Briefly

Storm on East Coast sparks car crashes

White March, Md. Traffic resumed flowing smoothly on Interstate 95 on Sunday, a day after more than 90 vehicles crashed in a string of collisions apparently triggered by sleet and rain.

A fast-moving storm dumped hail and rain along an 11-mile stretch of the highway, one of the busiest on the East Coast. No deaths were reported, but authorities said 50 people were injured, some seriously, in 17 separate accidents involving 92 vehicles in suburban Baltimore.

The wrecks apparently were triggered by sunlight shining off sleet dumped by the storm. The accidents started happening at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday after hail and rain had fallen on the highway.

A section of I-95 was closed in both directions. Officials reopened all lanes late Saturday night.

Broken air unit sends smoke into West Wing

Washington An air-circulation unit went on the fritz at the White House on Sunday and sent smoke through parts of the West Wing, but no one was evacuated.

Smoke filled several areas of the West Wing, including the White House briefing room, cubicles used by the press and offices occupied by the Bush administration’s communications officials. Television cameramen in the briefing room at the time said the smoke smelled like burning wires, but there was no fire.

The problem occurred in the basement near the press lobby. Doors were opened and fans were set up to ventilate the area. Within an hour or so, the smoke and odor had dissipated.

An investigation is under way.

Officials investigate accident that killed 6

Phoenix Police still were trying Sunday to determine who was driving a stolen truck loaded with illegal immigrants that smashed into other vehicles and rolled over, killing six people and injuring 15, some critically.

Immigration and customs enforcement officials questioned a man they had believed was the driver, but he turned out to be a passenger, said Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. Brian Preston.

Investigators think the pickup was traveling about 90 mph when its driver lost control at an intersection near Fort Huachuca, an Army post next to Sierra Vista in southeastern Arizona, Sierra Vista Deputy Fire Chief Randy Redmond said Sunday.

Seventeen people were in the truck, including two women, 14 men and a boy, Preston said.

Five people died at the scene of the 11-car crash Saturday and one victim died later at a hospital.

New Navy dress code: Skirts optional now

Washington The U.S. Navy is getting a 21st century makeover, with a new dress code that makes skirts optional for its more than 54,000 female sailors for the first time since women officially entered the service in 1908.

Women still can choose to wear skirts, which come in colors that vary according to rank and sometimes the season. But until the new rules went into effect this month, Navy women had to maintain skirts in their sea bags and could be ordered to wear them for special events.

The revamped skirt policy is one of several changes in the dress code recommended after a survey of more than 40,000 sailors.