Take the following information and write a 300-word hard news piece. Remember to

Take the following information and write a 300-word hard news piece. Remember to apply the
rules of AP style, grammar, spelling, punctuation, inverted pyramid, syntax and word choice.
Facts:
1. It happened Monday, August 21, 2017.
2. It happened in Pensacola, Florida.
3. It involved four people.
4. The sheriff arrested three people: Bob Smith of Talladega, Alabama; June Moody of
Dallas, Texas; and Bert Carbuncle from San Francisco, CA.
5. The ages of those arrested was not yet released.
6. The police charged each person with racketeering.
7. The three are said to have been running an illegal sheep racing ring over in Biloxi, Miss.
8. However, the trio was arrested in Pensacola when they accidentally crashed their 2013
Chevy Equinox, which was teal, into the car of Wendy Fritz.
9. Fritz was driving a white 2016 Honda CRV.
10. The teal Equinox was being driven by Smith who, along with Moody and Carbuncle, had
led Biloxi police, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Alabama Highway Patrol, and federal
agents on a chase from a property located just north of Biloxi.
11. After the wreck, police were able to apprehend the trio, none of whom were hurt.
12. Fritz, who is from Milton, was airlifted to Baptist Hospital with undisclosed injuries. Fritz
is said to be in critical condition and doctors are not sure if she will survive.
13. District Attorney Perry Mason says if Fritz lives, federal authorities will press additional
charges of reckless endangerment, felony fleeing, resisting arrest, and attempted
vehicular homicide against each of the three arrestees.
14. Mason said if Fritz live, the federal authorities will press additional charges of reckless
endangerment, felony fleeing, resisting arrest, and first-degree vehicular homicide in
commission of a felony.
15. All told, the amount of time the trio faces would be five-twelve years if Fritz lives and
25-life if Fritz dies.
Quotes:
From Sheriff Mary Patten: “We are happy that the perpetrators were caught. We are, however,
heartbroken to learn of the serious injuries to one of our own citizens. We wish Ms. Fritz a
speedy recovery and vow to all that is in our power to see that these criminals pay to the fullest
for bringing such destruction to our area. I commend the work of all the law enforcement
agencies who were a part of this chase and who brought it to a successful conclusion.”
From Greg Bunting, spokesperson for Baptist Hospital: “While it is illegal for us to discuss the
specifics of our patients’ conditions, we can confirm that a woman was brought in suffering
from life-threatening injuries sustained in a car wreck on I-10. Unfortunately, we are not sure if
she will survive. I will update you as often as I can when new information becomes available.”
From Perry Mason: “As this is a matter of interstate crime, the department of justice will
oversee the prosecution, but I am happy to tell you what is most likely to occur.”
From Dianne Waldrop, lead investigator from the Mississippi Attorney General’s office: “We
had been investigating these three for the past 6 months. We intended to arrest the three of
them early Monday morning but, either by chance or by being tipped off, they became aware
of our approach and fled. For the sake of the safety of our, and later Alabama’s, citizens we
followed at a safe distance, never losing contact but never forcing the issue. When we crossed
into Florida, for reasons as yet unknown, the individual driving the car became desperate. He
sped up and began swerving in and out of traffic. At around mile marker 7 on I-10, the driver of
the equinox lost control and struck another motorist. The impact sent the teal Equinox carrying
our perps into a ditch and Ms. Fritz’s car into a tree. After the accident, all three of the suspects
attempted to flee on foot, but officers quickly apprehended them.”