Jeep

Smaller is better - or at least it's a better seller. It's estimated that the compact sport-utility vehicle segment will double from its current level by 2010 and triple by 2016. Jeep is perhaps the best-known maker of SUVs in the world. Jeep's biggest news last year was the introduction of its biggest model - the Commander. For the 2007 model year, no less than four new models will roll into Jeep showrooms, and with all, the focus is on small. The parade of new product starts with the Jeep Compass.

A Hagerstown man was taken to Meritus Medical Center Sunday after the Jeep he was driving overturned on westbound Interstate 70 and he was ejected from it, Maryland State Police said. Thomas Browning, 26, was driving a Jeep Wrangler when, around 1:44 a.m. Sunday, the Jeep left the highway, hit a guardrail and overturned near the Downsville Pike exit, according to a news release from the state police. Browning was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the Jeep, police said.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com Hugs, handshakes and tears filled a courtroom Wednesday after jurors found a dump-truck driver guilty of driving under the influence of cocaine and causing a crash that killed three people and injured two others. Brian W. Strobridge, 39, shook his head slightly after a clerk read aloud the first guilty verdict and then stood emotionless as the rest of the verdict was read. Jurors found Strobridge guilty of three felony counts of DUI causing death, two counts of DUI causing injury and misdemeanor counts of driving left of center, reckless driving and failure to drive in a single lane.

SHARPSBURG - A 28-year-old Boonsboro man who fell out of a moving Jeep Saturday was in critical condition Sunday evening. Maryland State Police Sgt. S. Wallace said Robert Huntzberry was not wearing his seat belt when he fell out of the front passenger seat of a Jeep Wrangler near the 18500 block of Burnside Bridge Road near Sharpsburg at about 7:50 p.m. The vehicle's doors and roof had been taken off, she said. Wallace said when police got to the scene, the vehicle's driver, who was not hurt, already was gone.

FREDERICK, Md. - A 15-year-old Emmitsburg girl allegedly was struck by a drunken driver early Saturday while walking along Md. 140 in Frederick County, according to a press release from Maryland State Police in Frederick. Cindi Burns of Fairfield, Pa. was driving a 2003 Jeep Liberty near Mountain View Road when the vehicle struck the girl, according to the release. The girl, whose identity was not known, was taken to Washington County Hospital and treated for head trauma, according to the release.

shappell@herald-mail.com A Williamsport boy suffered severe injuries to his arm after a Jeep Cherokee jumped a curb on Artizan Street, struck him and then ran into the corner of a neighboring house, police said. The boy, who was playing in his yard when the sport utility vehicle struck him, may lose the arm, a Washington County Sheriff's Department deputy said. The Jeep struck the 12-year-old boy, whose name was not released by authorities, about 6:55 p.m., Deputy James Sword said.

As expected, DaimlerChrysler is grabbing a major portion of the spotlight at the current 2005 auto shows. Dressed in Armor Green Metallic paint, and clad in sheet metal inspired by traditional and modern design, the Jeep Gladiator 4x4 pickup concept appears dressed for battle in the 4x4 arenas. The Gladiator shows off a powerful form directed toward consumers looking for beyond-the-ordinary rides. Unveiling a Jeep pickup may spark thoughts of the past Jeep Comanche pickup, but those need to be pushed aside - similarity between the two is faint at best.

Do you remember the Cherokee? Jeep certainly hopes you do, and in a fond way. It's a big reason why this DaimlerChrysler division has added the Patriot to its ever-expanding range of sport-utility vehicles. It's similar-looking to the Cherokee, intentionally so, but cuts a wider swath, from easy-going boulevard cruiser to rugged, range-rumbling off-roader. It joins the entry-level Compass and completely madeover Wrangler as Jeep's new-for-2007 entries. The Patriot/Compass duo is heavily based on the Dodge Caliber wagon and shares many of the same mechanical components.

FREDERICK. Md. - The two rear seat passengers in a 2005 Jeep Liberty lost their lives late Monday when they were ejected from the vehicle after it overturned on U.S. 340 west of Mount Zion Road, Maryland State Police said. The 11:27 p.m. accident claimed the lives of Emilia Cruz Hernandez, 55, and Adrian Alfaro-Calderon, 35, both of College Park, Md., police said. The driver, Raquel Hernandez-Cruz, 25, and front seat passenger, Victor Ayala, 21, are also from College Park, police said.

Here's the dilemma: How do you get the utility of a sport-utility vehicle, without the futility of poor mileage? Jeep's latest take on this target reaches across the pond for its inspiration. For years, Europeans have had gas prices that are even harder for Americans to understand than the French's fondness for Jerry Lewis. One way they've dealt with the problem is by driving diesels. For 2005, Jeep becomes the first automaker to offer a diesel in a midsize SUV in the North American market.