In brief: 85-year-old man held in hit-and-run
Spokane police arrested an 85-year-old driver Wednesday night for a Monday night hit-and-run crash that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries.
Andrew W. Neelands was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run. His van had damage consistent with the crash, said Spokane police Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.
She said police found Neelands through an anonymous tip from a woman who had seen news accounts of the crash at Third Avenue and Lincoln Street.
Neelands was arrested at a home in the 200 block of South Fiske Street.
“He was aware that he hit him and left,” said DeRuwe. “He said the guy walked in front of him.”
The 30-year-old man who was struck is in stable condition at Deaconess Medical Center with multiple broken bones and internal injuries.
– Amy Cannata
Washington border
Second part of bridge arrives
The second of two Tacoma Narrows Bridge expansion joints arrived at the Washington/Idaho border Thursday afternoon, where its trailer was inspected in preparation to move it 12 miles into Washington state.
The 100-ton joint is being stored at the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Pines Road facility before being shipped to Tacoma on Monday.
The first joint was stuck at the state line for almost a month because it weighed too much under Washington law to be transported on its trailer. A new trailer was brought in last week to facilitate the cross-state trip.
Interested motorists and bridge fans can observe the joint’s progress at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/ sr16narrowsbridge/track/.
– Amy Cannata
Spokane
Scare prompts school lockdown
Garry Middle School was locked down briefly Thursday after a parent called the school to say her son may be carrying a weapon to school.
A parent notified school officials about 2:30 p.m., and said her son had left their home angry and was on his way back to the building in northeast Spokane, and may be carrying a weapon, said Spokane Public Schools spokeswoman Terren Roloff.
The school was locked down until the teen was located. He did not have a weapon, Roloff said.
The boy was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center.
– Sara Leaming