Man Jumped White House Fence; Metro’s Escalators the Source of Safety Claims: Morning Links

Man Jumped White House Fence: Yesterday around 9 PM, a man jumped the White House fence and was apprehended by Secret Service officers. The whole thing was caught on live television because CNN's John King USA was being recorded at the time. The man, 41-year-old James Dirk Crudup, is reportedly homeless and already has been ordered to stay away from the White House, apparently due to "past incidents." It is unclear if he represents a security threat, but he will be charged with unlawful entry.

Update on Man Struck by Red Line Train: Kytja Weir at the Examiner has an update on the 41-year-old Northwest man who was struck by a Red Line train Monday evening. The man, though he was listed as in critical condition Monday evening, was reportedly still in critical condition but stable as of Tuesday. Authorities determined the man accidentally fell from the platform before he was struck by an inbound train at the Friendship Heights station.

Baby Born in Traffic Jam Caused by Fatal Accident on New York Avenue: A massive pileup on Florida Avenue and Eckington Place, Northeast, early yesterday morning stopped 24-year-old Jeromeka Chappelle from getting to the hospital before her healthy baby girl was born. The accident was caused by a dirt bike and tractor-trailer crash that killed the motorcyclist, WTOP reports.

Metro's Escalators the Source of Safety Claims: An ABC7 investigation discovered that 282 safety claims were filed in the first six months of 2010, of those, 28 have been settled, 112 are still pending, and 143 have been dropped. Nearly one in five claims involved a malfunctioning handrail on the escalator that stopped suddenly, started suddenly, jerked, or reversed direction. Metro acknowledged that there had been 75 escalator injuries in the first six months of last year, but said 70 were the result of slips, trips, or falls.

Briefly Noted: Is a photographer that runs a photo blog called DCMetroPeople.com creating art or invading privacy? The photographer shares his reaction to local stories covering this controversey on his blog. . . . The exploding Hispanic population in Northern Virginia is due to an influx of Salvadorians and other South American immigrants. . . . The Capital City/Florida Avenue Market area may soon be home to pop-up restaurants. The area is bordered Florida and New York avenues, and Sixth Street, Northeast.

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Kay Steiger