On November 28th 2008, a Wal-Mart employee on Long Island was trampled to death during a stampede of 2,000 rabid consumers who broke down the doors just before 5 a.m. In a settlement that spared the company criminal charges, Wal-Mart agreed to adopt new crowd management techniques in all 92 of its stores in New York State, set up a $400,000 fund for customers hurt in the stampede, and to donate $1.5 million to community programs in Nassau County. But one penalty still remains, and the Times reports that Wal-Mart is fighting it tooth and nail. more ›

A woman from Long Island was trampled by a wild elephant in Kenya as she held her 1-year-old daughter in her arms. The child was also killed in the incident, which happened on Monday afternoon during a nature walk near the Castle Forest Lodge, where they were vacationing. Sharon Brown, 39, originally from Miller Place, Long Island, and her daughter, Margaux, were killed; Brown's husband and three other tourists survived. The Browns were in an area where hikers are advised to travel with an armed guard to defend them against stampeding elephants, but they were with an unarmed hotel guide. more ›

The fallout continues from tween pop star Justin Bieber's chaotic Friday appearance at a Long Island mall. Record executive James Roppo was charged with "endangering the welfare of a child, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance"—Newsday reports, "Nassau police said James A. Roppo's failure to send out a Twitter message to disperse the hordes resulted in an officer and others receiving minor injuries." more ›

Yesterday, the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream was open for business, a day after a worker was trampled to death by shoppers eagerly waiting for the big Black Friday sale. Newsday reports, "But for the spiderweb crack on the glass front door and the car tires rolling over fallen police crime scene tape as drivers searched for parking spots, there was little outward sign of the early-morning chaos" seen on Friday. more ›

The Wal-Mart worker killed during yesterday's morning Black Friday sale stampede at the Valley Stream store was identified as 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour of Jamaica, Queens. Newsday reports that the Wal-Mart entrance doors were broken down by a restless crowd of 2,000 shoppers--many of whom had been waiting for hours--as workers were getting the store ready for the 5 a.m. opening. Damour, a temporary worker hired for the holidays, was pushed to the ground and trampled. Detective Lieutenant Michael Fleming, who is investigating the death, said, "This crowd was out of control," and "They overran him and kept running into the store. They pushed right over his body." more ›

The two carriage horses who ran amok through Bay Ridge Sunday are recovering nicely on a Connecticut farm, the Daily News reports. Stormy and Elvis, snow-colored, 2,000-pound Percherons who work pulling buggies for Valentine Carriage, survived with just scratched-up legs. However, driver Richie Valentine Jacobson fractured five ribs after being thrown from the carriage onto a town car's windshield. The buggy was about to pick up bride-to-be Nunzie Lumberto when a pole snapped, spooking the horses, who took off. In spite of his injuries, Jacobson (in Renaissance costume) caught up, grabbed the reins, and steered the carriage into a light pole, totaling it. He's not saying he's a hero, but he puts it this way, "I jeopardized my own life to make sure no one else would be in harm's way." more ›

A horse-drawn buggy was totaled yesterday during a wild stampede through Borough Park in Brooklyn that left one car with a shattered windshield, the Post reports. The white buggy was a block away from picking up bride-to-be Nunzie Lumberto, who was waiting to be escorted to her wedding at Regina Hall of St. Rosalie's in Dyker Heights. But before she could get in, a wooden bar under the buggy snapped, striking one of the horses in the rear. Then it was off to the races! more ›