Police Beat for October 12

ANNAPOLIS AREA

Route 50 pileup

A four-car fender bender on the off ramp at routes 50 and 450 backed up traffic at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday, a State Police spokesman said.

A 2000 Honda Civic hit the back of a 2006 Subaru Outback. It crashed into a 2004 GMC Sierra, which hit a 2003 Mazda Protege, according to Cpl. Edward Eicher.

“It was the typical crash — we have them every Friday and Saturday,” Cpl. Eicher said of the off-ramp that leads to Westfield Annapolis mall.

One motorist in the accident, Margaret McDowell of Annapolis, was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center by ambulance with minor injuries, he said.

WEST COUNTY

Big fire averted

A fire caused $5,000 in damage to an apartment Friday,, but automatic sprinklers prevented the kitchen fire from becoming a blaze, an Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesman said.

Firefighters responded at about 7 p.m. to the fire in an apartment at 3111 Burning Springs Road, Maryland City.

“They found an accidental fire, started by unattended cooking, which is the single most common residential fire in America,” at a common time, from 5 to 8 p.m., said Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia.

The one adult occupant was able to escape without harm.