Briefly... CITY/REGION

Woman dies in 6-car pileup

A 57-year-old woman is dead, one man is in stable condition and another man is hospitalized after a six-car crash in Juniata Park last night, police said.

Officials didn't immediately disclose what caused the crash, but said that the vehicles collided shortly before 8 p.m. on Whitaker Avenue near Wyoming. The woman and one man were taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 8:51 p.m. The other man was taken to Temple University Hospital in undisclosed condition, police said. No one else was injured.

Sex assault by cop alleged

Philadelphia police are investigating accusations of sexual assault against a police officer in the 6th District, headquartered at 11th and Winter streets, in Chinatown.

The officer has not been charged and little public information was available about the case, said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore. The district attorney's office and the internal affairs and special victims units are investigating.

3 teens charged in alleged rape

Three boys - ages 14, 15 and 17 - were arrested in connection with the reported gang rape of a 17-year-old girl Friday night in the Carroll Park section.

The alleged assault occurred at one of the boys' homes on Alden Street near Thompson around 10 p.m., according to police.

N.J. mulls medical pot use

The Legislature is considering a proposal to legalize marijuana for medical use. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee was to take up the issue today.

The proposal would make New Jersey the 14th state to sanction marijuana for medical uses. It would require state health officials to approve case-by-case requests from doctors who recommend marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions.

N.J. pols ponder college cuts

New Jersey lawmakers, who will wrap up business for the year today, have scores of bills to deal with, including whether to scale back the popular STARS college scholarship program.

The STARS program, which provides full community college scholarships to more than 4,100 high school students who graduate in the top 20 percent of their class, might have eligibility standards tightened to ease financial pressure on state colleges.

Corzine to name re-election head

N.J. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has picked his deputy chief of staff, Maggie Moran, 34, to run his campaign for re-election next year. The announcement was expected today.

Stop press: Town gives back $

The city of Bethlehem is returning $1.6 million left over from a road project to Northampton County. Bethlehem Public Works Director Michael Alkhal says that the city initially planned to use the funds that were left from a $13 million redevelopment grant from the county in 2001, but changed its mind.

Northampton County Executive John Stoffa says that the money could be deposited into the county's general fund or be used for much-needed capital projects. Either way, Stoffa says the county is glad to get the money back. *

- Staff and wire reports