Metro Briefs

Critics said the aboveground construction will cause more traffic disruption and will harm plans to transform Tysons into a pedestrian-friendly, urban hub.

But state officials said it is too late to change the project’s design without jeopardizing an expected $900 million dollars in federal funding.

In a statement, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine praised the supervisors for their decision, calling the project “long-awaited and critically important.”

MARYLAND

SAVAGE

Officer dies of injuries after being hit by car

A Howard County police officer who was struck by a car while on duty over the weekend died early yesterday, police said.

Officer 1st Class Scott Wheeler, 31, suffered serious head injuries Saturday afternoon when he was struck while working on a speed-enforcement detail on Route 32. He was flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he died.

Officer Wheeler, who had been on the force for almost seven years, was in the process of flagging down a car driven by a 24-year-old woman. Investigators think the woman did not see him in the roadway.

No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing.

OCEAN CITY

Speedboat in race wrecks on beach

A speedboat taking part in offshore powerboat races Sunday veered off course and slammed onto the beach near 17th Street, police said. No one was injured.

Police said the 42-foot boat was severely damaged and became stuck in the sand. A crane that was brought in to remove the boat became stuck in the sand, and a second crane was called in.

HAGERSTOWN

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