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Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
KISS Collaborator Karl Cochran, 61, Killed in Freak Accident Involving His 90-Year-Old Mom
Guitarist Karl Cochran, known for his collaborations with KISS, has died after a car accident in Bridgewater, N.J., local police confirmed. He was 61. Cochran was in the passenger seat of a 2015 Subaru Legacy when it crashed into a tree around 7:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 19, Bridgewater Township Police Department said. His 90-year-old mother, Arna Chocran, was driving. "She backed the vehicle across the front yard and struck a tree, ejecting" Cochran, police added. The incident occurred on private property. Cochran was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick via New Jersey State Police NorthSTAR, "with life threatening injuries" where he died. PEOPLE reached out to Bridgewater police and its Traffic Safety Bureau on Friday, Feb. 21. Related: Rick Buckler, Drummer for The Jam, Dies at 69 KISS paid tribute to Cochran with a touching post on X Thursday, Feb. 20. "Our dear friend Karl Cochran was killed in a car accident on Feb. 19th. Karl was a vocalist and guitarist extraordinaire who suffered a massive stroke but never stopped fighting to make his way back," the post, which showed a photo of Cochran and KISS guitarist Paul Stanley smiling together. The band continued, "He was loved by our fans worldwide through his appearances worldwide and was a constant inspiration as our guest on our KISS Kruises. Our deep condolences to Geri and family." Our dear friend Karl Cochran was killed in a car accident on Feb. 19th. Karl was a vocalist and guitarist extraordinaire who suffered a massive stroke but never stopped fighting to make his way back. He was loved by our fans worldwide through his appearances worldwide and was a… — KISS (@kiss) February 20, 2025 KISS' Bruce Kulick also shared kind words on X, stating that news of his death "was gut wrenching to hear." "Karl was a fantastic musician who I worked with in a band called ESP (Eric Singer Project). He was a gentle giant who was taken too soon from all of us." He shared that Cochran suffered a stroke "many years ago," however, the health scare "took nothing away of his spirit, love and humanity. It made him even more special in his own unique way." "As a frequent guest on the Kiss Kruise everyone that met him was touched with his smile and his special passion of life. My condolences to his family and his wonderful fiancé Ger Fasano who was his loving partner. RIP 😭." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Bridgewater Township Police Department's Traffic Safety Bureau is investigating the crash with Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, authorities said. PEOPLE contacted the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office for comment. Those with any information are urged to contact Officer Cole Taggert of the Bridgewater Police Traffic Safety Bureau at (908)722-4111 ext. 4088 or the Bridgewater TIPS line at 877-660-INFO (4636). Read the original article on People
Los Angeles Times
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa motorists left in the dark about state's new ‘daylighting' law
A law prohibiting California motorists from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, which took effect in January 2024, gave cities a one-year grace period to educate citizens through awareness campaigns and police-issued warnings for violators, in lieu of citations. Drafted to promote 'daylighting,' or keeping intersections and places where pedestrians and bicyclists cross streets clear of parked vehicles and the visual obstructions they present, AB 413 gave local jurisdictions the flexibility to implement its mandates in a way that worked for them. But in Costa Mesa, that transitional year didn't happen. Instead, local police — who began citing offenders last month — backtracked, introducing the daylighting legislation in social media posts Monday. 'To allow residents and commuters time to familiarize themselves with this new law, the Traffic Safety Bureau will not begin issuing citations to vehicles parked within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk until March 1st,' the posts read. The city's muddled rollout of the statewide mandate came to a head during a City Council meeting Tuesday where street safety advocates, including the Costa Mesa resident who helped draft the language of AB 413, attempted to shed daylight on the situation. 'For over 50 years we've known how to make intersections safer, but it's taken the state making us do it before we started doing it,' said Russell Toler, a planning commissioner and founding member of Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets (CMABS). Toler, whose brother was hit by a car last week in a crosswalk at Baker Street and Mendoza Drive, said pedestrians often contend with cars making right-hand turns on red lights and cutting across traffic to make left-hand turns. 'It's an intense environment we've created. It's an inhumane environment,' he told the council. 'We owe them these sorts of easy safety improvements.' Marc Vukcevich, another CMABS board member, said he spoke to the city's public works director a year ago asking officials to educate citizens on the new law. 'Have we been giving warnings at all the past year? Does Public Works have a plan to implement this with red curbs, with bollards, with bike racks or other things we can do?' he asked. 'The public is supportive of public safety and pedestrian safety. But they want the city to communicate about public safety and about initiatives like this.' By day, Vukcevich is director of state policy for the nonprofit Streets for All, which sponsored AB 413. In fact, the Costa Mesan drafted the language for the bill introduced by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose) in February 2023 and signed into law that October. He said Costa Mesa's haphazard implementation of the law is not unique, adding multiple cities have similarly established March 1 as the period at which they will begin enforcing the mandate. 'San Francisco has committed that they're going to paint every curb, and I've seen information from Seal Beach come out on this policy,' Vukcevich said in an interview Thursday. 'My biggest concern is, I think, in Costa Mesa the first time they mentioned this policy, after we'd sent them a letter, was maybe a week ago.' Costa Mesa police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed Thursday officers had, in fact, issued AB 413-related citations since Jan. 1 but could not say how many. She stated any citations issued prior to the 'grace period' ending March 1 will be dismissed. City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison assured residents Tuesday that public works and police officials were working together to ensure ticketing does not precede education. 'We strongly believe in education before we implement new programs,' she said. 'It's important for everyone to be informed of the new rules.'
