A man lost part of his finger during a fight with his mother over his alleged excessive drinking.

• Woman Convicted of Letting Convicted Killer Molest Children

Police say a 43-year-old Toms River man got into a fight with his 65-year-old mother over his drinking habits when he stormed out of the home they share and into a cloth shed behind the mobile home.

• Person Struck by Train

In an effort to get his mother's attention, the man put a shotgun shell in a hollow metal pipe and then struck the pipe with a screw and hammer causing it to explode and the victim to lose part of his left index finger, said authorities.

The man was taken to Kimball Medical Center for treatment.

 

The Walmart truck driver who slammed his big rig into the back of a limo bus carrying actor Tracy Morgan and six others, killing one and critically injuring several passengers, hadn't slept for at least 24 hours when the crash happened, according to a criminal complaint.

• PAST COVERAGE: Tracy Morgan "More Responsive" After Surgery: Spokesman

Kevin Roper, 35, did not see slow moving traffic ahead of him in the northbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury, N.J. on Saturday morning until the last minute, New Jersey State Police said. The driver swerved his 2011 Peterbilt truck to avoid the traffic, but still hit the Mercedes Sprinter limo carrying Morgan and his friends. The collision spun the limo, caused it to flip and hit four other vehicles.

Morgan was critically hurt and had to be flown to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. Lewis Kay, a representative for the "SNL" and "30 Rock" star, said Morgan underwent surgery for a broken leg and was "more responsive" on Sunday. He also has a broken femur, nose and ribs. He is expected to remain in the hospital for several weeks, Kay said.

• Love Triangle Assault: Man's Girlfriend Stabs Wife During Brawl at Convenience Store

Fellow passengers Jeffrey Millea and Ardie Fuqua, Jr. were also critically injured in the crash and remain hospitalized. Harris Stanton, another passenger, was treated and released on Sunday.

Comedian James "Jimmy Mack" McNair, 69, was killed in the crash.

Roper, a Georgia native, has been charged with Death by Auto and four counts of Assault by Driving. He turned himself into state police on Saturday and was released on $50,000 bail.

Investigators have not said if Roper fell asleep behind the wheel, but cited the prolonged sleep deprivation as a factor in the charges against him.

• Woman Inmate Poses to Get Out of Prison

Studies have found drowsy driving can be as dangerous as driving drunk. A driver who stays awake for about 24 hours is as impaired as a person with a 0.10 percent blood alcohol level, according to studies cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's legally drunk in all 50 U.S. states.

Truck drivers are limited to 11 hours behind the wheel over the course of a 14 hour long shift, federal regulations state. Drivers are barred from spending more than 70 hours on the road unless they take extra breaks and are required to pull over when they feel drowsy.

Commercial drivers, like Roper, are also required to keep a log book of his driving status detailing when he was driving, sleeping and on break.

U.S. Department of Transportation data showed that out of more than 5,600 inspections, Walmart had only 18 violations related to hours of service on the road. Walmart has said if its driver is found to be at fault, the company would take full responsibility for the crash.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation with help from New Jersey State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board. Three NTSB investigators are on the ground around the scene and will be focusing on broader commercial trucking issues like truck maintenance and driver fitness.

Roper was set to be arraigned in a Middlesex County, N.J. court on Monday, but the hearing was postponed to Wednesday at 3 p.m.

PHOTO: Kevin Roper is charged in the fatal crash that injured actor Tracy Morgan and six others.

Police are asking for your help identifying the man they say is responsible for a rash for burglaries in a Center City neighborhood.

• Teacher Pulled Knife on Students, Demanded They Drive Him to Get Food

The first break-in happened on May 6 at Spring Board Media on South 13th Street. A suspect was caught on sureveillance video forcing his way into the building with a crowbar. Police say the man stole an iMac and a tablet from the 2nd and 4th floors.

He was seen on video leaving the area with a silver and blue bicycle.



Two days later, the same suspect was seen on camera breaking into a home on South 16th Street. The suspect made his way into the home by the back door, according to authorities.

Police say a Nikon camera, loose change and a swipe card were missing.

On June 3, video shows the same man inside the offices of ChatterBlast on the 4th floor of South 13th Street. Electronics, including a Macbook Pro and a Nexus tablet were stolen, said police.

The suspect is described by police as a white male between 20 and 30 years old with short hair and scruffy facial hair.

Anyone with information is urged to call Philadelphia Police.

 

Philadelphia Police have arrested the man they say raped, beat and robbed a tourist after the two men met on the popular gay dating and hookup app Grindr.

• Tracy Morgan is "More Responsive" After Surgery: Spokesman

Twenty-six-year-old Douglass Spady, a.k.a. Douglass Casey, of the 5200 block of Cottage Street, was arrested Sunday and is facing a slew of charges, including deviant sexual intercourse and kidnapping for ransom in connection with the April 9 attack at the Hilton Home 2 Suites on 12th and Arch Streets.

Spady allegedly pulled a gun on a 34-year-old Canadian man, in his hotel room, and raped him.

• Man Dies After Jumping in Front of SEPTA Train

The victim, who was visiting Philadelphia to take part in an education conference, told NBC10.com that he invited the suspect over to his room after they met on Grindr.

“The whole thing was just a giant blur. I was scared and I kept thinking if i just do what he says, then he'll just go away," the man said.

Following the assault, the victim said he was forced to buy four $500 Visa gift cards. He was then walked to five nearby ATMs and told to withdraw $200 from each cash machine. In all the suspect stole $3,000.

• Jail Release Mix-Up

"I was afraid to say anything. I was afraid of what was going to happen," the victim said.

The suspect and victim walked about 15 blocks – from 12th and Arch Streets to 20th and Walnut Streets – during the ordeal, the man said. Then inside a bar along the 2000 block of Walnut Street, the man was able to break free, run away and call police.

Surveillance cameras inside the bar captured the struggle between the men.

Spady was also arraigned on Sunday. His bail was set at $1 million. His next court date is set for June 26.

A 911 recording shows a Delaware man tried to warn state transportation officials and law enforcement about trouble with a tilting interstate bridge nearly two months before the river crossing was shut down.

• Walmart Truck Driver Hadn't Slept for At Least 24 Hours When He Crashed Into Tracy Morgan's Limo, Police Say

In the April 15 call obtained by NBC10.com on Monday, Charles Allen, Jr. describes how the heavily-traveled 4,800 foot long bridge crossing the Christina River in Wilmington had begun to separate and lean.

"It's kind of a crazy emergency," he said. "The two roadbeds are lifting up opposing each other and it doesn't look right. Something's wrong."

Allen, Jr., who regularly travels across the bridge on his commute, told the operator that he had attempted to contact the Delaware Department of Transportation using several numbers, but could not get in touch with anyone.

• Love Triangle Assault: Man's Girlfriend Stabs Wife During Brawl in Convenience Store

"I don't want to be rude and use this number for something that's not [an emergency], but it appears to be an emergency today," he said.

The operator tells Allen, Jr. that she would pass along the information to police. However, its unclear what happened next with the man's warning.

The tilting wasn't addressed by transportation officials until June 2 -- more than six weeks later. That Monday, state transportation officials issued an emergency shut down of the bridge after a contractor, working on another project, noticed the bridge was leaning 2 feet to the side.

DelDOT officials eventually chose to close the bridge indefinitely. They said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution and to prevent a possible failure and collapse. Engineers are still working to determine what is causing the bridge's supports to tilt.

Allen's 911 call didn't come to light until after the man came forward following the closure.

The contractor's warning was also deferred for two days before action was taken. The state's transportation secretary expressed regret over the slow action regarding the contractor's notification, but said the bridge was not in imminent danger of collapse.

A DelDOT spokesperson said the agency's priority is getting the bridge fixed, but that they would release a statement on the 911 call later on Monday.

Great news for Philadelphia residents who are seeking to beat the heat this summer. Mayor Michael Nutter announced the city's pools will open a day or two after the end of the school year.

• Fire Dept. Drowning Prevention Program

"This summer, as we've had the past few summers, every one of our city swimming pools will be open -- every one of them," said Nutter.

The city's pools will open sometime next week.

• Tracy Morgan Amputation Rumors Are False

The Philadelphia Fire Department is launching a new water safety program to increase awareness of the dangers of swimming in creeks, streams and rivers.

The program, Operation Stay On Shore, was announced earlier this morning during an assembly at Louis Farrell School.

• Body Discovered in Lake

While swimming is illegal in Philadelphia creeks and rivers, the activity has become a common summertime practice. Operation Stay On Shore seeks to educate residents about the hazards of swimming in these waters, including fast-moving currents following flash floods and exposure to polluted runoff.
 
In 2013, 6 people are known to have died while swimming or playing in Philadelphia waterways. Many people were rescued by first responders after becoming trapped by the rapidly rising waters of creeks, streams, and rivers. The mother of Brandon Boyle, the 13 year old Louis Farrell student who drowned in Pennypack Creek in July 2013, participated in the announcement.

• UPDATE: Love Triangle Stabbing at Wawa

Operation Stay On Shore is a part of the Fire Department’s mission of Community Risk Reduction. The program was created in cooperation with the Holme Circle Civic Association, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Philadelphia Police Department, the survivors of tragedies in these waterways, and community stakeholders who have shown a dedication to encouraging the safe use of Philadelphia’s parks and waters.

It was a close encounter with one of the ocean’s most awe-inspiring creatures that Howie Allen will never forget.

• Teen Says He Was Bitten by Shark 

Allen was kayaking with his daughter in the water about a quarter mile from the beach in Lavallette, Ocean County, NJ Sunday morning when they came within 10-feet of a massive humpback whale. Allen quickly recorded the mesmerizing sight.

“It was just alarming when he came up behind us that last time,” said Allen, who estimates the whale was about 40-feet. “I had no idea what his plan was. Was he going to come underneath us and roll us?”

• Arrest in Fatal Road Rage Shooting 

The humpback eventually swam off, but not before leaving its mark.

“The odor of that blow hole mist is just nasty,” Allen said. “It’s kind of like getting bathed in herring mist.”

The whale sighting was one of several over the weekend close to the Jersey coastline, including one near Mantoloking.

A crew member aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry also captured video of a humpback in the Delaware Bay last week.

Experts say the whales are migrating from the Caribbean to Canada. Some local whale-watching operators say they’re seeing more of the creatures closer to the Shore than normal.

“A lot of them are traveling with their calves that were born in early spring,” said Bob Schoelkopf, the Director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

As incredible to watch as the animals may be, Schoelkopf warns that boaters should keep their distance however.

• Charges in Crash That Injured Tracy Morgan

“If there’s a calf under the mother, she’s going to be very protective,” he said. “She could knock a 20-foot boat out of the water with her tail. That’s how massive they are.”

Federal authorities recently issued a mariner alert about more whales being hit by ships along the east coast than normal for this time of year, possibly due to them coming closer to the Shore for food. Experts urge boaters to slow down.

“Stay clear of the animals,” Schoelkpf said. “Put your engine in neutral or turn it off and drift by and appreciate them that way.”

Humpback whales are federally protected animals. People who intentionally harass them with boats may be fined and even have their vessels seized.

A shuttle bus caught fire outside a terminal at the Philadelphia International Airport Monday night.

• Humpback Whales at the Jersey Shore

Airport officials say the fire broke out around 8:45 p.m. on a shuttle bus outside the Terminal E baggage claim on the arrivals roadway.

A driver was on board the bus at the time but was able to escape without injury, according to Philly International spokeswoman Victoria Lupica.

• Teen Says He Was Bitten by Shark

Responding firefighters were able to bring the flames under control in 15 minutes.

Arrival roads at the airport were shut down due to the fire but reopened around 10:30 p.m.

• Boil Water Advisory in Stockton, NJ 

Fire officials are investigating the cause but don't suspect anything criminal at this point.

Police are searching for a man who they say stalked a woman on a running trail in Tredyffrin Township, Pa.

• Jogger Fights Off Attacker on Bike Trail 

The woman told police she was walking her dogs around 8:30 a.m. on Monday on the trail that runs through the Treyburn Development, bordered by Old Eagle School Road, Pugh Road, County Line Road and Devon Park Drive in the Wayne section of the township.

As she was walking, she noticed an unidentified man on a mountain bike who was following her, according to investigators. The woman says the man continued to follow her on his bike as she went off the trail. He then left the area.

• Shuttle Bus Fire at Philly International 

The woman was not injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as a medium-built, clean-shaven man with a dark complexion and wide face in his mid-30’s, standing 5-foot-10 with short black hair. He was last seen wearing a Grey baseball cap, black t-shirt, long dark blue jeans and older, white-colored sneakers.

• WATCH: Humpback Sightings at the Jersey Shore

Police also say he was riding a Grey colored mountain bike with light-colored lettering and a dark-colored windbreaker wrapped around the handlebars.

Police don’t believe the incident is related to an attempted sexual assault which occurred on the same trail back on May 12.

If you have information on either incident, please call the Tredyffrin Township Police Department at 610-408-3670.
 

Two men tied up a 68-year-old bar owner and ransacked her apartment in the Olney section of Philadelphia overnight.

• Teen Bit by a Shark?

The owner of Tellup’s Tavern along the 1300 block of Olney Avenue said that she fell asleep while watching television in her apartment around midnight -- she would normally get up around closing time to close the bar she owned downstairs.

• LOOK: Shuttle Bus Catches Fire at the Airport

A short time later, she woke up to find two men in her apartment -- having apparently broken in through a rear second-floor window.

The men -- both wearing dark clothing -- quickly got violent using an extension cord and the woman's clothing to bind her.

• Walmart: Driver in Tracy Morgan Crash Operated Within Rules

“They tied her up around her neck, they bound her wrists as well as her ankles, and they demanded her to tell them where the money was,” said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. “She stated she had no money.

“These two robbers then completely ransacked the property.”

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The men would rip doors off hinges, toss drawers from furniture and wreck the place before eventually giving up the search for money and instead taking a registered handgun and jewelry.

The woman managed to free herself after about an hour and called for help.

Investigators said they planned to look at surveillance video in the area as they try to track down the suspects. They also dusted a retrieved jewelry box for prints since the men didn't wear gloves during the attack.

A robber shot a New Jersey gas station attendant in the stomach before stealing hundreds of dollars late Monday, police say.

The suspect went to the Delta gas station on Main Street in Ridgefield Park just before the business closed at about 10:30 p.m., pulled out a gun, demanded cash and shot the attendant once, police say.

After the shooting, the man took hundreds of dollars from the register and left in a dark sedan that was idling nearby. The car was last seen headed east on Brinkerhoff Street.

The attendant was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. Police say said he was undergoing surgery. His condition was unknown.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Ridgefield Park Police at (201) 641-6400.

--Tracie Strahan contributed to this story

Cars were stranded in parts of Newark, N.J., Monday after heavy rains soaked the tri-state and flooded roads.

At least a foot of water flooded Meeker Street, near Weequahic Park under the NJ Transit tracks, and other areas saw higher amounts.

Some cars had trouble passing along the streets as the water rose.

More rain is on the way Monday night into Tuesday.

A Philadelphia man who admitted to striking and killing a Delaware County man walking his dog over earlier this year will learn his fate this summer.

• Walmart: Driver in Tracy Morgan Crash Operated Within Rules

Ernest Marks pleaded guilty to causing a deadly accident and not being licensed during a deadly crash in a Delaware County courtroom Monday, according to court records.

• WATCH: Men Tie Up Tavern Owner, Rob Her

Prosecutors agreed to drop a handful of other counts stemming from the Jan. 5 crash that left Richard Patterson and his dog dead in exchange for Marks' plea.

• EARLIER COVERAGE: Man With Suspended License Admits to Deadly Hit-&-Run

Marks, 58, told police he drove off after the deadly wreck because he knew he was driving on a suspended license.

"That's not an an accident," said an irate Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood in the days after the crash. "An accident is when you stop and you try to help... when you just leave someone, how cruel could you be?"

Marks struck Patterson as the man and his dog crossed E. Providence Road near Arbor Lea Road in Aldan, Upper Darby Township. Both the man and his dog died instantly.

• Shuttle Bus Catches Fire at the Airport

"This is a heinous, cowardly act committed by a criminal...and we see it over and over and over again," said Chitwood.

Chitwood said that Marks, who hails from N Felton Street in the Carroll Park neighborhood of Philly, admitted to police that he was behind the wheel when he hit something. Marks told investigators he wasn't sure what he struck.

"To say that he didn't know what he hit but that he knew he hit something is absolutely ludicrous in my mind."

Marks -- who worked as a mechanic -- had 11 past motor vehicle violations and eight prior drug arrests, according to Chitwood.

"Here's an individual that should not be behind the wheel of a car," said Chitwood.

Marks told police that he didn't stop because his license was suspended and he was wanted for a probation violation.

Marks turned himself in after feeling guilty from the media reports he saw about the deadly crash.

Patterson, 69, was outside looking for the family's 5-year-old dog, Baby, who escaped from their yard. Police say he found the dog and was on his way back to his home a block away when he and Baby were struck and killed.

A witness said they heard the crash and saw a light-colored vehicle drive away.

Chitwood said police recovered Marks' white 2000 Acura sedan dumped along the 800 block of N 47th Street in Philadelphia -- it had extensive damage to the front end.

• Elderly Woman Stabbed, Killed in Home

"Mr. Patterson was walking across Providence Road and he never say it coming," said Chitwood. "He was struck in the back of leg area, flew in the area and landed on the hood of the car and the driver kept going."

Authorities say the driver was going 50 to 60 mph at the time of the accident. The speed limit on that portion of the road is 35 mph.

Patterson left behind his wife of 48 years as well as three grown children.

Marks remains behind bars ahead of his sentencing set for Aug. 8, according to court records.

A man is dead and his wife critically injured in what the Delaware County District Attorney is calling an attempted murder-suicide.

• Dolphin Statue Kills Toddler

Police say that Richard Piroli, 67, shot his wife Carol, 68, just before 8 a.m. Tuesday their home on the 600-block of West Ashland Avenue.

Officials say Piroli shot his wife, several times in the head before turning the gun on himself.

• Burning Lamborghini Abandoned in NJ

Carol is in critical condition at a local hospital.

Originally, the DA said the shooting was a murder-suicide, but later revealed that Carol Piroli was in critical condition.

This story is developing. Check back for details.

A Delaware High School art teacher wound up in handcuffs after police found drugs in his parked car.

• Burning Lamborghini Abandoned

Seaford School District officials asked the Delaware State Police K-9 unit to perform a search of Seaford Senior High School grounds for illegal narcotics.

• WATCH: Statue Kills Toddler

The officers swept the building and parking lot with the assistance of school administrators, according to state police.

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During a search of the south parking lot, one of the K-9s picked up the presence of drugs in a Jeep Liberty, according to police.

• Teen Bit by Shark?

School administrators called on Ryan Harris to be present as they searched his vehicle. Inside the Jeep, police said they found a bag with 20.8 grams of marijuana in it, a digital scale and a glass pipe, according to investigators.

"We had a positive experience yesterday at Seaford High School in that we participated in a Delaware State Police canine search exercise and our school was found to be free of drugs," read a comment from Seaford School District. "Unfortunately, a staff member was arrested for items found in their automobile."

• Police Say Teacher Pulled Knife on Teens

Police arrested Harris and charged him with marijuana possession in a school zone and possession of drug paraphernalia. The 33-year-old was released on $1,000 unsecured bond.

School officials suspended Harris pending the outcome of the investigation.