Key Bridge

A West Baltimore man was sentenced to 50 years in prison by a Baltimore Circuit Court judge Friday, nearly three years after he threw his 3-year-old son, Turner Jordan Nelson, off the Key Bridge. Stephen Todd Nelson, 40, received the maximum sentence available after agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in death. "I just cannot look away from the severity of this crime and the vulnerability of a 3-year-old child," Judge Charles J. Peters said.

The northbound lanes of Francis Scott Key Bridge were closed to morning commuters Friday as emergency crews deal with two accidents on the outer loop of the bridge. Maryland Transportation Authority Police said two passenger vehicles collided on the bridge, and a tractor-trailer jackknifed while trying to avoid hitting them. Sgt. Jonathan Green, a spokesman for the transportation police, said the truck's size — a tractor pulling two trailers — the number of vehicles involved and the morning's light snow were complicating the investigation and clean-up process.

Attorneys for Stephen Todd Nelson, who's accused of killing his 3-year-old son in February 2008 by tossing the boy off the Key Bridge, are expected to continue plea discussions Tuesday morning after a Baltimore judge rejected the initial deal struck with prosecutors. Nelson, who had been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, was brought in to court Monday morning — hours before his trial was set to begin — to plead guilty to second-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

Baltimore's newest waterfront attraction made its debut Tuesday as several dozen passengers took the maiden voyage aboard the Seadog III, a high-speed sightseeing cruise boat that takes riders from the Inner Harbor to the Key Bridge and back at speeds of up to 32 knots. Entertainment Cruises, operator of the Spirit of Batimore and Inner Harbor Spirit vessels, received city approval earlier this month to begin offering the cruises, which have been dubbed "history tour meets thrill ride."

High-speed cruises could take off from the Inner Harbor as soon as Saturday, according to the head of the company that owns the vessels. Passengers will be whisked away on a 50-minute tour, heading past Fort McHenry and traveling at speeds up to 30 knots to the Key Bridge, said Steve Dutcher, vice president and general manager of Chicago-based Entertainment Cruises. Seadog Ventures Inc., a subsidiary of Entertainment Cruises, received final blessing from the city's spending board Wednesday to run the 120-passenger tours.

In reference to the article "High-speed harbor tours" (March 26): Has anyone asked the recreational boaters? I really enjoy sailing and motoring the stretch of the Patapsco River from the Key Bridge toward the Inner Harbor and back, at about 6 knots. I've done many day (and night) sails through this fascinating and active harbor area from my marina on Bodkin Creek, as well as overnight trips to many of the excellent marinas ringing the Patapsco, and I can with great trepidation picture how truly awful this new offering will be, as seen from the water.

Ambulance crashes en route to hospital 1 Four people were injured Saturday when an ambulance collided with a sport utility vehicle in Baltimore. Officials said City Medic 12 crashed into the SUV at Edmondson Avenue and Denison Street about 1:30 p.m. Two paramedics were taken to Mercy Medical Center, and two people in the SUV were taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The patient in the ambulance was unharmed, and another ambulance was dispatched to take the person to a hospital.

Authorities recovered from the Patapsco River yesterday what they believe is the body of Turner Jordan Nelson, a 3-year-old boy who was flung from the Key Bridge five months ago. Maryland Transportation Authority Police wrote in a statement that their detectives "responded to the scene as part of their ongoing homicide investigation" into the boy's death and said they are waiting for positive identification. The clothing recovered from the body matched the description of what the child was wearing when he was last seen, according a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak about it publicly.