Briefly... CITY/REGION

Police cruiser, car collide

A police car on its way to a bank robbery and collided with another car at 15th and Arch streets just after 2 p.m. yesterday, sending the three occupants of the vehicles to the hospital.

Other police officers captured the alleged bank robber on Market Street near 34th using a tracking device hidden in the bag of money he stole from the PNC Bank on Market Street near 16th, according to reports.

The three passengers were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital to be checked out, but didn't appear to have any significant injuries, according to the Accident Investigation District. Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, said the officer was also taken to the hospital, complaining of shoulder pain.

Slaying victim ID'd

Police identified a man slain Tuesday in the city's Tioga-Nicetown section as Jason Patton-

Thompas, 32, of Smedley Street near Pike. He was shot about 1:40 a.m. on Pike Street near Germantown Avenue. He died at Temple University Hospital at 2:15 a.m. Tipsters can call homicide detectives at 215-686-3334.

Fundraiser for Novak reward

The family of Matt Novak, 24, who was fatally shot Sept. 28, 2008, by someone in a Chevy Impala on Fairmount Avenue near 13th Street, will hold a fundraiser to help find who killed him.

For tickets to the fundraiser, Aug. 14 from 1 to 6 p.m., at the Tall Pines Day Camp, Williamstown, N.J., or to make a donation, call 609-820-8400 or e-mail

whokilledmattnovak@gmail. com. Proceeds will be added to a $6,000 reward for info leading to arrests and convictions. Tipsters can call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-8477.

Official to attend blight walk

City officials will join concerned Kingsessing residents Aug. 4 to address the problem of blighted properties.

A walking tour of the neighborhood was originally slated for ysterday, but no one attended. Organizers for ACTION United, the nonprofit that organized the walk, said yesterday that they had rescheduled the event for next week but had not informed the public.

Among those expected to attend the walk, which starts at 6 p.m. in the 5700 block of Chester Avenue, are representatives from the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections and from City Council President Anna Verna's office.

2nd counselor suspended

A second residential counselor at Woods Services who was with patient Bryan Nevins, 20, Saturday morning before Nevins was found dead in a sweltering van, was suspended from his job pending an investigation, Woods officials said yesterday.

That counselor and the two patients he was in charge of were dropped off before another counselor in charge of Nevins and another patient parked the van at the Langhorne-based facility and left Nevins inside, where he died. Nevins wasn't discovered missing for five hours. Temperatures reached 97 degrees that day.

- Staff and wire reports