Arby's collision driver identified
The State College Police Department said yesterday that a Texas man is responsible for crashing another person's vehicle into the side of a downtown fast food restaurant late Saturday night.
State College Police Cpl. Greg Brauser said Apakuki "John" Fotuaika, of Fort Worth, was charged yesterday morning with a misdemeanor charge of accidents involving death or personal injury.
At about 11:45 p.m. Saturday, police said Fotuaika was driving the vehicle south on Atherton Street when he swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle coming out of the Minit Mart parking lot, 106 N. Atherton St.
Police said the vehicle crashed into a pillar at Arby's, 106 S. Atherton St., but did not enter the building. Fotuaika then fled on foot, Brauser said.
There were at least three passengers at the time of the accident, including the vehicle's owner, according to the police report. All three told police they did not know the last name of the driver.
Two of the passengers sustained minor injuries, though no one was taken to the hospital for treatment, police said.
Fotuaika, who was staying in State College while working as a painter for a construction project, had not been found by police as of press time last night.
Driver in custody after collision
The State College Police Department apprehended the driver of a red pick-up truck yesterday who police said drove under the influence, backed into a car on College Avenue and fled the scene traveling the wrong way on the one-way street.
There were no injuries, and the damage report for the hit parked car, a year 2000 BMW, was not available, police added.
The driver, of North Carolina, was arraigned and placed in the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $3,500 bail, police said.
Park Ave. closed for construction today
Park Avenue will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. today from University Drive to Atherton Street because of construction, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
It will be closed until 7 a.m. Thursday, and all traffic will be directed by clearly marked detour signs, according to the release.
The detour will not impact traffic on Shortlidge, Curtin or Bigler roads, and all three will be open for travel. The construction is part of a utility tunnel being constructed under Park Avenue, which will connect to the Dickinson School of Law, according to the release.
Penn State affiliates receive award
Two Penn State affiliates received the Betty Vetter Research Award, which recognizes women in engineering for their contributions to the field.
The award, given in June by Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network (WEPAN), acknowledged Barbara Bogue, associate professor in engineering science and mechanics, and Rose Marra, an associate professor of learning technologies at the University of Missouri and a former Penn State engineering faculty member.
Katie Rung, interim director of the Women in the Sciences & Engineering Institute, said the awards are good for Penn State. WEPAN, she added, is a national organization based in Denver, specifically working to address issues of women in engineering.
