California

Construction accident kills three workers

A construction crew struck an underground petroleum pipeline Tuesday, sparking an explosion and fire that killed three people, burned several nearby buildings and shot flames high into the air.

Six people were injured in the blast, three critically.

The explosion occurred in Walnut Creek, a suburb about 25 miles east of San Francisco.

The construction crew was working on a public water project, said Contra Costa County fire marshal Richard Carpenter. The victims are believed to have been on the crew.

Utah

DNA testing frees inmate after 19 years

A man who spent 19 years behind bars for the rape and murder of his girlfriend was released Tuesday after being cleared by DNA testing.

Bruce Goodman, 54, walked out of the Utah State Prison in the Salt Lake suburb of Draper.

“I’m out of here,” he said with a smile.

Goodman was convicted in the 1984 death of 21-year-old Sherry Ann Fales Williams, who was raped, sodomized, beaten to death and left bound just off an interstate exit.

Genetic testing done last month on vaginal samples from the victim and a cigarette butt at the crime scene found from DNA from two men — neither of them Goodman, and neither of them identifiable.

Utah

Pedestrian dies trying to retrieve artificial leg

An amputee whose artificial leg fell off as he crossed the street was struck and killed by a car as he crawled back to pick up the limb.

Motorists in Magna stopped to try to help Allen Coleman, 42, but could not reach him before he was run over along a dark stretch of highway Monday night, authorities said.

No charges were filed against the driver.