Nation briefs 7/20/16

Suits: VW workers hid its cheating

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state, Massachusetts and Maryland are suing Volkswagen and its affiliates Audi and Porsche over diesel emissions cheating, alleging the German automakers defrauded customers, misled regulators and sought to cover up the deception. The lawsuits, announced Tuesday, allege employees and executives at Volkswagen knew diesel vehicles had been equipped with software allowing them to cheat emissions testing, and after regulators began investigating, several employees tried to cover it up by eliminating data about the software. In a statement, Volkswagen said it is in talks with authorities about "a comprehensive national resolution of all remaining environmental issues arising from the diesel matter." The company also said it has agreed to buy back or modify affected vehicles, create a $2.7 billion environmental trust and invest $2 billion in infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles.

Mom accused of drowning infant

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The family of a woman charged with murder after her 6-week-old son drowned in a pond at a Myrtle Beach outlet mall said she was overwhelmed by the challenges of returning to work as a first-time mom and dealing with an abusive boyfriend. Jameisha Alexander was seen holding her son, King, near the pond Saturday night by someone who called security. By the time officers arrived, Alexander was gone, and the baby was in the water, according to her arrest warrant. Paramedics tried CPR, but the boy died a short time later. Alexander was taken into custody two hours later after being involved in a wreck about 20 miles away, according to a police report.

Collapsed crane lands on bridge

NEW YORK -- Cars crossing the Tappan Zee bridge north of New York City on Tuesday had to swerve out of the way as a crane boom from an nearby bridge project crashed down across the key Hudson River crossing, halting traffic for hours. It took several hours before travel lanes were reopened, and officials expressed gratitude and amazement no one was hurt significantly. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the crane was performing routine work on the new Tappan Zee Bridge, driving pilings into the river bottom, and it was unclear what caused its boom to fall across the entire 90-foot, seven-lane width of the old bridge. Officials said five people suffered minor injuries.

Tractor used to bust into school building

FRESNO, Calif. -- Authorities said three runaways used a tractor to smash through the wall of a school building, then went inside and stole sodas and portable radios. The incident happened at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday at a Central Unified School District building in Fresno County. Officers responding to the scene said they saw three juveniles running from the area and quickly detained them. All three were runaways from a nearby group home. Police found a tractor from a construction site in the area used to drive through the side of one of the buildings. Police said the suspects stole sodas and radios that belonged to the school district.

-- From wire reports