BC student is struck, injured by trolley

A 21-year-old Boston College student wearing earphones walked in front of a Green Line train yesterday and was struck by a trolley near the school, said Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the MBTA. Michael J. Cordo of Sudbury suffered serious head injuries and facial lacerations and was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was conscious and talking, Pesaturo said. The accident on the inbound tracks at 9:20 a.m. just east of Boston College Station disrupted Green Line service.

Traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike was backed up for about 10 miles last night after steel beams and scrap metal fell off the back of a truck, State Police said. The backup began at Route 128 in Weston and ended just before Exit 14 going east, said Lieutenant David Wilson. There were no injuries in the episode, which occurred at 5:45 p.m. and was still being cleaned up more than five hours later. Cars were also still stuck in traffic at that time, Wilson said.

The state's highest court ruled yesterday that police cannot use a general fear of aggressive dogs to enter a home without knocking. But a divided Supreme Judicial Court ruled that in the case of Luis Santiago, a Springfield man accused of receiving stolen property, police were justified in using a no-knock search warrant because there were additional reasons for police to fear for their safety. The SJC overturned an order granting Santiago's motion to suppress evidence seized during the search. Santiago had asked to suppress the evidence, saying police failed to show his pit bull was dangerous. (AP)

A 43-year-old New Bedford man is being held without bail, accused of intentionally driving his girlfriend's car into a telephone pole yesterday while the woman's two children and nephew were in the vehicle, authorities said. Norberto Fraticelli is charged with three counts of assault and battery, according to Lieutenant Jeffrey Silva, a New Bedford Police spokesman. The children, ages 12, 14, and 15, were not wearing seat belts when the car Fraticelli was driving crossed traffic on Durfee Street and rammed a telephone pole at about 7:30 a.m., splitting the pole and setting the car aflame, Silva said. Fraticelli and the children, who were not identified, were taken to St. Luke's Hospital and were released later. Silva said Fraticelli had argued with his girlfriend, with whom he lives, then offered to drive the children to school.

A Salem woman pleaded guilty to manslaughter yesterday in Salem Superior Court for smoking a cigarette while her oxygen tank was on, causing a fire that killed her housemate, Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett said. Deborah Borella, 54, was ordered to serve a year in a House of Correction and 18 months on probation, as long as she does not smoke, receives drug treatment, and is subject to random screenings. Borella was able to escape the fire on March 27, 2004, but her housemate, Theresa Reynolds, 39, was trapped in the apartment and died, Connors said.

The Marine Biological Laboratory is receiving a major grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The $15 million award will allow the facility to make major renovations to its three-story Loeb Laboratory, which houses lab space for graduate and postdoctoral-level courses. Governor Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray were on hand to make the announcement in Woods Hole. The grant comes on top of $10 million in promised state funds for the renovations, which are expected to total more than $25 million. (AP)