phelps accident. tonight police release their act report shedding new light on the crash. why the olympic champion is getting cited even though police say he didn't cause the collision. hello, i'm vic carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. we are learning more about the car crash involving michael phelps. this evening police explain why both phelps and the other driver are getting citations. eyewitness news is live near the scene of the crash. kelly mcpherson spoke with a witness and has details from the police report. >> reporter: vic, that report says that michael phelps' right ankle was hurting after the crash here at this intersection.

police have not found him at fault but he is getting a citation. a car accident turns news worthy with a superstar involved. wjz is the only station to capture michael phelps giving his police statement minutes after he smashed into another car. >> michael phelps was the only person who went to her and asked how she was, opened the passenger side door, leaned in. he was the only taintive person. everybody else was taking pictures of him with their cell phones. >> reporter: police cite the other driver with failure to obey a traffic signal, carrying a $180 fine and three points on her license. police say she ran the red light. police are relying on one witness testimony of the witness who they say during the interview did not know yet that phelps was involved in the act. the olympian is cited for driving with a nonvalid michigan license and for never

establishing maryland residency. that's $40 fine night. realize that mr. phelps travels a lot, he's got a very busy schedule. it could be an oversight. but that's something he'll to have address with the core. >> reporter: phelps said he had had just left penn station. he had had one beer two hours before the accident. something police had had to check ?iew. there's a process of how much alcohol you excuse me, how much food you have during that process what. the officers were looking for when they took his witness statement is his behavior. were his eyes glossy, was his speech slurred. >> the 28-year-old said she works in the mount vernon neighborhood. >> whenever i'm driving or walking i know to wait until the light is green tore like five second because we know they're going to run it. >> reporter: actually, in the last few minutes since we've been here we saw the same crash almost happen right here at this intersection. the michigan dmv is the one who told city police that license

was invalid. phelps will have to face a judge in baltimore. he will decide the penalty. the court date has not yet been set. kelly mcpherson, wjz, eyewitness news. >> kelly, thank very much. the three passenger with phelps were not in gurred. skyeye chopper 13 was over an accident near the baltimore and carroll county line. a van struck a utility pole toppling it on to the roadway. the driver's condition is unknown at this hour. tonight community leaders take to the streets to demand an end to the violence. >> what do we want? >> safe streets! >> participating, shirley folks who was wounded by a stray bullet while sitting in her living room and watching tv.

the man who pulled the trigger on one of the most infamous cases of witness intimidation learned his fate today. weijia jiang has more. >> reporter: this is certainly what carl lackl's family has been waiting for. now all eight have been con vic, including the teenage it shooter. the murder case of carl lackl comes full circle. the fate of the shooter, 40 years in prison. >> he will never live a life, he will just exist, and maybe that's what he deserves. but it's still tragic. >> my message, he meant well, he took a life, but he showed his remorse. >> reporter: indeed, cornish told the lackl family he truly apologizes for taking the life of the approximately-year-old

father. >> he looked at me straight in the fair, he lacked at that time picture of my son, and it made me feel better. >> reporter: the judge called the killing blatant. he said he could have spent life behind bars if he had had not been cooperative. namely, patrick byers. he orchestrated it all via cell phone from his prison cell, playing bloods gang members $230990 for the hit v. that, cornish got $$100. even though she says her entire family disagrees with her, lackl's sister says she feels compassion for cornish. >> because my brother was a very compassionate person, and i know carl would have forgave him. >> reporter: while the landmark case is now closed, the lackl family has just started the fight to jam cell phone signals in prison. >> why should they have the right to be making phone calls? i am hell-bent on getting this

problem solved. >> reporter: as it stands now, the fcc prohibits any states from jamming any cell phone signals in prison, although earlier this month a senate committee passed a measure to change. that for now we are live at the federal courthouse in downtown baltimore, weijia jiang, wjz, eyewitness news. >> thank you, weijia. the judge says is he wants cornish to pursue his ged while serving his sentence. police are searching for the suspect who overpowered a deputy and made a bold escape. suzanne collins explains. >> reporter: blood hounds are out searching for the escaped inmate's scent. a chopper that detects body heat is searching overhead. dozens of police officers search neighborhoods, one with a sniper rifle looks underpassing freight trains. police say an inmate escaped while he was being transported

from court to jail. >> he got behind the deputy, placed them under the deputy's neck and pulled back. >> reporter: after assaulting the deputy police believe he got into the front seat, broke out a window and escaped, in shackles and handcuffs. he was convicted by a howard county circuit court jury around 11:00 p.m. thursday when the deputy transporting him back the inmate attacked. the man hunt lasted for hours. >> almost 90 degrees out. we believe with the shackles and handcuffs his mobility is somewhat limited. if he hasn't been picked up by someone in an automobile we believe he's still in chair. >> reporter: champagne's family lives a mile from the detention center. they called police this morning to say the wand man dropped in at their house and then left again. neighbors there were concerned by the police presence, and that no alarm was sounded, which is normal when there's an escape. >> i would much rather have heard the sirens and known definite thal something was

going on. rather than guessing. >> i've got some hammers and some screwdrivers, and anything that comes to the door that's not authorized, you know, well, he's got to suffer the consequences. >> reporter: the deputy, 62- year-old donald chase, went to johns hopkins with lacerations to his neck. his boss, the sheriff, says he believes that the deputy followed all the protocols. back to you on tv hill. >> the sheriff's office plans to review its policy including the one that allows inmates to be transported locally with just one officer. it's being called one of the worst animal cruelty cases in baltimore county in years. the baltimore sun reports the three men are charged with torturing and killing a cat. the incident happened in the edgemere area. police tell the sun that the three men were drinking, then began hitting the cat, put the cat in a microwave and finally put the cat in a bag full of rocks and tossed it into a river. all three are scheduled for a hearing in october.

he served his time for animal cruelty, and now michael vick is back in the nfl, but his toughest job is regaining respect. >> reporter: michael vick is getting a second chance in the nfl. >> i made some mistakes. i have done some terrible things, made a horrible mistake, and now i want to be part of the solution and not the problem. >> reporter: the 29-year-old former atlanta falcons quarterback is attempting a comeback with the eagles. vick is now promising to turn did his life around and help more animals than he hurt. >> hopefully i can do that locally and continue with my diligent efforts and bring an awareness to animal cruelty and dog fighting. >> reporter: the eagles say vick did he sense to be back on the field. >> as long as they've taken the right steps, they're given an opportunity, and that's what, again, that's what makes this country such a great thing.

>> reporter: don't expect to see vick on opening day. so far the league has only cleared him to play in the final two preseason games. >> did he his time. we've just got to move on. >> reporter: but some animal lovers aren't ready to forgive him. >> younger people look up to sports stars, and younger people are going to look up to michael vick and say, it's okay to, you know, it's okay to fight dogs. >> reporter: people for the ethical treatment of animals says it is disappointed with the eagles, but the a spca says it hopes vick will use his stature to make good on his promise to fight animal cruelty. >> you can see an exclusive interview with michael vick on sunday night here on wjz tv. that will be on "60 minutes" starting at 7:00. in a town hall meeting in montana today president obama sought to ease concerns about his ambitious healthcare reform plan. >> if you are one of nearly 46 million people who don't have health insurance, will you finally have quality affordable

options. and if you do have have health insurance, we'll help make sure that your insurance is more affordable and more secure. >> critics in the audience asked how the president planned to pay for the proposal. the president's answer? by eliminating waste and inefficiency. one reporter scored the interview of a lifetime, and he's only 11. the scoop he managed to get from the president. new information on the mid- air collision over the hudson river. coming up, maryland, get ready to say ga sun tight. >> i'm bob turk. i'll have the complete first warning forecast coming up next. #

it is 72 degrees in cranially trail maryland. we are learning more about why the faa placed an air traffic controller on leave following this past weekend's mid-air collision. the agency says the controller was making a personal phone call while also trying to instruct the pilot of the plane. officials say the phone call was, quote, a silly conversation concerning a dead cat that had had been removed from the taimplt plane soon collided with a helicopter. the faa says hat no reason to believe the call contributed to the accident.

mourners say their final good-bye to special olympics founder eunice kennedy shriver. she was remembered as a strong woman who broke barriers for people with disabilities. >> i see her urging my father to take me everywhere with my brothers, including right into a baltimore oriole locker room. i see her, as i'm sure my brothers do, laughing, praying, failing, loving each and every one of us equally. >> a torch from the special olympics led the procession out of the church. senator edward ken dwheerks is battling brain cancer, was not able to attend his sister's funeral. an infamous disciple of charles manson has been released from prison. in 1975 lynette "squeaky" fromme tried to assassinate

president gerald ford. she did escape from a prison and was recaptured later. she will be on supervised release for two years. in healthwatch, a landmark study linking a genetic mutation to a person's sleep pattern. a mother and daughter carrying the gene were found to need only six hours of sleep in order to feel refreshed. scientists hope this enables them to understand individual differences in sleep duration and also lead to treatments for insomnia. red eyes, coughing and run yes, nose. it's not the common cold but a stubborn plant. ragweed is hanging on for the last days of summer. alex demetrick takes a look at the pest and its remedies. >> reporter: st. joseph's allergy expert john bacon doesn't need to look at a calendar to know fall is coming. not yet. but give it at few weeks. maryland is just entering ragweed season. the plants are springing up

just about anywhere there's sun and a little dirt. some have already begun to produce the flowers that will generate an irritating pollen, and all it will take is wind to shake that pollen loose and into the noses of those allergic to the. >> i have a headache, i'm sneezing. >> runny eyes, and a runny nose, and itchy. >> rag wee, unlike other plants, it's not dependent on the weather, it depends on the length of the day. so in this area, as the days shorten, by mid-august, all the plants start to pollenate. >> reporter: it's estimated 20% of the u.s. is allergic to ragweed. more than one-third report it after folks their work. many experience sleep problems and fatigue. >> i tend to corvetion and when i cough, i can't fall asleep, then i wake up in the middle of the night, i will be congested. >> reporter: peak misery hours will be from 10:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon, exactly the time most of us are out and

about. >> when you are exercising, you switch from nose to mouth breathing, and you are moving more air, and now you're breathing the pollen deeper into the lungs. >> reporter: the best defense, once the plants bloom is to try to seal them out. >> i can't put my windows down on my car when i'm driving, i can't open the windows in the house. going outside, i should just be in a bubble. >> reporter: or in the words of a trained physician. >> air conditioning is your friend. >> reporter: because ragweed certainly isn't. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> there are some remedies thraing from over the counter 20 in geek shuns from your doctor. the big cure, thoughl be here in a couple of months with the first frost. president obama givers a rare one on one interview on education. the the interviewer is an 11- year-old boy from florida who had had the privilege of talking with the president at the white house. >> now that i interview you, would you like to become my home boy? >> absolutely, thank you, man, great job. >> thanks for making my dream come true. >> i appreciate it.

you dan outstanding job. >> damon weaver asked the president about what parents can do for their children and even asked the president to improve school lunches. >> i was one who always ate school lunches. i ate everybody's stewed tomatoes, beats, everything. a nice august night, and it's going to be a nice weekend. 72, 68 dew point, winds are calm, barometer holding steady, 30.17 inches. around the region, a high of 84 today. 67 last night. 8 # 6/64 are the averages for today. tomorrow the average high drops to 85. taking a look at temperatures, if my computer would work, hold on one second, let's see if this is working. unfortunately we've had a

complete crash, so we'll try to do this for you, but i can't if i can't -- let's go back to radar real quick and i'll explain to you what we have. we have a high pressure system that's pretty much located up to the north and west of our region, along the east coast. i'll kind of put it in here. we have storms out to the west, across portions of minnesota, but nothing around here. in fact, looks like we're going stay pretty dry all weekend long. you see the activity there? nothing going on around here. pretty much high pressure in control. that means good weather all weekend long. i'll try to put some fronts in to show you. one front out to the west of us. this one down to the south is going to probably stay right where it is. see that high pressure off the coast? eventually we're going to start seeing more of a southwest wind, and that will bring us some warmer temperatures. temperatures this weekend generally upper 80s to near 90 degrees with no precipitation. all those showers staying down across portions of virginia, close to that front down there. so we'll miss out on that but if you are heading down to nags

head or the carolinas, even virginia beach will probably see some showers. ocean city should stay dry. maybe a pop-up shower is possible tomorrow, but probably okay on sunday. around the baltimore region, looks pretty good, temperatures getting back up to 90s earlier next week with no rain expected probably until this next front out to the west gets here. and that won't be probably until wednesday night. so good weather, good summer type weather. 89, 90 degrees each day, beginning on sunday. tomorrow probably about 87 with a lot of sun is shine. >> bob, thanks a lot. coming up, it's a breakout night for the o's, and an unlikely hitter hero emerges. mark has more coming up next in sports.

we know it was a nice night for baseball. >> fireworks night. the o's exploded.

they took advantage with the red hot l.a. angels rolling into town. the slumping orioles appeared to be set up for slaughter. instead, they rose to the occasion with a breakout game in the series opener. rookie pitcher tillman would benefit. ball hit by chone figgins. and dave trembley appreciates this effort. bottom 3rd, pa wallops one deep right, the third homer of the year for him. at that point the lead grew as the ledge vend felix pie. just the fourth oriole in history to hit for the cycle. they use a season high 19 hits. chris tillman gets his first

career win. 16 #-a over the angels. football news, ravens wide receiver marcus smith sees his year comes to an end after just one preseason game. he made one catch in the game against the redskins, but he will need surgery and have to sit out the season to rehab. rex ryan and the jets come to town a week from monday. ryan's first game as an nfl head coach. jets at home tonight against the rams. first pro pass, 48 yards to david clone he knee. not enough as the rams win 23- 20. jets coming to town august this. >> the hazeltine golf club in minnesota, jim furyk, over the sand, onto the green, but he and the rest of the field trailing the tiger. tiger woods has a four-shot lead after a round of two under

par today. woods with a beautiful birdie putt on 16 to add to his lead. vijay singh, pad delayed harrington and three others are four shots behind. tiger is 8-0 when he leads at the midpoint of a major tourney. from minnesota to michigan where the nascar boys are running. brian vickers is fastest in the field. his hot lap exceeded 187 miles per hour. vickers drives a toyota, less than 100 miles from the car manufacturing capital of detroit. all's fair, he won the poll. >> and he's powered by red bull. coming up next, a map with some wiggle room.

a map of the united states never looked so delicious. two gentlemen from england displayed their jell-o replica. from what we can tell, maryland was depicted in orange jell-o. and we'll be right back.

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