Briefly... CITY/REGION

Cops catch fugitive sought

in fatal bar fight in NE Phila.

A fugitive wanted for killing a man in the Lawncrest section of the Northeast who intervened in a bar fight in February was nabbed yesterday after police found him hiding in a girlfriend's house.

Aaron "Stump" Blue, of Holmes-burg, is being held on murder and gun charges in the Feb. 24 death of Jared Taylor, 29. Detectives say Blue fired his illegal gun into a crowd gathered at a brawl outside the Empty Glass Bar, Adams Avenue near Howland Street. Taylor had been trying to stop two women from fighting.

Cops: Victim dies in crash

involving drunk driver

A drunk driver collided with another car in Wissinoming early yesterday, killing its driver, police said.

The victim, whom police did not identify, was driving a 2003 BMW near Tacony and Van Kirk streets shortly after midnight when a female motorist driving a 1998 Jeep Cherokee slammed his car, police said. The woman, 32, whose name wasn't released, was treated for unknown injuries at Frankford Hospital-Torresdale, police said. She was facing drunken-driving offenses, police said.

Highway crashes, deaths

at lowest level in 5 decades

State highway crashes declined last year to the lowest level in more than 50 years and the number of deaths also decreased, state officials said.

According to statistics released yesterday by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 1,525 people died in 128,203 traffic crashes in 2006. The number of crashes was the lowest since 1952, when 126,820 were recorded. In 2005, there were 133,346 crashes resulting in 1,616 deaths, the department said.

Seat-belt campaign to start, using Corzine as bad example

New Jersey police plan an aggressive seat-belt-enforcement campaign starting Monday using as a backdrop the serious injuries suffered by Gov. Jon S. Corzine after he failed to buckle up.

Traffic safety officials hope lessons learned from Corzine's April 12 Garden State Parkway crash mean they won't spot many unbuckled drivers.

Motorist in boy's death

charged with manslaughter

A South Jersey man who police say was drunk when his car struck a 12-year-old boy on a scooter who later died of his injuries, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter, officials said yesterday.

Michael T. Repko, 38, of Winslow, was arrested May 2 after he allegedly hit Najeeb Al Green-Lewis, also of Winslow, who was riding an electric scooter on the shoulder of Watsontown-New Freedom Road. Green-Lewis died from his injuries the next day.

N.J. lottery officials warn

winners of Pick 6 phone scam

New Jersey Lottery officials are warning Pick 6 Lotto winners about a scam targeting them that promises additional prizes.

Officials are investigating unsolicited calls in which the caller claims to be a New Jersey Lottery employee, and who then goes on to explain a promotion in which past Pick 6 Lotto jackpot winners are randomly selected for additional prizes. The person then says the past winner must make a prepayment before a larger sum of money can be given to them, officials said. An official said the Lottery doesn't ask for prepayments. *

- Staff and wire reports