Imperial Valley Press Quick News

Driver killed and two passengers injured in crash

By SILVIO J. PANTA

An El Centro woman died early today and her two passengers were seriously injured in a car wreck that police suspect may have involved alcohol and drugs.

A half-empty bottle of alcohol and drug paraphernalia were in "plain sight" inside the car driven by 39-year-old Vanessa Henderson who plowed into tree next to an apartment building at 494 Adams Ave., said Sgt. John Seaman.

Henderson, of El Centro, was heading east on Adams Avenue when she inexplicably veered right instead of turning left on the curved roadway in order to avoid hitting the tree, Seaman said.

Witnesses told police that the sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck a curb, spun around before striking the tree with its roof, said Sgt.Jeff Mason in a press release.

Henderson was pronounced dead at the scene of the 5:52 a.m. crash that required a team of firefighters to use the Jaws of Life in freeing the passengers, Mason said.

Brawley Bypass gets full funding

The California Transportation Commission awarded $49.5 million for the completion of the Brawley Bypass today, Imperial Valley Association of Governments official Bob Ham said.

The completion of the Brawley Bypass will create an expressway around the city of Brawley from Highway 86/78 east to Highway 111. With the project fully funded it could be complete by 2011, Ham said.

>> Staff Writer Eric Galvan

Man robs Main Street gas station in Brawley

By SILVIO J. PANTA

Staff Writer

BRAWLEY — A partially masked man robbed a Main Street gas station early Wednesday and fled with $300 cash and a couple bottles of liquor, a sergeant said.

The suspect who wore a bandana over his face entered C & C Gas at about 3:15 a.m. and demanded the cash at gunpoint, said Sgt. Perry Monita. A clerk at the business, which is located at Police are expected to view a surveillance tape once the store manager arrives at the station, Monita said. The suspect was about 5 feet tall and appeared to have weighed a 100 pounds. Anyone who has information about the predawn armed robbery can call Brawley Police at 344-2111.

1686 Main St, provided the robber the cash along with the beverages the robber wanted, Monita said. There was apparently no other people inside the gas station and no one was hurt during the robbery.

Balloon causes power outage

Several hundred residents in the south Imperial and north El Centro area were without power for at least two hours Monday night after a mylar balloon struck power lines, an Imperial Irrigation District official said.

The balloon struck power lines around 8:30 p.m. Monday and power was restored at around 10:30 p.m., IID spokesman Kevin Kelley said.