Posts Tagged: collisions

When It comes to wildlife crossings, California must catch up

A mule deer with sunflowera in a mountain meadow. (Photo: Tom Reichner, via Shutterstock)

by TIFFANY YAP posted 09.14.2021

OPINION: Roads and development create massive barriers for wildlife. Mountain lions, desert tortoises, California tiger salamanders and many other creatures have watched their home turf shrink. Building or upgrading wildlife crossings and preserving existing habitat can go a long way toward saving the state’s most imperiled species.

Drones abound, raise fears of mid-air collisions

A professionally operated drone heads into the sunset. (Photo: Concept W, Shutterstock)

by RICK SCHMITT and STUART SILVERSTEIN posted 02.16.2016

On a Saturday night in early December, while relaxing at his Martinez, Calif., home, Chinese exchange student Owen Ouyang decided to have some fun. He went out to the front yard and launched a sleek new drone he had recently purchased online for about $1,000. The 2.8-pound drone, advertised as “easy to fly,” proved anything but. Soon after takeoff, the drone veered dangerously toward a power line. It then climbed more than 700 feet – right into the path of a California Highway Patrol helicopter