Arundel Digest

Small crash causes big traffic backup

Parole - Traffic on westbound Route 50 was slowed for nearly an hour this morning following a two-vehicle crash near the Route 450 exit, Maryland State Police said.

At 7:20 a.m. a sedan rear-ended a car in the middle lane of Route 50. The center and right lane were closed for half an hour while police moved the cars to the roadside. Westbound traffic was backed up until about 8:20 a.m., when a tow truck removed the vehicles. No injuries were reported, police said.

New Route 450 bridge now open

Crownsville - Route 450 reopened last week after crews spent the summer working on a bridge and road.

The State Highway Administration closed the road in mid June to replace a bridge at a turn near the headwaters of the South River, as well as raise the road east of the bridge. The $2 million project also added a shoulder to the bridge.

The project should help eliminate some flooding problems there, said Chuck Gischler, an administration spokesman.

Traffic was detoured to Route 50 during the project. Mr. Gischler said the project had to be done during the summer because the road is used by school buses and the detour would have been an inconvenience, and working in the summer wouldn't interfere with fish spawning in nearby wetlands.

Man fair after jet ski accident

St. Margarets - A man critically injured in a jet ski accident on White Hall Creek Saturday remains in fair condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, hospital officials said.

Jason Richard Polm, 28, was riding a jet ski 35 mph near his parent's property on White Hall Creek about 6:30 p.m. when he stood up on the seat of the watercraft, said Capt. Robert Davis, of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

When Mr. Polm let go of the throttle, he lost his balance and was thrown from the jet ski, Capt. Davis said. The personal watercraft continued forward and struck Mr. Polm in the head, said Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia, a county Fire Department spokesman.

Mr. Polm's wife pulled her husband to the jet ski and took him to land for help. He was flown to the shock trauma center with a skull fracture, a broken nose, and broken jaw, Capt. Davis said.

Hotel guests robbed at gunpoint

LINTHICUM - Two men forced their way into a Linthicum hotel room yesterday evening and robbed two guests at gunpoint, county police said.

Two men, ages 30 and 19, told police they were in their room at the Springhill Suites hotel at 899 Elkridge Landing Road shortly after 7 p.m. when two men armed with handguns walked in. The two men assaulted the guests and robbed them of cash and other items, police said.

The younger guest was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with serious injuries from the attack. Police said the guests were visiting from Philadelphia.

Several officers searched the area on foot, by air, and with the help of a K-9 team, but could not find the robbers. Police said the first man was wearing a blue baseball hat, a light-colored polo shirt with a large design on the back, and dark-colored shorts. The second man had a beard and was last seen wearing a black skull cap, white T-shirt, and light blue long shorts, police said.

- From staff reports