device containing an unknown hazardous material had been discovered. The simple, but functional device consisted of two plastic jugs which mixed an unknown corrosive substance using an introductory water hose before delivering it into the building through a separate, secondary hose. The entire device was placed on top of a window air conditioning unit located on the north side of the building. After donning Level B HazMat protective gear in the 95 degree heat, GFR's HazMat team secured the device for transport to a state lab in Tallahassee where it will be processed forensically. According to GFR Chief Donnie Sessions, initial tests completed on scene indicated that the liquid was a corrosive base with traces of ammonia compounds, but that additional testing at the state lab by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection would definitively identify the substance. The discovery of the device occurred on the heels of recent protests in Waldo to prevent the building's refurbishment as an adult bookstore. The water source to the device had been on for some time before its discovery as there was extensive water damage throughout the building that will prolong ongoing construction and delay the store's opening. Additionally, the device is described by the Florida State Statutes as a weapon of mass destruction, the placement of which is a first degree felony, punishable by up to thirty years in prison. The case remains under investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. Written and photos by Megan Crandall - PIO