Mass. officials on Cape say stay away from seals, sharks

CHATHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Boaters and beachgoers in a Cape Cod town are getting some advice from authorities this holiday week after great white sharks were spotted in local waters: Stay away from seals.

A 12- to 15-foot shark was seen last week off Chatham. A state researcher says it was the first confirmed shark sighting of the season. Two more great white sightings were reported Tuesday.

The same waters are filled with seals, which draw the sharks because they are a favorite food of the animal.

Authorities have issued an advisory telling people to stay at least 300 feet away from any seals, so they don’t run into their fearsome predator.

The town’s harbormaster said Tuesday that Chatham isn’t closing its beaches, just warning people to pay close attention to their surroundings and stay close to shore.

Thruway crash kills 1, injures 4 young passengers

COXSACKIE, N.Y. (AP) -- State police say a one-vehicle crash on the Thruway killed a 34-year-old New York City woman and sent four young people to the hospital.

Police say Russhelle T. Thompson was headed northbound on the Thruway through the Hudson Valley town of Coxsackie late Tuesday night when a tire on her SUV blew out. The vehicle spun, struck a guardrail in the center median and became airborne. The vehicle crossed the southbound lane before coming to rest upside down against the bank off the west shoulder.

Police said early Wednesday that a 12-year-old girl who was ejected from the SUV was listed in critical condition at Albany Medical Center with internal injuries. Three other passengers between the ages of 12 and 21 were treated for non-life threatening injuries.