A man who was injured after his vehicle flipped over on a beach in Atlantic City allegedly assaulted the Emergency Medical Technician(EMT) who was trying to help him.

Police say the man was driving his SUV on the beach at Bartram Avenue around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. As he was driving on the sand, the man lost control and the SUV overturned. Two young children were inside the vehicle at the time.

When police arrived at the scene, they say the driver was out of the vehicle while the two children were still inside.

"The driver was out of the car," said Atlantic City Police Sergeant Monica McMenamin. "Momentarily he entered the water and the officers took him into custody."

Police were able to rescue the two children. None of the victims suffered serious injuries.

While he was being loaded onto a stretcher, the driver allegedly kicked an EMT in the face. Police say the man will be charged with assault and several motor vehicle offenses. They have not yet revealed his identity.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Also on NBC10.com:

• Woman's Body Found at NJ Explosion Site
  
• RAW VIDEO: Ground Footage of Gas Explosion
   

A plane crashed on the runway at the Atlantic City International Airport in the early evening Tuesday.

The aircraft, a Piper PA-28, was attempting to take off when it collided with a fence and flipped over at the end of the runway around 5 p.m., according to officials.

The only person on board was the pilot, who was able to escape, according to reports.

The pilot, who was treated by medical personnel at the scene, was not injuried.

A woman's body was found on the hood of a car at the site of a gas explosion in Ewing Township, N.J., Tuesday evening, several hours after the blast rocked a housing development in the Mercer County community. The explosion injured seven other people, obliterated one home and damaged 55 other units in the condominium complex. At least 10 of those homes were so heavily damaged, they're considered a total loss, according to township police Lt. Ron Lunetta.

Search crews found the woman's body on a car parked outside 28 Crockett Lane, the home where the explosion occurred.

"Because of the condition of the body, we are not able to ID her. We have to wait for the autopsy and go through the autopsy procedure to do that so we're 100 percent sure," Lunetta said.

The explosion happened about 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday while workers were trying to repair a gas line at 28 Crockett Lane inside the South Fork development. It left a swath of smoldering debris and damage that looked more like what you see after tornadoes -- crumpled metal, tree trunks pierced by the siding off homes, insulation and everyday items hanging in treetops.

"It reminds me of basic training in the infantry," said Josiah Perez who was home, across the street when the explosion blew out two windows in his house. "I heard this loud boom. It just rocketed the house. The china fell, the pictures fell. I looked outside and it's a bunch of flames and it was warm. It was hot."

PSE&G officials say they hired private contractor Henkels & McCoy to replace underground electrical service at the 28 Crockett Lane unit earlier in the day because neighbors in the area were having electrical problems. Officials say it was planned work and the area was surveyed and marked to make sure gas lines were not hit.

However, during the work, officials say a gas line was struck and damaged. PSE&G workers who came out to investigate and repair the damage were standing in front of the house when the explosion occurred.

"The gas main did not explode. We are investigating right now what the source of the ignition was and what ignited," said PSE&G Director Mike Gaffney.

The blast shook the area with such force, some people thought it was a plane crash.

"I was out having my lunch in my car and it shook my car and I looked back at the building because I thought maybe a plane had hit it,” said Carolyn Gavila, who works at a law firm about 100 yards from the development.

• WATCH: Mom, Kids Run for Safety After Explosion

Five of the injured are public service workers according to Ewing Township Police Lt. Ron Lunetta. The two other victims work for Henkels and McCoy, Lunetta said. None of the injuries are life-threatening. Tuesday night, three of the injured workers were released from the hospital. The remaining four will spend the night for continued treatment.

• WATCH: Brother of Injured Gas Worker Describes Disaster

"We're not sure how it happened," Lunetta said. "It's a pretty horrific scene down there."

Bryan Gentry was in his car outside the post office when he heard and felt the explosion. He saw the smoke and flames as he was heading home and shot some of the first video of the scene with his cell phone. "I was just blown away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Gentry said.

"When I got down to the end. I saw this one guy. He was just staggering and people were running towards him." Gentry said he parked his car and got out to see if he could help, but police were trying to secure the area and told him to leave.

"It just looked really dangerous, and nobody was really that eager to get too close to it." Gentry said the heat was so intense he could feel it inside his car.

Matthew Ianni, who lives across the street from the complex, says the explosion was so powerful it knocked him to the ground.

"I fell and tried to brace my fall," he said. "It blew me back and I fell to the ground. I was just in such shock I didn't really know what was happening."

• WATCH Bryan Gentry's Raw Video of Explosion Scene

Penny Ray, a journalist for The Trentonian describes walking up on the explosion site in the video below, "This is the house and it's completely gone. Well, this was the house," Ray says.

Power was cut off to the entire development and state and local inspectors were brought in to assess each unit. During an evening news conference, the mayor said it's likely that 10 to 12 units are either destroyed or will have to be torn down.

"We are currently working on getting as many people as we can back into their homes," Ewing Township Mayor Bert Steinmann said.

Power was restored to some of the units Tuesday night. The mayor said as many as 30 households would remain off limits however at least until they could be inspected again during daylight hours.

Red Cross officials set up a staging area outside the West Trenton Fire House for at least 60 displaced residents. The mayor and PSE&G officials visited some of the evacuees. Steinmann said some of the South Fork residents who may have to wait longer to get home, were worried about their pets.

"If it's safe enough, we will allow them to go in and retrieve their pets tonight," Steinmann said. "We're doing the best we can."

John Sass, a Ewing Township resident, says he and his wife welcomed three displaced families inside their home.

"The people were scared," Sass said. "One of them had probably an 8-year-old who was crying uncontrollably. Their mother was crying also."

Workers will stay at the site throughout the night to secure the area. Another press conference with updated details on the investigation is scheduled to take place on Wednesday around 11 a.m.

Meanwhile. safety officials with OSHA say they plan on launching their own investigation into the explosion. A spokesperson for Henkels & McCoy told NBC10 the company is aware of the incident and cooperating fully with the investigation.

As the investigation of a deadly explosion in Mercer County, N.J. goes into full swing, one of the things authorities will evaluate is the procedures crews followed at the scene.

"The person that was operating down there felt that they had struck something," Ron Lunetta, a lieutenant with the Ewing Township Police, said during a news conference. "At that point, they retreated and tried to make contact with their people and also public service."

Whenever any work disturbs the soil, New Jersey state law requires the excavator to notify the New Jersey One Call center at 811 or 1-800-272-1000 at least three full business days prior to breaking ground.

The three-day period allows the utility companies to send their own crew or a third party contractor to the job site to indicate with paint, flags or stakes where the utility lines are located.

Once marked, the excavator has an eight to 11 day window to start the project by hand digging within 2-feet of either side of the indicators.

When tools hit the ground Tuesday, something went wrong.

The explosion, which killed one woman and injured seven others, happened about 12:50 p.m. while workers were trying to repair a gas line at 28 Crockett Lane inside the South Fork development in Ewing Township.

According to PSE&G, one of their contract workers, who was replacing electrical service at that unit, had damaged a gas line and according to PSE&G Director Mike Gaffney, "the damage caused a leak."

"If you accidentally damage gas piping or smell gas when excavating, please call 911 immediately," reads PSE&G's website. "Then, call 1-800-436-7734."

During the news conference, Lt. Lunetta said the Ewing Police Department received the first call about the explosion around 12:51 p.m.

It is unclear if police were informed of a damaged gas line ahead of the initial blast reports. Gaffney said PSE&G was notified at approximately 11:45 a.m., "and at approximately 11:58 we had a crew respond to the scene, to an odor in the air. We are in the process of investigating how that damage did happen to our facilities and as soon as we do come to a conclusion, we will report that as quickly as possible."

After notifying authorities and the gas company, PSE&G suggests authorities secure the area and evacuate as needed, check near-by buildings for other possible leaks, eliminate sources of ignition, and stay upwind of leaks and away from manholes and other possible gas outlets, according to its website.

PSE&G workers were standing in front of the Crockett Lane home to investigate and repair the damage when the explosion occurred.

"The gas main did not explode. We are investigating right now what the source of the ignition was and what actually ignited," said Gaffney.

If other utility lines are struck, the excavator must notify the appropriate company and New Jersey One that a line may have been uncovered or damaged.

Authorities are working to determine the cause of the deadly blast.

Police arrested two men accused of stealing over $100,000 in jewelry in four separate thefts.

On February 25, around 6 p.m., police say one of the suspects entered the Sears store at Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The man went to the jewelry department and cut the cable which secured a spinning display case full of jewelry to the main display case, according to investigators.

The suspect then allegedly loaded the entire spinning display case into a shopping cart and left the store. Police say he then entered the passenger side of a red pickup truck outside of the Sears. A second suspect was in the driver’s seat and the two men fled the scene, according to police.

On February 26, another spinning jewelry display case was stolen from the K-Mart on 176 W. Street Road in Lower Southampton Township. Witnesses told police they spotted a red pickup truck fleeing the scene with the letters “ZC” on the registration.

Finally, on February 27, the two suspects were spotted entering the Sears at the Oxford Valley Mall in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Once again, police say they stole a spinning jewelry display case before fleeing in a red pickup truck with the letters “ZC” on the registration.

Police also say the suspects were connected to a jewelry store theft at a Walmart in Philadelphia. They did not reveal the date or location of that theft however.

In all, police say the suspects stole over $100,000 in jewelry in the thefts.

On Tuesday, police arrested one suspect in Bensalem and a second on Cumberland Street in the Kensington section of the city. Police have not yet revealed their identities.

Police also say a third suspect is on the loose in connection to the thefts.

If you have any information, please call Detective Mike Moretti at 215-633-3719.
 

A car crashed overnight after a driver and a passenger got into a heated argument while traveling along a Philadelphia street.

Philadelphia Police said the unidentified driver and passenger began arguing as they drove along Henry Avenue near Tilden Street in the city’s East Falls neighborhood around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

The driver told police that the upset passenger then grabbed the steering wheel causing the silver sedan to go out of control before smashing into a gate in front of a home. The front end of the sedan was visibly damaged.

• Get the latest traffic from NBC10.com

Neither person was hurt.

The unidentified passenger fled the scene as the driver waited for police to arrive.

The incident remained under investigation. No one was immediately charged.
 

A big rig flipped off a Bucks County highway this morning causing a backup for hours and state police say it was all caused when an intoxicated driver pulled over to the side of the road.

A tractor-trailer collided with a stopped minivan along the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 just past the Woodhaven Road (Route 63) Exit in Bensalem Township, Pa. around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Brandon Ballard was behind the wheel of the tractor-trailer, according to Pennsylvania State Police. As Ballard approached mile-marker 33.4 he took evasive actions to avoid striking Nicholas Harris' Honda Odyssey, which was stopped partially in the right lane of the highway.

The big rig sideswiped the minivan before jackknifing and rolling over into the embankment, according to police.

The UPS big rig wound up overturned down an embankment, trapping Ballard, according to the responding Newportville Fire Company.

Only one lane could squeeze by as crews worked to free the 32-year-old driver, said firefighters.

Ballard suffered major injuries while Harris suffered moderate injuries, according to police.

• Get the latest traffic from NBC10.com

The big rig's load poured onto the embankment as dozens of cardboard boxes spilled from the top of the trailer.

An investigation into the crash led to Harris being arrested for suspected DUI.

Police eventually closed the roadway entirely forcing traffic off at Woodhaven (Exit 35). For alternate routes, NBC10 traffic reporter Jillian Mele suggested using Woodhaven Road to get to Academy Road and then taking academy back to I-95 or to jump onto Street Road and take that to Roue 13, which runs into Academy.

The ramp from eastbound Woodhaven onto I-95 was also closed.

PennDOT warned motorists that the closures could last until 1 p.m. but the two lanes were opened around 9 a.m. Delays remained because one lane remained blocked.

Trial for a northeastern Pennsylvania man has been postponed until after the conclusion of the trial of his co-defendant in the double-murder case, Hugo Selenski.
 
Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented a motion to a Luzerne County judge on Tuesday calling for another postponement of the often-delayed trial of 44-year-old Paul Weakley.
 
Selenski is scheduled for trial in May in the 2002 strangulation deaths of Michael Kerkowski and Tammy Fassett, whose bodies were among a number of sets of human remains found on his rural property in 2003.
 
Weakley is serving a life term in a related federal racketeering conspiracy case. He testified in a 2006 trial in which Selenski was acquitted of the murders of two other people found on the property but was convicted of abuse of a corpse.
 

Today marks the first day of Lent.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis Papacy

Those who celebrate the Lenten season do so by giving up things, such as swearing or eating chocolate, for 40 days or the duration of Lent. The observance of Lent may include setting aside time to reflect, repent and fast. Christians receive ashes on Ash Wednesday to symbolize the first day of preparation for the Easter holiday. 

Pope Francis Meets His "Mini-Me" Pope

On this first day of Lent, what are you giving up?

People shared their Lenten observances on social media. The sacrfice tweets from around the Philadelphia ranged from giving up fast food to posting selfies on social media. 

Police are searching for a fleeing suspect they say jumped off a Center City bridge and into the Schuylkill River Wednesday afternoon.

Police are scouring the Schuylkill after a man they were chasing from 30th Street Station jumped of the Market Street Bridge and into the icy cold water to escape.

The suspect, according to public affairs, dropped a bag in the station. The bag contained drugs and a firearm, authorities said.

The suspect hasn't resurfaced since jumping in the river.



 

Interested in a creative cocktail to satiate your thirst? One Philadelphia bartender is concocting such tasty and innovative libations that he was named one of the best in the country.

The Daily Meal ranked Vincent Stipo of Vernick Food & Drinks as the 20th best bartender in the U.S.

"Conceptually we are approaching cocktails in a similar fashion as the back of the house," Stipo said. "Basically trying to create drinks that are simple, but pack a lot of flavor and quality."

The national food and drink website, which was founded by eight-time James Beard Award Winner Colman Andrews, released its list -- America's 25 Best Bartenders -- Tuesday.

"Stipo’s cocktail menu is elegant, focusing on solid, beautiful classics," said Jess Novak, The Daily Meal's drink editor.

Stipo says about half of Vernick's cocktail menu are well-executed classics and suggests customers try the Jack Rose, a drink that has been part of the Center City restaurant's repertoire since they opened in May 2012.

The Jack Rose consists of apple brandy, fresh lemon, bitters and a homemade grenadine that includes pomegranate juice, sugar and orange blossom water, he said.

"It has a fresh pop up front and then is balanced with that sweetness of the syrup and a floral tartness," he said.

Stipo was the only bartender from Philadelphia and the greater metro region to make the list, which highlights drink slingers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, among others. 

"All those people and programs are top notch," he said. "It puts the whole city and the bartending that we are trying to do here on the map."

But Vernick's head bartender might not be the only Philadelphia bartender to make the list in the future.

Novak says, "Philly is actually a city packed with great bartenders, many of whom deserve to have their praises sung."

Police say they found the body of a man inside an Upper Darby apartment several days after he was stabbed to death with scissors.

Police say they were called to an apartment complex on the 100 block of Richfield Road Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. When they arrived they discovered the body of 60-year-old Robert Diclement.

According to officials, Diclement appeared to have been stabbed in the chest with a pair of scissors. They also say it appears he had been dead since Saturday even though police weren’t called until Wednesday.

Investigators say Diclement allowed homeless people to stay inside his apartment. Police took in two men and a woman for questioning in connection to his death. Officials also say that one of the men admitted to sleeping in the apartment with Diclement’s dead body.

"I'm scared," said Diclement's neighbor Rita Caffarelli. "I couldn't believe it. I feel bad for the guy. He wasn't a bad guy. I don't know who would kill him. I have no idea who would do this to him."

An autopsy will be conducted on Diclement to determine the exact cause of death. If you have any information on this incident, please call Upper Darby Police at 610-734-7684 or email passcrimetips@udpd.org.