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Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Wales Online
Road-rage brawl shuts major Welsh road as air ambulances called to scene
Road-rage brawl shuts major Welsh road as air ambulances called to scene The road was shut for more than two hours, with two people taken to hospital Traffic built up by Conwy Morfa after an incident on the A55 westbound near the Penmaenbach Tunnel on May 19 (Image: David Powell ) A major Welsh road was closed for hours after a road-rage dispute erupted into violence on the carriageway. Emergency services were called to the westbound carriageway of the A55 in North Wales on Monday, May 19 after a fight broke out between two men. The incident caused major disruptions to rush-hour traffic and prompted a large emergency response. The altercation occurred near Dwygyfylchi, where two men, who were passengers in separate vehicles, became involved in a brawl. Police, along with two air ambulances, were called to the scene, reports North Wales Live. Both men were taken to hospital with injuries, and one was later arrested. Two women, who police said were driving the cars involved in the incident, were also arrested. Officers have confirmed that no collision had taken place. In a statement, North Wales Police said: "North Wales Police were called at 16:01hrs on Monday, May 19th reporting an altercation in the live westbound carriageway of the A55 at Dwygyfylchi between two males. Officers responded and the road was closed. Article continues below Police en-route to an incident on the A55 westbound just after Penmaenbach Tunnel (Image: North Wales Live/David Powell ) "Both males were passengers in separate vehicles - an Audi and a Cupra, and both were injured and taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd with injuries. "The female drivers of both vehicles were arrested - a 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and section 18 wounding and a 49-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, racially aggravated public order and careless driving. "One male has since been released from hospital and is now in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of assault. "Both females have since been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue. The A55 reopened shortly before 6pm. "Officers would like to thank all those who contacted them yesterday, and also to all motorists for their patience and understanding whilst the incident was dealt with." Two air ambulances were dispatched to the scene. One from Caernarfon arrived at the site at around 4.30pm, while the second helicopter from Welshpool was redirected en-route to the incident. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here At one point, both directions of the A55 were shut between the Penmaenmawr exit and the Llandudno Junction side of the Conwy Tunnels. This led to traffic being diverted onto alternative routes, causing congestion in areas such as Conwy and Llandudno Junction. The eastbound lanes were reopened shortly after the incident, but the westbound carriageway remained closed for over two hours. Article continues below
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Wales Online
Brawling men force A55 to close and spark huge emergency response
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The cause of an A55 closure, which shut the westbound carriageway for two hours and sparked a huge emergency response has been confirmed by police and it wasn't a crash. A fight broke out between two men, after a road-rage type incident at the height of rush hour yesterday afternoon. The brawl took place near Dwygyfylchi, with police and air ambulances called to the scene. Both men, who were passengers in separate cars, were taken to hospital with injuries. One was later arrested with the women drivers of the two cars, also arrested. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox A North Wales Police statement said: "North Wales Police were called at 16:01hrs on Monday, May 19th reporting an altercation in the live westbound carriageway of the A55 at Dwygyfylchi between two males. Officers responded and the road was closed. "Both males were passengers in separate vehicles - an Audi and a Cupra, and both were injured and taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd with injuries. "The female drivers of both vehicles were arrested - a 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and section 18 wounding and a 49-year-old female was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, racially aggravated public order and careless driving. "One male has since been released from hospital and is now in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of assault. Both females have since been released under investigation whilst enquiries continue. The A55 reopened shortly before 6pm. (Image: David Powell) "Officers would like to thank all those who contacted them yesterday, and also to all motorists for their patience and understanding whilst the incident was dealt with." Two air ambulances were called. One from Caernarfon landed at the site at around 4.30pm while the second helicopter from Welshpool turned around on route to the incident. At one point both sides of the A55 were closed between the Penmaenmawr turnoff and the Llandudno Junction side of the Conwy Tunnels. This saw traffic diverted onto alternative roads with congestion in places like Conwy and Llandudno Junction. The eastbound lanes reopened a short a time after the incident, but the road remained closed Westbound for more than two hours. Find out what's happening near you
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Wales Online
Body found off Welsh coast during search for teenage boy
Body found off Welsh coast during search for teenage boy North Wales Police have confirmed a body was recovered off the coast of Llandudno this evening Athrun went missing over the weekend while on a family holiday A body has been found off the coast of Llandudno during the search for a missing boy. North Wales Police this evening confirmed a body was recovered during the search for 16-year-old Athrun, who disappeared on Saturday, May 10 while on a family holiday to North Wales. A spokesperson for North Wales Police said: "A body has been recovered this evening during searches for missing 16-year-old Athrun. "Multi-agency searches resumed this evening, Wednesday May 14th, in the West Shore area of Llandudno following sighting of a body on Tuesday evening. "Searches conducted by the police underwater search team, NPAS and coastguard resulted in a body being recovered today at 6.20pm. "Formal identification is yet to take place, but Athrun's family have been informed and are being supported by officers. "The death is not being treated as suspicious, and the coroner has been informed." Article continues below Police were involved in the search (Image: David Powell/ReachPLC ) Chief Inspector Trystan Bevan said: 'My deepest condolences remain with Athrun's family, and I would ask for their privacy to be respected at this incredibly sad and difficult time. 'This is not the outcome anyone hoped for, and I would once again like to thank partner agencies and members of the public for their overwhelming support and tireless assistance with the searches over the last five days.' Article continues below Athrun, who was from the south Gloucestershire area, had last been seen close to the boating lake and playpark wearing blue and white patterned swim shorts. "Extensive" land, air and water searches were carried out by specialists from several agencies as soon as the missing person report was raised. On Tuesday, police said a body had potentially been sighted in the sea near Llandudno shortly after 7pm that day.
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Wales Online
Everything we know about the disappearance of 'vulnerable' teen last seen on Welsh beach
Everything we know about the disappearance of 'vulnerable' teen last seen on Welsh beach This is everything we know about his disappearance Searches are ongoing for 'vulnerable' teenager Athrun (Image: NWP/Family ) A 16-year-old from Gloucestershire has been missing after disappearing on a family holiday to Llandudno in North Wales. Athrun was last seen on Saturday last seen at 2pm on Saturday at West Shore Beach in Llandudno, Conwy county, wearing swim shorts, close to the boating lake and playpark. Athrun has been labelled by police and his family as a vulnerable person due to him having autism, and concern is growing for his welfare. The teen is described as having short dark hair and is approximately 6ft tall and of slim build. He was last seen wearing blue and white patterned swim shorts and police have said one of his identifiable features is how he walks with an "unusual gait." "Extensive" land, air and water searches by specialists from several agencies are ongoing, including HM Coastguard, North Wales Police, RNLI, and special investigators. On Monday the search focus moved to the water. PCSOs patrol Llandudno's West Shore beach (Image: David Powell/North Wales Live ) PCSO's have also been patrolling the coast of Llandudno, hoping to speak to any potential witnesses. Article continues below This is the most recent update from North Wales Police. A spokesperson for the force said: "The search for a vulnerable boy missing from Llandudno has entered its fourth day. "Sixteen-year-old Athrun, who was on holiday from the South Gloucestershire area, was last seen on the beach at West Shore at 2pm on Saturday, May 10th. "Searches will continue today (Tuesday, May 13th) involving the Joint Underwater Search Team with high-visibility patrols by North Wales Police." Chief Inspector Trystan Bevan of North Wales Police wanted to thank all those who have contacted them with information so far. He said: 'We really do appreciate everyone's help and support – from the rescue services who are tirelessly looking for Athrun to local businesses who are offering refreshments to the rescue teams. 'Searches have resumed today to try and locate Athrun, and we continue to appeal to anybody who may have been in the West Shore area of Llandudno on Saturday afternoon to come forward if they haven't already done so – and are still keen on speaking to anybody who may have dash cam footage or who may have taken photographs – this may have been a selfie or family photographs - where they may have captured Athrun and his family in the background.' Anybody with information is asked to contact North Wales Police via the live chat facility on the website or by calling 101, quoting incident number C067064. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Kneale said on Monday that significant areas of Llandudno have already been searched, and these searches will continue until Athrun is found. Emergency services have thanked the local community for their patience and assistance as they continue to search for the missing teen. Article continues below The public are being urged to check any photos they had taken within the area that day for any signs of Athrun or his family in the background. Anyone with information that could help find Athrun can contact police via their website or by calling 101, requesting North Wales Police force.
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
U.S. adults' use of illicit opioids 20 times higher than previously estimated, survey says
May 9 (UPI) -- The number of Americans using illicit opioids, including fentanyl, is 20 times higher than previously estimated, according to a study published Friday by researchers from the RAND Corp. and the University of Southern California. Researchers said government counts may significantly underestimate illicit drug use, and they suggest new methods are needed to better track the nation's opioid crisis, which transitioned from heroin in the early 2010s to illicitly manufactured fentanyl a few years later. In a study published by Journal of American Medical Association Health Forum, researchers found 11% of 1,515 American adults reported illicit opioid use within the past 12 months and 7.5% use of illicitly produced fentanyl. They were surveyed online from June 10-17, 2024. Among those surveyed, 7.7% reported intentional nonprescription opioid use and 3.2% unintentional nonprescription opioid use. The rate of intentional use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl was 4.9% and unintentional use of fentanyl 2.6%. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported only 0.3% of adults in 2022 used illicitly manufactured fentanyl in the largest ongoing study that tracks illicit drug use. They found 991,000 people age 12 or older misused prescription fentanyl or used illegally made fentanyl in the past year, including 686,000 people who used IMF in the past year. "Estimates of illicit opioid use are rare and typically are available only years after the information is collected, limiting our ability to monitor trends on a near-term basis," David Powell, the study's lead author and a senior economist at RAND, or Research ANd Development, a nonprofit research organization. "Our study offers a method to quickly and repeatedly monitor illicit opioid prevalence at low cost." Most overdose deaths are traced to illegally manufactured fentanyl. In 2023, an estimated 74,702 people in the United States died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2012, the number of death reported was 2,628 and spiked to 19,413 four years later. Fentanyl is deadly because it is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine as just 2 milligrams can be lethal, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug dealers may mix fentanyl with other drugs, including heroin, cocaine, meth and MDMA to increase the drugs' effects. Often that user is not aware of this. DEA seized 60 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2024. These are the equivalent to more than 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl. In April, DEA and nearly 4,500 law enforcement agencies dispose of more than 620,000 pounds of unneeded and expired medications. Other studies have reported higher rates of illicit opioid use, but half have been done in person, which may inhibit participants from reporting illicit drug use. "This study underscores the importance of improved data collection methods to effectively address the opioid crisis because national estimates of rates of illicit opioid use are typically released with a considerable lag time and may be underreported," researchers said. In the new study, 39% reported their first use of opioids involved medication prescribed to them and 36% their first use involved prescription opioids not prescribed to them. The remaining 25% said their first exposure to opioids involved illicitly manufactured opioids. "Ultimately, the data presented here should be treated as a substantive data point for understanding and curtailing the ongoing opioid crisis," Mireille Jacobson, the study's co-author and an economist at USC, said. "More near real-time information is needed to evaluate not only where we are in the epidemic, but, more importantly, whether we are making progress in reining it in." Researchers said one limitation of the survey could be the use of an online platform. Though the demographics were similar to other studies, the surveyed population could be different in unobserved ways, they said. The authors said they want to re-examine their findings soon, using a survey platform addressing those concerns. Arnold Ventures and the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse provided support for the study. Settlements have been reached in selling prescription opioids. In January, the Sackler family agreed to pay $6.5 billion over 15 years and Purdue Pharma $900 million for a total of $7.4 billion to end federal court claims filed by attorneys general on behalf of 15 states. The settlement ended the Sacklers' control of Purdue Pharma and their ability to sell opioids in the United States. In April, Walgreens agreed to pay as much as $350 million in a settlement over illegally filled prescriptions for addictive opioid drugs and false reimbursement claims to the federal government. Last December, the Justice Department sued CVS Pharmacy and various subsidiaries in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for unlawful prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act. CVS is the country's largest pharmacy chain ahead of Walgreens. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
