ByJazmine Ulloa

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 8:06 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012

Published: 7:58 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012

Neighbors remember Amanda Dewey for the wildflowers that would color her home during the spring and summer.

She would often be seen outside watering her trees or tending to the neat, little shrubs she planted along her driveway, and she kept a vegetable garden in a small greenhouse in her backyard.

"Whatever she was doing, she would always get up, walk over and chat for a few minutes," said Carolyn Gannaway , who lives across the street. "She really spruced up the neighborhood."

Residents in the Cedar Park area in which Dewey lived said that they were shocked and devastated to hear of her death Tuesday.

The 53 -year-old woman was rushed to University Medical Center Brackenridge on Jan. 30 after she was struck and pinned underneath a bus for about 25 minutes in North Austin, authorities said.

The bus was turning left on Jollyville Road from westbound Braker Lane, when it hit Dewey, who had been crossing Jollyville at a crosswalk, according to an Austin police crash report. Both the vehicle and Dewey had a green light, but she had the right of way, police have said.

The driver has been identified as Eric Timmes, 53. He did not see Dewey because it was dark and had been raining, police said.

Timmes was cited for failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian, a Class C misdemeanor. He has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to company policy, pending the investigation, said Valerie Michael, spokeswoman for Veolia Transportation, a Capital Metro contractor. Michael said Timmes has been a longtime driver with Veolia and was in good standing but could not release further information because of privacy policies. Timmes could not be reached at his home Friday.

A request to Capital Metro made under the Texas Public Information Act for a report or other documents that would have details on what occurred has not been returned.

The Police Department said that the investigation will be handed over to vehicular homicide detectives and that it will be decided later whether any charges will be brought.

In Cedar Park, neighbors said Dewey would be missed. She lived alone and was described as friendly and outgoing. Marcus Rudd, who lives next to her home, recalled the Christmas presents she had given the family, including a small outfit for his baby son.

"She gave a real sense of community," he said.

julloa@statesman.com; 445-3763

'SO I HAD AN ACCIDENT, NOW WHAT?

If you recently had a car or motorcycle accident, you may be asking yourself this exact question. And you may also be asking, 'Do I really need to hire a lawyer?'

Well, the answer to this question just may depend on your particular circumstances, but it doesn't hurt a bit to ask a professional and find out. Most personal injury lawyers will provide a FREE initial consultation to help you make just this decision.

If your car is being repaired to your satisfaction AND you have no injuries that concern you then the odds are that you may NOT need a lawyer to help you along the way. BUT, if you have any questions about your physical condition then we here at COLLEY & COLLEY, LLP strongly suggest that you consult with an attorney to find out just exactly what your rights may be. We offer FREE consultation and can also offer you our decades of experience to help you evaluate your situation and make an informed decision.

One word of strong CAUTION! DON'T rely on what you are being told by the insurance adjuster about your 'needs'. They have the interest of their employer in mind, NOT YOURS! Their job is to settle the claims as cheaply as they can. An attorney can help you decide what is right for YOU!

Give us a call at COLLEY & COLLEY, LLP and see if we may be able to help you. Our main office is located in Austin, but we have an office in Tyler and handle cases all over the State of Texas. There is NO CHARGE if we don't make a recovery for you.

Paul Colley, Jr.

Attorney/Board Certified-Personal Injury Trial Law

Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Texas school bus crash sends 32 to hospital

January 18, 2012 01:36 AM EST |

TEMPLE, Texas - A tractor-trailer clipped a school bus full of students Tuesday, flipping the bus onto its side and sending 32 people - 29 of them children - to a central Texas hospital. Police said a 9-year-old boy was ejected through the escape hatch in the bus roof, and the bus driver was knocked unconscious.

The accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Farm-to-Market Road 93 on the southeastern outskirts of Temple, about 60 miles northeast of Austin. Trooper Harpin Myers of the Texas Department of Public Safety said a hardware truck apparently ran a stop sign when it hit the Academy school district bus. Conditions were foggy, but it was unclear whether that factored into the crash, Myers said.

Three of the 29 children being treated were admitted to the hospital, one in critical condition, while the other 26 were discharged, said Katherine Voss, a spokeswoman for the Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. Academy school Superintendent Kevin Sprinkles said the three were expected to recover, although "they all face a long road" to recovery.

The bus driver also was listed in critical condition, but both of the other adults, including the truck driver, were treated and discharged, Voss said.

Sprinkles said the bus was carrying about 38 children from all grade levels and was on its way to drop students off at the first of three school locations when the crash happened.

Christina Mendoza said she was driving to work when she came upon the accident scene and stopped to help.

"There was a bunch of little ones all scraped up, and they were all alone," she told the Temple Daily Telegram.

Mendoza said she has teenage children who usually take the bus but they did not on Tuesday.

Counselors were to be available for students at the Academy schools on Wednesday, Sprinkles said.

FOR ENTIRE ARTICLE SEE HUFFINGTON POST JANUARY 18, 2012

When initially rolled out, the birth control drug Yaz was marketed not only as a way to prevent unplanned pregnancy but also as a way to ward off acne, alleviate menstrual cramps and control pre-menopausal mood swings.

Because of these additional uses, the drug was marketed and prescribed to non-sexually-active teen girls as well as adult women. Now, many of these women and girls have enlisted the help of Yaz birth control lawyers and are suing Bayer, the drug's manufacturer.

Over the last two years, Yaz prescriptions have fallen by over 80 percent amid concerns that it is a dangerous and possibly defective prescription drug.

According to a recent study by the federal Food and Drug, Yaz users were 75 percent more likely to experience dangerous blood clots than women taking traditional birth control pills.