Fortson was assisted by state and city police in the incident.
Several charged after drugs probe
As a result of several recent narcotics investigations in Hagerstown's downtown and South End, agents of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force charged several people Thursday.
James Anthony Hawbaker, 27, of 17905 Broadfording Road, Hagerstown, was taken into custody Thursday night at the Hagerstown Commons shopping center. He was charged with distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of cocaine possession.
Sgt. Mark Holtzman said Hawbaker was in possession of cocaine at the time of his arrest. Hawbaker was out on bond from a November drug incident in which he was found to have drugs as well as a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol in his possession, Holtzman said.
Search warrants served Thursday on Jay Drive and several downtown Hagerstown apartments led to drug possession/drug paraphernalia charges against a number of people.
Only Dallas Ray Fogg, 51, of 54 E. Antietam St., Apt. 1F, Hagerstown, was jailed. Fogg, who also was charged with maintaining a common nuisance, was being held on $20,000 bond, jail officials said.
Holtzman said the operation targeted five known drug houses being used for a high volume of the narcotics trade.
Accident sends four people to hospitals
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. - A head-on crash on the U.S. 340 bridge over the Shenandoah River Saturday afternoon sent four people to area hospitals, Harpers Ferry Police said.
Chief Don Buracker was the investigator on the accident, which occurred at 2:16 p.m., a police spokesman said.
Three patients were taken by ambulances to Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson, W.Va., while the fourth was airlifted to a hospital in the metropolitan area, the spokesman said.
A 1993 Ford Taurus driven by Jason Marc Grammo, 17, of Charles Town, W.Va., and a 2001 Toyota sport utility vehicle driven by Channal Ryan Himelright, 31, of Cockeysville, Md., collided, Buracker said.
Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles.
Grammo was taken to Jefferson Memorial Hospital and Himelright was flown to Washington Hospital Center, Buracker said.
A hospital official at Jefferson Memorial Hospital said Grammo was in the intensive care unit, but a condition was not available.
A spokeswoman for Washington Hospital Center said she did not have a listing for Himelright as a patient. No more information was available.
A 16-year-old passenger in Grammo's car and Himelright's wife were both taken to Jefferson Memorial Hospital, Buracker said. Their names were not available.
The accident backed up traffic for several hours. It remains under investigation, Buracker said.
Man shot in the leg in good condition
McCONNELLSBURG, Pa. - A 65-year-old man who accidentally was shot in the leg Friday by a 4-year-old child in a Fulton County home was being treated in the intensive care unit Saturday at Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center.
Frank David Skiles Jr. was flown to the center from Fulton County Medical Center shortly after the 4:30 p.m. incident, Pennsylvania State Police said.
A nursing supervisor at Hershey confirmed Saturday that Skiles was there and in good condition.
Police said Skiles was shot in the left leg with a .410-gauge shotgun while he was sleeping in a home at 590 Strawberry Ridge Road.
The investigation is continuing.
Detention center vehicle struck by van
FREDERICK, Md. - Three occupants of a Frederick County Detention Center vehicle received minor injuries Friday afternoon when the vehicle was struck from behind by a 1998 Plymouth van on Interstate 270 just south of Md. 121.
The two officers in the van - Michael Bunn Jr., 38, of Jefferson, Md., and Andrew Adelsberger, 28, of Thurmont, Md. - were treated at Frederick Memorial Hospital and later released, a nursing supervisor said Saturday.
The prisoner in the van, who was being transported from court back to the detention center, also was treated and released.
