Cops make hash of phone fine
A man who had been caught out using a phone while driving has been found not guilty after he successfully proved that he was actually eating a hash brown. Police in Westport/Connecticut fined Jason Stiber US$300 ($451) on a distracted drive, adding that the phone was illuminated and his mouth was moving. However, Stiber managed to prove that his mouth movements were "consistent with chewing" claiming he was eating a McDonald's hash brown. Stiber's phone records proved that he wasn't on the phone at the time he was stopped and that his car has Bluetooth capabilities. Stiber also requested a Freedom of Information Act which showed that the officer was 15 hours into a double shift and tiredness may have affected his perception. Stiber, who spent more money on taking the case to court than the initial fine, sat through two trials and missed four days of work, said he regretted nothing. He told the Washington Post he fought the fine because "distracted driving violations go on your record ... a lot of people don't realise your insurance rates go up".
Skydiver left in limbo as leg flies off
Police in Cloverdale, California reunited a skydiver with the prosthetic leg he lost while jumping from 10,000 feet (3000m) a day earlier after a lumber yard worker found the missing appendage. Dion Calloway, 39, says he thought he'd lost his US$15,000 prosthetic leg forever after it flew off while he was skydiving with friends. "I've jumped with the prosthetic before, but a rush of air got inside this time and it just flew off. I tried to watch where it was falling, but I was so overwhelmed in that moment I could not keep track," he told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
