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10 Hospitalized After Casino Bus Crash

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The California Highway Patrol is investigating a tour bus crash near the city of Pala in northern San Diego.

According to CHP, the bus was headed from Los Angeles to the Casino Pauma with 18 passengers on board, all from the L.A. area.

The driver told officials that the brakes failed going around a curve. The bus struck a guard rail and careened to the right, crashing into trees and boulders before coming to a stop.

The accident happened just before 11 p.m. Sunday on Pala Temecula Road near Arouba Road.

Ten people, including the driver, were taken to Palomar Hospital. Officials said the most serious injury was a laceration to the head. All of those passengers have been discharged from the hospital.

CHP said it does not appear alcohol played a role in the crash.

“We don’t really know any of the history of the company right now,” Officer Jim Bettencourt said. “Everything is still pretty fresh.”

“Once we’re able to get the bus out of here, we’re going to do a full mechanical investigation on it to determine if there was anything else wrong with the bus, if it was mechanical or driver error,” he said.

Casino Pauma confimed Polar Express operates the bus route, but NBC 7 has been unable to make contact with the company.

The driver was 58-year-old Danhill Wong of El Monte. The 1996 tour bus is registered to Wong’s address, according to public records.

Part of Pala Temecula Road was closed for hours while officials were on-scene.

Check back for updates on this developing story.


View Pala-Temecula Rd & Arouba Rd in a larger map


Police Respond to Shooting Near Hartford Restaurant

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Police are investigating a Labor Day shooting outside a restaurant in Hartford.

According to police, a 25-year-old from Hartford was shot twice in the leg near Tico's Place on the 300 block of Franklin Avenue. It happened just before 4:15 p.m. on Monday.

Police said the victim received non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition at Hartford Hospital.

Witnesses at the scene said they heard about five gunshots and saw who they think was the shooter flee in a car.

Police have not said whether they've identified a suspect.

The Hartford Police Major Crimes Division and Shooting Task Force are investigating. Anyone with information should contact police.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Flooding Puts a Damper on Holiday Plans in Plainville

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Towns across Connecticut are cleaning up after Monday afternoon’s downpours.

Plainville was hit hard, and some sections were flooded with several feet of water.

Driving through Plainville on Labor Day was a risk after heavy rain flooded parts of town.

“Streets were just covered with water we couldn't get home,” said resident Hunter Sarlo.

Flooding was especially bad on Hayden Street by Route 10. One parking lot ended up under four feet of water.

“It came down within three minutes I swear to god,” said Nancy Bruttaniti. She tried making it through the mess on her way to a nearby laundromat and almost got stuck. “I went through it, now my brakes aren't working too well."

A lot of that water went right into Korab’s Auto Body & Repair shop.

“It's intense…a lot of water here we weren't expecting it today,” said the owner Destin Beckwith.

As it rushed into this placer, workers scrambled to move customers’ cars to a safe spot.

“Most of the time it comes up to the door, but this time we couldn't stop it. It just came right inside,” Beckwith said.

Water got dangerously close to several homes on Burnside Avenue a few blocks down. There was so much water here, the road was nearly impassable at one point.

“It’s awful it’s awful,” saidAnnette Wilson. She and her granddaughter couldn’t go anywhere for hours. “You can’t get out here. You’ll lose your breaks or something will happen,” Wilson said, adding that it ruined their plans to celebrate the end of summer on this holiday.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

1 Killed, 2 Injured in Miami-Dade Lightning Strike

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One man was killed and two others were hospitalized after they were struck by lightning in Miami-Dade Monday, authorities said.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. at 17198 Southwest 212th Street, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The two survivors were taken by ground to Kendall Regional Medical Center where they were in stable condition.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, the men were hiding under a tractor trailer to escape the lightning when the trailer was struck by lightning. It's believed the electrical charge then hit the men.

"We went outside and all three of them were on the ground," said witness Janet Suarez, who said the men were power-washing a truck.

None of the victims were identified. Officials said the medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death.

The National Weather Service had issued weather advisories for frequent to excessive lightning for portions of Miami-Dade before the incident.

"Anytime you have a thunderstorm, no matter where you are, we do advise individuals to seek some type of shelter, we do recommend that you do not stand underneath a tree or close by metal objects," Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Robin Pinkard said.

Check back with NBC 6 South Florida and NBC6.com for updates.

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Photo Credit: NBC6.com

Man Shot in Head in Hamden

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Hamden police are investigating after an 18-year-old from New Haven was shot in the head on Arch Street last night.

According to police, the victim was walking to a party with several friends when he was shot in the back of the head.

It happened around 11:30 p.m. in the area of Dixwell Avenue and Bowen Street.

Police said the victim was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

Two cars were also damaged by the gunfire, according to police.

The Hamden Police Department Detective Division is investigating.

Anyone with information should contact Hamden police at 203-230-4040.



Photo Credit: NBC Universal

Pedestrian Struck by Car in Torrington

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A Washington man is in the hospital after he was struck by a car this morning on Route 8 in Torrington.

According to police, 26-year-old Cameron Picton was walking along Route 8 just before noon when he was hit by a car in the area of exit 45.

The car, driven by Denise Mordenti, 62, of Waterbury, was traveling southbound when it struck Picton.

Picton was seriously injured and was taken to Waterbury Hospital. Police said Picton suffered a broken left leg, broken ribs, a laceration to the head and bruising on the brain.

Mordenti and passenger Kathy Mihailoff, 55, of Terryville, were not injured.

Police are investigating to determine the cause of the crash.

 

Suspicious Letter Delivered to Darien Home

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Darien emergency officials, along with the F.B.I. and State Police Emergency Services, are investigating after a resident of the Tokeneke section of Darien received a threatening letter containing white powder.

According to police, the resident called emergency services around 2:30 p.m. to report the delivery of a suspicious letter.

Police said the letter contained white powder and that nine people were exposed, but so far, none have exhibited any symptoms of illness.

Investigators are working to determine who sent the letter and why.

The investigation is ongoing.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Heavy Rains Wash Out Redding Roads

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Heavy rains washed out Redding roads this afternoon as flash floods moved through the area of western Fairfield County.

A fallen tree and downed power lines are blocking Umpawaug Road in West Redding. Just down the street, Simpaug Turnpike and Long Ridge Road are flooded out, with cars submerged up to their windows. Water is also still gushing on Curiosity Lane.

The fire department has shut down a number of streets around town, making travel next to impossible.

It's not clear when the roads will reopen, but residents say they've never seen flooding like it.

A flash flood warning was in effect for Fairfield County until 5 p.m., and although it has since expired, flooding is still a concern throughout the evening.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Diana Nyad Completes Record-Breaking 110-Mile Swim

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After more than two days in the water and covering nearly 110 miles, endurance swimmer Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage Monday when she arrived in Key West.

The 64-year-old finished the historic journey shortly before 2 p.m., when she came ashore at Smather's Beach where hundreds of spectators had gathered to greet her.

"Never ever give up," Nyad told the crowd before medical workers helped her onto a stretcher and gave her an IV. "You're never too old to chase your dreams."

PHOTOS: Diana Nyad's Quest to Swim From Cuba to Florida

Nyad sipped on water and thanked her team of supporters who traveled with her during the nearly 53-hour swim which began just before 9 a.m. Saturday.

"It looks like a solitary sport but it's not, it's a team," she said.

The Coast Guard had escorted her as she neared the beach, and her team was ferried by dinghy ahead of her.

"I wish I could have felt better right when I got out, talked to people and stayed but I realized how, I had to get out of the sun," Nyad said, before she was taken to an ambulance.

Amputee Swims With Dolphin With Prosthetic Tail

The feat even earned Nyad a congratulatory tweet from President Barack Obama.

"Congratulations to @diananyad. Never give up on your dreams," it read.

Earlier, around 10:40 a.m., she had stopped to tread water and thank her team. "I am about to swim my last two miles in the ocean. This is a lifelong dream of mine, and I'm very very glad to be with you," she told them.

Nyad was still going strong as she dodged jellyfish, whose stings had hampered her last attempt at the historic swim. This time, she wore a protective suit and "sting stopper" gel on her skin, and divers were swimming ahead of her to make sure her path was clear of jellies, according to her blog.

Earlier, a cruise ship had made way for Nyad just as the sun rose over the horizon, according to her team's blog.

Nyad's doctors reported Monday morning that her tongue and lips were swollen, causing her speech to be slurred, and that they were concerned about her airways and about exhaustion. They did not intervene, however.

Because she had gotten very cold, she was not stopped for food and water overnight, in the hopes that swimming would keep her warm, her doctors said.

During feeding earlier, Nyad had mentioned pressure in her lungs. Doctors had checked her vitals and reported that her blood pressure was normal and her lungs were clear.

Nyad had made it through her first night in the Straits of Florida with almost no sightings of jellyfish.

This was Nyad's fourth attempt at the feat of crossing between Cuba and Florida without a shark cage in the last three years. She also made an unsuccessful try with a cage in 1978.

More Related Stories:

 



Photo Credit: Julia Bagg/NBC6.com

Commuters "Blown Away" By New Bay Bridge

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Commuters who drove between Oakland and San Francisco on the Bay Bridge before the sun came up on Tuesday only had glowing things to say about the $6.4 billion engineering masterpiece, which took more than a decade to build and came in at $5 billion more than first projected.

"It was incredible, man," Nhua Rodriguez told NBC Bay Area. "Nice, clear, no traffic. Very good, man."

Omar Hassan also liked his ride: "I thought it was excellent. Spectacular. I was blown away."

VIDEO: Bay Bridge Construction Time Lapse

And from the early morning tweets and Instagram photos taken - hopefully by passengers,  not drivers - other commuters were loving the wide open vistas and views. What people liked most was the "cathedral-like" effect of the clean, simple suspension bridge, compared to the cantilever beams on the old section of the bridge, which boxed drivers in like a cage.

Bridge traffic was smooth in the early morning hours of Tuesday, though westbound Interstate 80 in Berkeley was jammed approaching the bridge.

MORE: What People are Saying About the Bay Bridge

By 10 a.m., though, the California Highway Patrol announced officers removed one motorist from the cantilever section of the bridge because he went around the contruction zone to try to take pictures. CHP spokesman Daniel Hill said a few others were either warned or cited for taking photos and "making iPhone videos" of the bridge while behind the wheel. Hard numbers, he said, wouldn't be out until later in the day.

Caltrans and the CHP opened up the new eastern span of the bridge to traffic at about 10:15 p.m. Monday night - about seven hours earlier than planned. The bridge was scheduled to be reopened by 5 a.m. Tuesday but the work was finished faster than anticipated, Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said.

On Labor Day afternoon, authorities held a chain-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m.  to officially welcome the new bridge.

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom cut the ceremonial chain with a blowtorch - just like they did when the bridge opened in 1936 - setting off a procession of California Highway Patrol motorcycles and other vehicles across the new bridge. Gov. Jerry Brown was noticeably absent from the pomp and circumstance. He was in Michigan with his wife for a family reunion.

PHOTOS: Bay Bridge Opening Ceremony

A collection of 20 cars, ranging from vintage models to modern electric vehicles were also part of the first motorcade to begin crossing the new span at about 5:40 p.m. Horns honked, drivers cheered, and the mood seemed like New Year's Eve.

MORE: 20 Cars to Give Bay Bridge a Test Spin

The workhorse bridge of the Bay Area has been closed since Wednesday night, so that Caltrans workers could get ready for the new  2.2-mile eastern span that took 11 years to build following the safety concerns after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The original pricetag was about $1 billion, and the road to building the bridge was full of political football and controversy, including recently when bolts on the bridge were discovered to have had problems that have since been addressed.

But all's well that ends well.

The construction to open the bridge went off with little to no public hitches. Caltrans had given regular media tours throughout to show the public that all was going well. Crews furiously worked to pave the roadway on east and westbound portions of the new span, installed barriers, power-washed the Treasure Island tunnels, polished lights, and demolished part of the old approach to the eastern span from Oakland.

"We haven't encountered any problems beyond the occasional slowdown that you'd expect with any construction project," spokesman Andrew Gordon said of work taking place since the bridge closed Wednesday night.

RAW VIDEO: Early Ridealong Tour on the Bay Bridge

Even traffic didn't become the headache many had feared. Despite the five-day closure of the Bay Bridge, motorists made their way around in sluggish, but tolerable, commutes.

NBC Bay Area's Kyle Bonagura, Christie Smith, Terry McSweeney, Mike Inouye and the Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Police Search for Rocky Hill Gas Station Robber

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A manhunt is underway for an armed robber who targeted a gas station in Rocky Hill on Monday morning.

It happened at 3:45 a.m. at the Shell gas station along the Silas Deane Highway.

Rocky Hill police said a gunman walked into the gas station store and demanded money from the clerk, Aziz Sheikh, 31, who was by himself during the robbery.

“I was shocked. I thought maybe I was going to die right there. And this is my last moment.”

Sheikh said the robber took the money and ran off.

“After he left, I took…a few seconds, thought about what happened…then, I called 911.”

Rocky Hill police are working alongside state police and authorities in Wethersfield to track down the suspect.

He’s described as a thin black man in his late 30 and was last seen wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and a black cap.

Although Sheikh wasn’t hurt during the armed robbery, some can’t help but think how lucky he is to be alive.

“Any gas station or places like this that are open 24-hours—these guys are vulnerable. Anybody could come in at any time during the night,” said Jim Buchta of Trumbull.

Sheikh said he’s thinking about getting a safer job.

“Working like this is life-threatening. I would’ve been dead by now. I’m still alive. That’s good.”

Anybody with information on this robbery is urged to call Rocky Hill police.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Armed Guards Placed at Enfield Schools

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When students return to school in Enfield today, there will be uniformed guards carrying handguns and not everyone in the school district is happy about it.

The town has hired 18 guards to oversee security within the district. They will be stationed at the front doors and will also monitor school grounds.

School officials in Enfield started talking about the possibility of placing armed guards in the schools days after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, that took the lives of 20 first graders and six educators. 

The town also created a joint security committee
that included town council members, board of education members, the town manager, school officials and police.

The police chief said the main goal is to protect the students and teachers.

The guards are retired officers from local police departments who've all undergone training, drug screenings, psychological evaluations and background checks. They will not carry handcuffs and won’t be authorized to arrest or interrogate students.

However, reaction from some parents is mixed.

"I don't think having an armed guard is going to stop anybody if they want to get in. I think they're going to get in," Debby Miller, mother of an Enfield High School student, said.

"It's going to be a more safer community, for not only students but teachers as well," Kayla Gilbert, a freshman at Enfield High School, said.

There are reports that a petition is circulating to bring the armed security initiative to a vote. It has about 2,500 signatures.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Heroin Found During DWI Spot Check in Plainfield

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Officers stationed at a drunken driving checkpoint in Plainfield on Saturday nabbed a suspected heroin dealer who was driving on a suspended license, according to Plainfield police.

Plainfield Police Department, along with Connecticut State Police, were conducting a DWI spot check in the area on Route 12 at the Plainfield and Killing town lines at 6:40 p.m. when they stopped a 2003 Chevy Venture minivan for a defective windshield, police said.

Roland L. Daigneault Jr., 44, of Dayville, was arrested after narcotics police dogs detected illegal drugs, police said.

Police said they found around 80 bags of heroin inside the minvan and another 12 bags of heroin on Daigneault, police said.

Daigneault was arrested and charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, operating while having a suspended license and defective windshield. 

He was later released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.
 

Chester Hadlyme Ferry Closed

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The Chester Hadlyme Ferry is closed until further notice because of mechanical problems, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The ferry operates daily from April 1 through November 30.



Photo Credit: Connecticut Department of Transportation

Fatal Crash Old Saybrook

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A crash on Route 1 in Old Saybrook this morning was fatal, according to police.

At 7:47 a.m., car went off the road and into the woods at Boston Post Road near Mill Rock Road East, police said.

The person had to be cut free from the vehicle and was rushed to the hospital, police said .

One lane of traffic is closed and will remain closed during the police investigation.

Police have not released the victim's name and ask witnesses to call  the Old Saybrook Police Department at 860-395-3142.


 


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Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

3 Killed in Labor Day Weekend Crashes

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Three people were killed in crashes over the holiday weekend, according to Connecticut state police.

Police increased patrols from 12:01 a.m. on Friday until 11:59 p.m. on Monday and responded to 259 crashes, in which 44 injuries were reported.

One of the fatal crashes involved a motorcycle on Interstate 84 in Hartford, according a to news release state police issued on Saturday morning.

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Brainard Road in Enfield, near Route 5 just after 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

A 55-year-old West Haven man was killed in a motorcycle crash in West Haven on Saturday. Police identified him as Michael Cavallaro.

State police used aircrafts and unmarked patrol vehicles, in addition to other troopers, on highways and secondary roads and issued 1,513 speeding tickets.

Police also issued 237 tickets for seat belt violations, 3,513 other violations and 50 tickets for driving while under the influence.
 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Man Accused of Bashing Woman Into Clothes Dryer

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A south suburban Chicago man was being held in an Indiana jail Monday night, accused of felony aggravated battery after a fight over the sole clothes dryer at the Jellystone Campground.

Michael Patrick Zimny, 54, of Glenwood, Ill., is accused of leaving a woman in critical condition after he bashed her head against the dryer.

Zimney's grandson told NBC Chicago there's no way the allegations against his grandfather are true.

"It does not sound right," said Gage Walters. "He'd never do anything like that. He's not that type of person. He's a hard worker."

The victim, a 24-year-old woman, has been in an out of consciousness, and her account of what happened at the campground in Pierceton, Ind., is unclear.

"It's my understanding that we weren't able to get a direct statement from her," said Sgt. Chad Hall.

Walters said Zimny, a tow truck operator, rarely takes vacation but goes to the Jellystone Campground when he needs time away.

Zimny was being held without bond by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.

 

Woman Sues LAPD After Falling from Patrol Car

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A woman is suing the Los Angeles Police Department after she suffered critical injuries in March when she fell out of a moving patrol car.

Kim Nguyen, 27, and her attorneys said officers are at fault because after arresting her on suspicion of public intoxication, they failed to secure her with a seat belt and did not use an outside lock on the door.

Nguyen was in a medically induced coma after the fall, and still suffers complications from a broken jaw and brain injuries she received.

LAPD officials declined to comment on the case, saying they don't comment on ongoing litigation.

In March, Nguyen was waiting for a designated driver in a Koreatown restaurant when police arrested her, according to her attorney, Arnoldo Casillas.

She never made it to the police station, her attorney said.

Nguyen, still handcuffed, fell out of the patrol car near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Olympic Boulevard (map), suffering serious injuries.

A Fire Department report showed that officers claimed she fell after the patrol car stopped at a light and began accelerating. A security camera video apparently contradicts that account, Casillas said.

"The video shows that the statement that the police officers gave the paramedics is an unabashed, unequivocal lie," Casillas said. "The light's green. They do not stop."

Nguyen, a Loyola Marymount University accounting and marketing graduate student at the time of the incident, said she still might have to have brain surgery as a result of the fall.

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Drunken-Driver Hit Cruiser: Cops

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A Branford police officer was injured when a 20-year-old intoxicated woman struck his cruiser on Monday night, police said.

Sergeant Philip Ramey was working at a drunken driving checkpoint on Commercial Parkway just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday when he stopped Crystal Carreras, 20, of Branford, and her vehicle backed into Ramey’s police cruiser, police said.

Police said they determined that Carreras was driving drunk and arrested her for operating while under the influence of alcohol, under 21.

“Sergeant Ramey’s DUI efforts and the injury he sustained in this crash remind us of the dangers that intoxicated drivers pose to our society and the need for police to actively remove them,” Chief Halloran said in a news release.

Ramey was eventually transported to an area medical facility, where he was treated and later released for minor injuries to his back.

Carreras was released after she posted a $500 bond and is scheduled to appear in New Haven Court on Sept. 11.

 



Photo Credit: NBC10

Man Dead After New Britain Standoff

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The state police major crime unit is investigating a tense standoff between a man and New Britain police that ended in tragedy.

The man at the center of the standoff was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

The hours-long standoff began around 6:45 p.m.on Monday.

Someone called New Britain police, saying there was a disturbance on the third floor of 141 Broad Street. When police arrived, the situation escalated.

“They encountered a male individual on the third floor being disruptive, hollering, throwing objects out of the window,” said Lt. Paul Vance with state police.

Witnesses said the man threw a piano, a lamp and several other objects from the apartment window and threatened to jump if police entered the building.

“We see the guy outside the window, throwing stuff at police — candles, keyboards, TVs,” Matt Laczynski said.

A SWAT team responded, along with a K9 unit and dozens of officers.

Police also blocked off a portion of Broad Street to keep people away as the situation unfolded.

Around 9:30 p.m., police entered the man’s apartment and unsuccessfully tried getting him to surrender.

Lt. Vance said the man tried fighting officers, and that’s when one fired a stun gun.

“They got him under control. … As they were taking him down to the first floor of the apartment building, the subject appeared to have difficulty breathing,” Vance said.

The man was transported to New Britain Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 2 a.m.

The medical examiner’s office will determine his cause of death.

The officer who fired the stun gun he has been placed on administrative duty, pending the outcome of this investigation, which is protocol.

State police are investigating  with assistance from New Britain police and the New Britain State's Attorney Office.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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