Latest news with #Keefer
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The tragic death of Aidan Zingg
Aden Keefer first became aware that one of his friends was hurt when he accelerated out of a hairpin turn during a motocross race last Saturday in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. 'Aw, dammit,' Keefer recalls thinking when he roared past Aidan Zingg lying limp and motionless on the back section of the course, not far from his green Kawasaki dirt bike. Advertisement At first, Keefer assumed Zingg would walk away from the crash, that the 16-year-old rising star had simply skidded out and smacked his head. Then Keefer circled the track again and noticed that Zingg still hadn't moved. Then he came around again and saw that emergency personnel had begun administering chest compressions. 'That's when I was like, 'Oh s—,'' Keefer said last Sunday during an episode of 'Keefer Tested,' a motocross-themed podcast hosted by his dad. Zingg died Saturday from injuries sustained during his crash, a tragedy that has devastated the teenager's friends and family and shaken the tightnit motocross community. Just under a year ago, Zingg won his first-ever American Motorcyclist Association national championship in the Supermini 2 class and took second place in the Supermini 1 division. He parlayed that into an offer to ride big bikes for Kawasaki's Team Green, a factory-supported program that has helped launch the careers of numerous professional racers. The bewildering part of Zingg's death is that exactly how it happened still remains unclear. Video of the incident hasn't publicly surfaced. Eyewitness accounts are scarce — and conflicting. Advertisement TMZ and many other media outlets cited a report from that Zingg 'went down in a corner' and was 'run over by multiple bikes.' A race official granted anonymity by Yahoo Sports adamantly disputed that, citing conversations with riders who were behind Zingg and the characteristics of the section of the course where he crashed. Other riders unanimously said they didn't see anyone strike Zingg from behind after he wrecked, the race official said. The race official also described where Zingg went down as one of the gentlest and widest parts of the Mammoth Motocross course, far from any blind turns or landing spots for jumps. 'In this section of the track, riders of this caliber are not going to hit somebody,' the race official said. 'There was plenty of room for everybody to get around and not hit him. And he didn't have any physical marks indicating that he had been struck.' While the Mammoth Lakes Police Department is investigating Zingg's crash and the cause of his death, Sergeant Jason Heilman declined to reveal what had been uncovered so far. Heilman told Yahoo Sports that he can't provide 'any additional information as it's still an active investigation and we're still trying to piece together what happened.' Advertisement Whatever the reason for Zingg's crash, the timing is especially cruel. This was a top amateur motocross prospect on the verge of a pro career, an unusually driven 16-year-old with his whole life in front of him. 'He has the skill and the work ethic to be one of the greatest,' motocross trainer Dimitri Rolando told Yahoo Sports. Then Rolando apologized for his use of present tense. 'Sorry, but I can't talk about Aidan in the past yet.' (Aidan Zingg/Instagram) From underdog to class of the field Born in the Southern California motocross mecca of Murrieta, roughly 80 miles east of Los Angeles' beaches and bright lights, Aidan Zingg grew up on two wheels. His grandpa rode dirt bikes. His dad rode dirt bikes. So at age 6, Aidan followed their lead. Advertisement In one of his first Instagram posts as a 7-year-old second grader, Zingg described himself as an 'aspiring professional motocross racer.' Another early post features a photo of young Zingg with a smudged nose after a day of riding in the hills behind his home with his dad Bob. 'Crashed like 37 times but had a blast!' the caption reads. The older he got, the more Zingg's obsession with motocross deepened. He enrolled in online classes by 2020 because public school conflicted with his training and race schedules. Bob Zingg also relocated the family to the town of Hemet, where they could afford a property large enough to build a supercross track in the yard. While Aidan Zingg qualified for every AMA national championships since he turned 10, for years he seldom ran at the front when facing top-tier competition. There were always kids in his age group who practiced longer hours, who took sharper lines, who had more powerful, better handling bikes. Advertisement The pressure on Zingg escalated after he finished a solid but unspectacular 9th and 11th at 2023 nationals in his first year riding minis. Zingg's family wouldn't be able to afford travel expenses or competitive equipment once he graduated from minis to bigger bikes. Either he'd have to land an offer from a major factory-supported team or his bid to compete at the highest levels of motocross would be over. 'It starts getting expensive with big bikes,' Zingg told the Grom Squad podcast last November. 'So if I didn't have a ride pretty much this year, racing would not continue for me.' The stress of that ticking clock and differing ideas for how to proceed caused father and son to start butting heads more often. Hoping that another perspective besides his own might help his son maximize his potential, Bob Zingg began searching for someone else to help coach and train his son. Enter Rolando, the rare motocross athlete who found success despite not seriously pursuing the sport until he was nearly 18. Early in Rolando's riding career, coach Yannig Kervella invited him to relocate from France, live at his house in California and train alongside some of the biggest names in the sport. By 2023, Rolando had transitioned to coaching in hopes of having the same impact on the next generation of racers that Kervella had on him. Advertisement The key to the partnership with the Zinggs, Rolando said, was that he was able to serve as a 'go-between' between father and son. As Rolando described it, 'The dad was part of the industry. He had a lot of knowledge. But dads coaching their own kids can be really hard. Aidan was 14 years old. He was starting to talk back. Sometimes there was a little bit of conflict.' With Rolando's guidance, Zingg spent more days at the track and at private training facilities preparing for his biggest races. Zingg also learned to train like a professional when he wasn't ripping across the dirt. That meant getting more sleep, improving his diet and committing to weight training and cardio work. While Zingg beat some of the best riders his age in Mammoth last summer, his ultimate test was the 2024 AMA nationals, annually held at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. It was there where Zingg's aspirations of racing big bikes would blossom or fizzle, there where he had a chance to prove himself to the factory-sponsored teams. On the first day of practice, Zingg failed to take the proper lines on the course and his lap times were way off the pace. His dad was understandably concerned, but Rolando preached patience. Advertisement 'Calm down, he will follow the plan,' Rolando said. 'You will see, he's going to be good.' Over the next few days, Zingg was better than good. He was the fastest supermini class racer on the property. He finished fifth, first and first in three races to claim second place in the 12-to-15-year-old division. Then he took first, third and first in three more races to run away with first place in the 13-to-16-year-old division. 'That class that he won, it's the class that all the industry is looking at,' Rolando said. 'It's the next generation. Aidan didn't really know if he was that guy. He was always the underdog. So winning that race was a huge achievement for him.' Offers poured in from big teams last year after Zingg's big week at AMA nationals. The family chose Kawasaki's Team Green because they liked the terms of the contract, the quality of the bikes and the people running the operation. Advertisement On the day that his dad brought home his new green No. 39 Kawasaki 250cc dirt bike, Aidan Zingg immediately took it out to his family's backyard supercross track for a test drive. 'I was so excited to ride big bikes,' he told the Grom Squad podcast last November. 'I just threw my gear on and started riding.' (Aidan Zingg/Instagram) 'I've been crying ever since' Less than a year after that backyard joyride, Zingg was back on that same green Kawasaki dirt bike for last Saturday's 250cc class race in Mammoth Lakes. He was running near the front until disaster struck along the spectator-free back section of the fir and pine tree-lined course. Advertisement When a motocross rider gets knocked unconscious or sustains a broken bone, the race is often red-flagged immediately. In this case, other riders maneuvered around Zingg for 1-2 laps before the race was finally halted. Flaggers who are responsible for putting the race under caution after a crash got to Zingg quickly, according to the race official who requested anonymity. So did ski patrollers trained to respond to medical emergencies on the mountain, the race official said. The issue, according to the race official, was that they 'got caught up in helping Zingg versus calling for the red flag right away.' 'The medic guy realized he wasn't breathing, so the first thing he did was get the helmet off and start working on him,' the race official said. 'So they weren't calling for a red flag. They were immediately trying to do everything they could to save him.' While emergency personnel put Zingg onto a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance, word spread about the severity of the incident. Before long, Rolando's phone began to buzz with ominous texts and social media posts from friends at the track. Advertisement The motocross trainer reached out to someone close to Zingg and said, 'Tell me it's not true!' A couple minutes later came the heartbreaking confirmation: Zingg was gone. 'I've been crying ever since,' Rolando said. Tragedies like this happen in dirt bike racing. Danger is inherent in the sport, especially as the bikes have gotten more powerful, the jumps and obstacles have gotten bigger and riders have gotten younger and more daring. Forty-year-old men and nine-year-old girls have died as a result of motocross accidents. So have teenage phenoms and X Games daredevils. And yet those in motocross circles say they can seldom remember a rider whose death has inspired a greater outpouring than Zingg's. Social media tributes have poured in this week from friends and family, from top pros to total strangers. Advertisement Professional racer Garrett Marchbanks wrote about the inspiring work ethic he witnessed from Zingg when training together. 'This news quite literally brought me to my knees as my entire body just went completely numb,' Marchbanks said. Amateur motocross prospect Vincent Wey recalled spending countless hours with Zingg as kids 'playing basketball during recess, building jumps, or talking s— to each other.' 'Losing you feels like a dream we can't wake up from,' Wey said. Alex Zingg, Aiden's older sister, wrote Sunday that even though it had only been a day, it felt like 'a lifetime.' 'You used to joke that I was so old and that I'd die first,' Alex said. 'I would always joke that you were crazy and you'd be the first. Now I'm sitting here wishing with everything that I am that you were right so I'd never have to live a day without you.' Advertisement Maybe the most meaningful tribute came from some of Zingg's fellow 250 cc class riders in Mammoth Lakes on Saturday. Nearly half the riders who finished Saturday's first race didn't start the second one, including Keefer, the winner of the first race. Keefer and Zingg first met as 10-year-olds with similar passion for motocross and grew closer even as they competed against one another. When Keefer learned that his friend had died, he and his family immediately packed up, left the Mammoth Lakes track and drove home. 'As a family, we decided, hey man, I could give two s— about your f— championship,' Keefer's dad, Kris Keefer, said on his podcast. 'It's crazy to think about how important this sport is to us and then something like this happens and how it's not important anymore.'
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
How Tesla car prevented high school student from passing driving test
A New Jersey teenager failed his driver's test not for his driving, but due to the vehicle he used, a Tesla Model Y , a report claims. The examiner failed the teenager, alleging that his car's advanced features provided an unfair advantage during high school junior Lochlan Keefer's recent road test in Cherry Hill. On the testing slip, the state examiner noted (as seen by "Had the parking and stopping assistance on, never stepped on the brake to stop his self, let the vehicle stop itself." The examiner claimed the car's regenerative braking and alleged driver-assistance systems gave the student an unfair edge. What the teenager's father said about his son failing the driving test James Keefer, the student's father, attempted to explain to the instructor that these advanced Model Y features were not being utilised. The father said: 'The examiner accused my son of using driver assistance features simply because he parallel parked smoothly on the first try." "He was specifically accused of using paid parking-assist and driving features, which we do not subscribe to,' Keefer added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Undo The vehicle does have regenerative braking, a feature Keefer's son offered to disable multiple times but was told it was unnecessary by the instructor. However, after the test, "despite no safety issues and no actual driving faults, the examiner claimed driver assistance was active and retroactively said it should have been off,' Keefer added. The student driver was instructed to wait 14 days before retaking the test, this time without the braking system active. A supervisor supported the instructor's decision to fail the student. The father claimed he was not shown any policy that had been violated and described the supervisor's demeanour as "belligerent and unprofessional." However, later on, his son took the test in a different part of New Jersey named Delanco and passed without disabling the regenerative braking. "The examiner at Delanco was fully aware of the regenerative braking feature and had no issues conducting the test under these conditions, further illustrating the inconsistency in interpretation or enforcement of non-existent MVC policies regarding regenerative braking," his father noted. LAVA SHARK 5G: 5 reasons to buy! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania lawmaker uses flamethrower on Shapiro's 'fantasy budget' after arson attack
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania State Senator Dawn Keefer (R-Cumberland/York) is drawing criticism after using a flamethrower to burn a sign with Governor Josh Shapiro's name on it, a month after an arsonist set fire to Shapiro's home. Keefer posted a one-minute video to social media on May 8 saying Shapiro's $51 billion 'fantasy budget' would lead to a 52% income tax increase. 'But just like the farmers in the Whiskey Rebellion,' Keefer wrote, 'we say ENOUGH.' The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 was an 'uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government,' according to HISTORY. Protests led to violence on a government official who was tarred and feathered, the fatal attack on a tax collector's Allegheny County home known as the Attack on Bower Hill, and the eventual discharging of a militia by George Washington to restore order in the region. 'Over 230 years ago, Pennsylvanians held the line against taxation,' Keefer says in her video, before using a flamethrower to burn a sign that says 'Shapiro's $51.5B Fantasy Budget.' Commenters on Keefer's video noted her use of a flamethrower on a sign with Shapiro's name came less than a month after State Police say a man threw Molotov Cocktails inside the Governor's Residence, burning the dining room. 'Your theatrics, torching a budget, only weeks after someone tried to assassinate the Governor is despicable,' said a commenter under Keefer's video. 'You don't take a flamethrower to a Governor's budget when the Governor's home was just torched,' said State Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-43). 'It was insensitive, uncalled for, and really has gotten to a point where disappointed this type of rhetoric continues to move forward. We have to tone this all down.' Keefer believes the bigger concern should be the state burning through taxpayer cash, saying last year there was 'out of control' spending in last year's budget. She declined to speak specifically to the flamethrower video. The Governor and Senate Republican leaders declined to comment on the video, best described as incendiary. The state budget is due in less than seven weeks on June 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Rep. aims to remove fluoride from drinking water with new bill
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — Did you know that there is fluoride in Pennsylvania drinking water? A Senator is now looking to change that with a new bill. In the Commonwealth, there is a reported 2.0 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water. While the University of Pittsburgh argues that fluoridation is an effective way to fight against tooth decay, Sen. Dawn Keefer (R-Cumberland, York) argues that recent studies and 'public sentiment' have raised questions about its safety and necessity. It is important to note that while there is fluoride in some public drinking water across Pennsylvania, not all water systems are fluoridated. Keefer noted in her newest bill, known as the Fluoride Choice Act, that a 2024 JAMA Pediatrics report 'linked higher fluoride exposure to lower IQ scores in children.' The study referenced in the legislation conducted 74 studies in the following countries: China Canada Denmark India Iran Mexico New Zealand Pakistan Spain Taiwan JAMA Pediatrics also noted in the study that there was limited data and 'uncertainty in the dose-response association between fluoride exposure and children's IQ when exposure was estimated by drinking water alone at concentrations less than 1.5 mg/L.' The full study can be found here. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. The Fluoride Choice Act aims to prohibit any individual, entity or political subdivision from adding fluoride to public water systems or water intended for public consumption. It would also require the safe disposal of fluoride chemicals. Keefer added that her bill is modeled after a Utah bill that aimed to promote individual choice by supporting access to fluoride through supplements or topical applications. She ended her bill by asking her peers to 'protect our constituents' rights, respond to emerging science, and align with a growing national movement.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ -
Reuters
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Korn Ferry Tour regular John Keefer gets invite to PGA Championship
May 6 - In late May of 2024, John Keefer capped a brilliant fifth-year campaign and posted a highly respectable 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championship, representing Baylor. Since then, all the Korn Ferry Tour member has done is post 17 rounds of 64 or better in PGA Tour-sanctioned play. After posting three top-five finishes in 2025, Keefer shot a 30-under par total of 254 (63-61-66-64) to capture his first professional title, the Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Texas two weekends ago. He vaulted to No. 92 in the Official World Golf Ranking (now 93), but had no idea the significance of that ranking. On Monday, the 24-year-old received an email inviting him to the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. Keefer will tee off on Thursday, May 15 as Xander Schauffele attempts to defend his major title. Keefer was unaware that his Top 100 ranking essentially ensured him an invitation to the second of golf's four majors in 2025. The late-blooming Keefer needed every saved stroke of that 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championship to earn the final PGA Tour Americas card. He headed to Canada last summer, produced eight top-10 finishes and won the Fortinet Cup as the No. 1 finisher in the points race. That earned him a promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour, where he has continued his dominant play. Keefer ranks sixth on the tour in scrambling, ninth in total driving, 22nd in greens hit in regulation 26th in putting average. Unsurprisingly, Keefer does not lack in confidence. "I just watched Scottie (Scheffler) shoot 31 under on a pretty good course," Keefer told Golf Channel. "I know what No. 1 in the world looks like. I know what Rory (McIlroy) looks like when he's on. But it doesn't really scare me. ... On any level, Korn Ferry, Americas, PGA Tour, signature events, major championships, good golf is going to play really well. I'm really excited to test myself against them and against a major championship course because obviously I've never played in one. "Just go out there, try and have some fun, try and shoot some low numbers, and hopefully have a really late tee time on the weekend." --Field Level Media
