Emergency crews rescue baby from hot car, find it wasn't a baby at all

The rescue of a child from a hot car took a creepy turn on Monday.

Emergency crews in Oakland, California were called for reports of a baby left unattended inside a hot car. When they arrived on scene, police found the child unresponsive.

Officers smashed the vehicle's window and pulled the baby to safety, only to realize that the baby was actually a lifelike doll.

“Although this incident did not involve a baby or small child, it was unknown at the time, and first responders’ number one priority is to ensure … safety,” a spokesman for Oakland Police told ABC News.

It's not clear why the doll was left inside the vehicle strapped to a car seat. Authorities have not said whether they have spoken to the owner.

Despite this one odd case, police are reminding people to report all incidents of children or animals being left unattended in vehicles. 

“We encourage anyone who believes there is a dangerous situation such as this incident to contact emergency personnel so we can make that determination.” 

File this one under creepy.

ABC News: Emergency Crews Smash Car Window to Rescue Baby, Find Lifelike Doll in Car Seat

Photo by Alan Levine via Flickr. Used under CC 2.0 license.

GO Transit service changes go into effect next week

Back-to-school will mean some big changes for your transit schedule.

GO Transit is revamping its travel times to accommodate the influx of passengers. Kitchener riders will see the biggest boost with 14 new trips being added.

• Five new eastbound trips from Mount Pleasant GO, departing at 9:55 and 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., making all stops to Union, arriving at 10:49 and 11:54 a.m., 12:54, 1:54 and 2:54 p.m.
• Two new eastbound trips from Mount Pleasant GO, departing at 3:00 and 3:47 p.m., making all stops to Malton, then express to Union, arriving at 3:54 and 4:34 p.m.

• Seven new westbound trips from Union Station making all stops to Mount Pleasant GO Station
• Hourly departures from Union starting 8:48 a.m. and until 2:48, with hourly arrivals at Mount Pleasant beginning 9:37 a.m. and until 3:37 p.m.

• The 9:39 a.m. eastbound trip from Bramalea will now depart there at 9:16, and times at all other stops will also be earlier. This trip will be extended to begin at Mount Pleasant, departing there at 9:00 a.m., serve Brampton GO, then make all stops to Union, arriving at 9:53 a.m.
• The 7:08 a.m. eastbound trip from Georgetown will now depart there and at all other stops five minutes earlier, with arrival at Union at 7:55 a.m.
• The 7:05 a.m. eastbound trip from Kitchener will now depart there and at all other stops five- minutes later, with arrival at Union now 9:13 a.m.

Additional bus trips are also being added to help university students get to their classes. Service changes go into effect on September 5th. You can grab the complete list off GO Transit's website.

Unstable Trump Tower antenna combs over Bay

Bay Street remains closed between King and Richmond Tuesday as crews scramble to repair an unstable antenna atop the Trump Tower.

The antenna, which was presumably disturbed by a slight breeze, is swaying precariously over the street below. Toronto Police had expected it to reopen to traffic by Noon but are still awaiting approval by structural engineers.

The TTC's 6 Bay bus is diverting northbound via Yonge, Richmond and southbound via Queen, University, Queens Quay as a result.

Engineers continue work on #TrumpUnstableAntenna~Bay St will not open up at noon~Officials hoping to open roads later in afternoon Sep1 ^sm

— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) September 1, 2015

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr. Used under CC 2.0 license

Chrysler gets friend zoned by GM, keeps trying to get picked up

It's not secret that 2015 has not been a good year for Fiat-Chrysler. From record fines to flaming Jeeps, it seems they can't just get their act together.

CEO Sergio Marchionne has a solution though. That solution is dumping the embattled automaker's rotting carcass onto Detroit rival General Motors.

"We're not talking about marginal improvement in margins," he said in an interview with Automotive News.

“Look, the combined entity can make $30 billion a year in cash. Thirty. Just think about that [expletive] number,” he said.

General Motors is far less enthusiastic about Marchionne's proposed merger.

Despite claims of huge profits, the auto giant and its shareholders feel they'd be better off going it alone. Commenting on the proposed merger, a GM executive asked "Why should [GM] bail out FCA?"

Marchionne claims that General Motors has stopped taking his calls. However, he insists he will keep putting on the pressure.

Source: Automotive News

New Ontario distracted driving laws come into effect today

Playing with the idiot box is about to cost you a whole lot more in Ontario as new traffic laws come into effect Tuesday.

The province is cracking down on distracted driving, as well as those who fail to move over for emergency vehicles.

Using a mobile device behind the wheel will now cost you a minimum of $490 and 3 demerit points. Novice drivers will also face a 30-day license suspension.

The Province says that distracted driving is one of the leading causes of road fatalities, and expects it to exceed even impaired driving by 2016.

The new laws also give a boost to cycling safety. Drivers will now be required to leave one meter's space when passing riders. Those who open their door into the path of oncoming cyclists and traffic will face steep fines of $365 and 3 demerit points.

Police are also cracking down on riders with inadequate lighting. Bikes are required to have a white front light and a red rear light or reflector if you ride between ½ hour before sunset and ½ hour after sunrise, and white reflective tape on the front forks and red reflective tape on rear forks. Failure to comply could result in a $110 fine.

Lastly, the Province is also stepping up safety for tow trucks. Drivers will now be required to move over one lane if they see a tow with its amber lights on. This brings them into line with emergency vehicles.

You can read full details on these new laws on the Province of Ontario's website.

Photo by frankieleon via Flickr. Used under CC 2.0 license

Big on Bloor and Taste of Manilla: Weekend road closures for Aug 22-23

Summer is still sizzling this weekend here in the GTA. There's quite a few festivals this weekend that will close roads across the city.

Big on Bloor – Saturday closure 
Bloor Street from Dufferin Street to Lansdowne Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 22 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 9 p.m. for Big on Bloor. College Street and St. Clair Avenue can be used by motorists travelling in this area as alternative routes.

Taste of Manila – Saturday and Sunday closures
Bathurst Street from Wilson Avenue to Laurelcrest Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 22 at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 11 p.m.

Chinatown Festival – Saturday and Sunday closures 
The southbound lanes of Spadina Avenue will be closed from St. Andrew Street to Sullivan Street from Saturday, August 22 at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, August 23 at 11 p.m. to accommodate the Chinatown Festival. Dundas Street will be open during this time period.

CNE – August 21st to September 2nd
The Canadian National Exhibition kicks off this Friday. Roads running through the EX Grounds will be closed off to traffic for the duration of the fair. If you're planning on heading down, both the TTC and GO Train will drop you off right inside the gates.

Toronto road closures for August 15-16

It's another busy weekend in the city with lots of festivals and events going on. The Parapan Am closing ceremonies will mean some major closures in the downtown core this weekend as Toronto says goodbye to a summer of sport.

Wheels on the Danforth and Fun in the Park – Saturday closures 
Sections of Danforth Avenue and Danforth Road will be closed in both directions on Saturday, August 15 from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. to accommodate this event. Closure details:
• Danforth Avenue from Byng Avenue to Leyton Avenue
• Danforth Avenue from Leyton Avenue to Warden Avenue
• Danforth Road from Landry Avenue to Danforth Avenue

International Street Festival – Saturday and Sunday closure 
Eglinton Avenue from Dufferin Street to Marlee Avenue will be closed in both directions from Saturday, August 15 at 2 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 2 a.m. for this street festival.

Festival of South Asia – Saturday and Sunday closure 
Gerrard Street from Glenside Avenue to Coxwell Avenue will be closed from Saturday, August 15 at 10 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 2 a.m. for the Festival of South Asia.

Fusion of Taste – Sunday closure 
Islington Avenue from Albion Road to Wardlaw Crescent will be closed from Sunday, August 16 at 6 a.m. to Monday, August 17 at 1 a.m. to accommodate this event.

Open Streets Toronto – Sunday closure 
Bloor Street from Spadina Avenue/Road to Parliament Street and Yonge Street from Bloor Street to Queen Street will be closed on Sunday, August 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the Open Streets Toronto event, vehicles will be able to cross Bloor Street at Spadina Avenue/Road, Avenue Road, Bay Street, Ted Rogers Way, Church Street, Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street. Vehicles will be able to cross Yonge Street at College Street/Carlton Street, Gerrard Street, Dundas Street, Shuter Street and Queen Street.

Parapan Am Games Closing Ceremony – Saturday closures 
The following roads will be closed to accommodate the closing ceremony:
• Bay Street will be closed from Queen Street to Dundas Street from 4 p.m. to midnight. Local traffic only will be permitted to access the area.
• Wellington Street will be closed from Church Street to University Avenue from 5 p.m. until midnight.
• Front Street will be closed from Church Street to Parliament Street from 5 p.m. until midnight.
• James Street and Albert Street will be closed from 4 p.m. to midnight.
• University Avenue northbound will be reduced to two lanes from Queen Street to south of Armoury Street from 8 a.m. to midnight.