Arundel Digest

CROFTON - A 22-year-old Howard County woman was critically injured in a car accident in Crofton Thursday, county fire officials said.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the county Fire Department responded to a motor vehicle accident at Route 450 and Baldwin Road.

Authorities said a Honda Civic driven by Victoria L. Bradshaw of Ellicott City was trying to make a left turn from Baldwin Road onto westbound Defense Highway when it was struck by a van driven by Richard Elliott, 46, of Glen Burnie.

The woman was the only injury in the crash, and she was taken by helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with serious and life-threatening injuries, said Lt. Frank Fennell, a spokesman for the county Fire Department.

The crash is still being investigated.

Early morning fire damages cottage

EPPING FOREST - A fire caused $100,000 worth of damage to a cottage and its contents early Friday morning outside Annapolis, county firefighters said.

At 2 a.m., neighbors reported the fire at 1739 Westmoreland Trail. No one was home at the time and firefighters arrived at the scene to find the structure about 25 percent involved.

It was under control within an hour, said Lt. Frank Fennell, a spokesman for the county Fire Department.

The fire caused $40,000 worth of damage to the contents of the cottage and $60,000 worth of damage to the building. There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Fennell said.

Convicted firefighter no longer employee

MILLERSVILLE - A county Fire Department lieutenant convicted this week of stealing more than $7,000 from a charitable organization is no longer a county employee, a departmental spokesman confirmed Thursday.

County fire officials declined to say if Joshua Constuble, 38, of Crofton, resigned or was fired, but officials with the Anne Arundel County Firefighters' Emerald Society praised his departure.

"Regardless of the outcome of the (theft) case, we wanted him gone from the department," said President Brett Howe, who also serves as a fire inspector with the department. "We can't trust him."

Constuble - who served as treasurer of the society for about five years - pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of felony theft. He was sentenced to two years in prison, with all but 10 days to be served over the next five weekends suspended.

Constuble also was ordered to pay $7,320 in restitution. As of Wednesday, he had paid $5,200.

Roads closed for Sunday marathon

SEVERNA PARK - Several roads in Severna Park will be closed temporarily Sunday morning and early afternoon as hundreds of runners participate in the Annapolis Striders B&A Trail Marathon and Half Marathon, county police said.

The event is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. at Severna Park High School, 60 Robinson Road, and about 800 runners are expected to participate.

From the high school the runners will jog down Owens Way toward Evergreen Road and then onto the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail. Runners will travel south to Boulters Way, then head north to Aquahart Road before returning to the high school at about 1 p.m.

Police will have reserve officers in the area and said the roads may be closed at various times during the run. They said motorists traveling this route Sunday should expect delays.

- From staff reports