Nissan

In a luxury segment crowded with variety, attractiveness and technology - from every corner of the world - you could be forgiven for letting the Inifiniti M45 slip by. Well, the "M", as it is now being called, has been brought in and showered with attention by a company that has virtually redesigned itself over the past few years. The result is an entirely new vehicle with the looks, attitude and wherewithal to tackle the field. Not only do the 2006 M35 and M45 have more space, grace and pace, they have been packaged to offer a clear value advantage over the competition.

A West Virginia man was taken to the Washington County Hospital emergency room for treatment of injuries suffered during a Monday afternoon collision on Eastern Boulevard. Robert Steven Redding, 42, whose exact address was not known by a police spokesman Monday evening, was driving a black 2000 Pontiac Sunfire southbound on Eastern Boulevard when he allegedly collided with the back of a Nissan pickup truck at about 1:30 p.m. near the intersection with Klick Way, Washington County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Travers Ruppert said.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Four people were injured in a two-car crash Thursday night on U.S. 340, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Two people in a red Hyundai were flown by helicopter to Fairfax (Va.) Inova Hospital following the 9:06 p.m. crash, said Cpl. Vincent Tiong. The woman driving the car was in critical condition, he said, and the male passenger was less seriously injured. The two people in a white Nissan passenger car were admitted to Jefferson Memorial Hospital, he said.

Two people were taken to Washington County Hospital after a two-car accident Thursday afternoon on Mount Aetna Road behind Elks Lodge 378, the Washington County Sheriff's Department said. Police said Omer Akmar, 22, of Sasha Boulevard in Hagerstown, crossed the center line of Mount Aetna Road and struck a 1998 Nissan driven by William Figgins Jr. of Mulberry Avenue in Hagerstown. Figgins and a juvenile passenger in the Nissan were taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, police said.

marlob@herald-mail.com waynesboro@herald-mail.com A 34-year-old woman who died in a two-car accident on a wet section of W.Va. 45 near Glengary, W.Va., Sunday was the mother of three and an outgoing person, her mother said Monday. Regina Marie "Gina" Martinson, of Glengary, was pronounced dead at City Hospital in Martinsburg following the 4:20 p.m. accident, West Virginia State Police in Martinsburg said Monday. Three other people, including Martinson's husband, Bryan Martinson, were injured in the accident, police said.

What's in a name? If you're Nissan in search of an "army of one" to tackle the full-size sport-utility vehicle market, perhaps the name means more than you think. In a world where Tahoes, Sequoias and Expeditions rule the open seas, the 2004 Pathfinder Armada is a one-truck wrecking ball looking to punch a hole in a segment, all by its lonesome, fearless self. At least the name fits. Webster's Dictionary says an Armada is a "fleet of warships," or a "large force of moving things.

Nissan certainly got it right when its third-generation Altima was introduced three years ago. The updated 2005 version is quicker and has received a number of key improvements that make it an even sweeter deal. In 2002, the sedan competition was blindsided by the Altima's classy looks and potent inline four-cylinder and optional V-6 engines. It was a leading-edge family ride that left other weaker-kneed midsized four-doors in the dust, even the old Altima it replaced. In fact, even some near-luxury cars costing thousands more were plainly embarrassed by what was once an innocuous five-passenger chariot that rarely warranted a second glance.

BOONSBORO - One person was killed and seven others were injured in a three-car accident Sunday afternoon on U.S. 40 near Mount Lena Road, according to Maryland State Police. Estrella Caraballo, 84, of Boonsboro, died at Washington County Hospital and Darlene Sue Crowley, 54, also of Boonsboro, was in serious condition in the intensive care unit Sunday night, police said. A white Nissan was westbound on U.S. 40 when it stopped to make a left turn onto Mount Lena Road at about 5 p.m., State Police Trooper Travis Brown said.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - A Maryland man has been indicted for driving under the influence causing death following a fatal two-car crash on U.S. 340 on Sept. 20, according to court records. Richard Lewis Morris Sr., of 338 Fair Ave. in Westminster, was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury which convened in Jefferson County Circuit Court this week. Morris was sought by police following a wreck on U.S. 340 near the Halltown Road intersection north of Charles Town in which a southbound white Nissan struck another car from behind at a high rate of speed, Cpl. Vincent Tiong of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said previously.

While the restyled 2004 Sentra proves that Nissan is still connected to its compact-car roots, it also proves that an entry-level car can appeal to a broad range of buyers. Years ago, the main niche of the import brands - and cars such as the Sentra - was to provide an inexpensive and fuel-efficient alternative to the more mainstream autos on the road. But, as Toyota, Honda and Nissan began building larger and more upscale offerings, their starting-point models, while not exactly neglected, lacked a certain degree of pulse-quickening excitement.

BEDINGTON, W.Va. -- A Berkeley County man was killed Thursday evening after the motorcycle he was operating collided with a pickup truck on U.S. 11 about a quarter-mile north of the Bedington Crossroads store, according to a Berkeley County Sheriff's Department spokesman. Michael Joseph Tyeryar, 50, of Falling Waters, W.Va., was traveling north when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road and struck a Nissan pickup truck head-on, Lt. R.L. Gardner said. Gardner said Tyeryar's family members told him the victim had just bought the 2010 Suzuki motorcycle.

Proof of a sports car's validity is sometimes seen when its successor is highly refined as opposed to heavily made over. For 2009, the new 370Z shows that the outgoing 350Z was on the mark right from the beginning as the updates push what was a very fulfilling package to the next level . . . and by shedding fat in the process. Yes, Nissan's latest Z-car has become a less-is-more proposition, a trend that's most welcome at a time when new-and-improved models generally tend to pack on the pounds.

Nissan's 2009 Titan 4x4 Pro-4X King Cab test-truck showed up with strong ready-to-work credentials. Name it -- toting, towing or off-road duty -- the Pro-4X is up for the challenge. Base priced at $33,680, the tester is packed with options for workhorse capability and convenience. At the heart of this rugged full-sizer (also available in a Crew Cab version) is the Titan's standard 5.6-liter Endurance V-8, delivering 317 horsepower and 385 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated with a five-speed automatic transmission, fuel economy is estimated at 12 miles per gallon city and 17 mpg highway.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - A Maryland man has been indicted for driving under the influence causing death following a fatal two-car crash on U.S. 340 on Sept. 20, according to court records. Richard Lewis Morris Sr., of 338 Fair Ave. in Westminster, was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury which convened in Jefferson County Circuit Court this week. Morris was sought by police following a wreck on U.S. 340 near the Halltown Road intersection north of Charles Town in which a southbound white Nissan struck another car from behind at a high rate of speed, Cpl. Vincent Tiong of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said previously.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Four people were injured in a two-car crash Thursday night on U.S. 340, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Two people in a red Hyundai were flown by helicopter to Fairfax (Va.) Inova Hospital following the 9:06 p.m. crash, said Cpl. Vincent Tiong. The woman driving the car was in critical condition, he said, and the male passenger was less seriously injured. The two people in a white Nissan passenger car were admitted to Jefferson Memorial Hospital, he said.

BOONSBORO - A second woman involved in a three-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon on U.S. 40 near Mount Lena Road died Monday at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. Darlene Sue Crowley, 54, of Boonsboro, worked as a grants analyst for the Washington County Office of Budget and Finance. She and her twin brother, Doug Gatz, were in the back seat of a car returning from a dinner in Frederick to celebrate their recent birthday when the accident occurred, said Gatz' niece, Anne Marie Bohannon.

BOONSBORO - One person was killed and seven others were injured in a three-car accident Sunday afternoon on U.S. 40 near Mount Lena Road, according to Maryland State Police. Estrella Caraballo, 84, of Boonsboro, died at Washington County Hospital and Darlene Sue Crowley, 54, also of Boonsboro, was in serious condition in the intensive care unit Sunday night, police said. A white Nissan was westbound on U.S. 40 when it stopped to make a left turn onto Mount Lena Road at about 5 p.m., State Police Trooper Travis Brown said.

WAYNESBORO, PA. - At least one person was stabbed Tuesday night in downtown Waynesboro, and police were looking for two men believed to be on their way to Baltimore. A man was lying on the sidewalk in front of 120 W. Main St. and put into an ambulance at 10:20 p.m. Spots of blood marked the second victim's apparent path down Cleveland Avenue and west on West Second Street. Witnesses said the second victim, described as a white man in his early 20s, was clutching his side and screaming before collapsing on the back of a car in front of 206 W. Second St. At press time, police were looking for a white Nissan driven by a white male, with a black male passenger, Sgt. Mike Bock said.

It would appear that rumors about the demise of the two-door-coupe category have been greatly exaggerated, although it wasn't long ago that it seemed difficult to find a good selection of these sporty machines. Manufacturers were concentrating on high-volume, high-profit sport-utility vehicles and had little interest in slow sellers or tiny niche categories ... namely sporty two-doors. BMW proved everyone wrong with its Mini Cooper. Make it fun and give it plenty of style and people will buy it. It's a philosophy that keeps the modern-day Mustang popular and it's the same philosophy that will bring a new Camaro to the party as well as a new Dodge Challenger.

The first Nissan Pathfinder was aptly named. Rolling into dealerships in 1986, Pathfinder was then the only Nissan sport-utility vehicle sold stateside. The popularity of the breed spawned plenty of new models, and soon Pathfinder was shoulder-to-shoulder in the showroom with the Nissan Murano, Xterra and Armada. Pathfinder and Murano are midsize bookends in the Nissan lineup. The latter is a stylish crossover with a clear, on-road bias. The former is also a midsize, but one that doesn't mind getting its tires dirty.