The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 28

"MMT rTT'Vi rrr TUTTT'y try B14 S.F. EXAMINER Apr. 16, 1982 Tanker owners sue county over tunnel disaster State digest Compiled from Examiner news services Examiner Fast Ray Bureau MARTINEZ The oil company whose gasoline tanker truc crashed and exploded in the Caldecott Tunnel last week has filed a claim against Contra Costa County, hlaming the county for the accident that killed seven people. The claim, which seeks an unspecified amount in damages, was filed by the Transport Indemnity Co. of Burlingame on behalf of Armour Oil Co.

of San Diego and truck driver Merv Metzker, 44, of It alleges that the accident stemmed from "faulty maintenance and design of the roadway (Highway The claim also states that the county "owned andor controlled the roadway." Caltrans spokesman Bob Halligan said that Highway 24 is state owned and operated. According to the claim, the highway "was carelessly and negligently constructed." It also states that Metzker sustained injuries as a result of the accident, despite Highway Patrol reports that the driver escaped without injury by running out of the west end of the tunnel and wasn't treated at a hospital, as were other survivors. "We hadn't talked to Mr. Metzker when we filed the claim," said Joseph Cardinale, branch claims manager of Transport Indemnity Co. "That's a form-type letter (the claim).

When you deal with a government entity you have to cover all the bases." Cardinale declined further comment. Victor Westman, assistant county counsel, declined comment. Armour Oil and: Metzker also demand that the county handle the insurance claims brought by the families of the victims, and those brought by any other parties involved in the accident. If the county refuses. Transport Indemnity will settle ith these parties and then sue the county for reimbursement, the claim states.

Mel Toff, the Mountain View attorney representing Armour and Metzker, also declined comment, and refused to say whether a similar claim had been filed against the state. i Quake rocks Mono County BRIDGEPORT. Mono County An earthquake felt as a "sharp jolt" hit the area near Mono Lake at 1:52 p.m. yesterday, scientists at the I'niversity of California at Berkeley rexrted. The tremor measured 5.0 on the Ric hter scale, the scientists said.

"It was a sharp jolt," said Mono CounU Sheriff's Deputy Terry Padilla. "We fiot several calls, but no reports of daniaue or injury." A magnitude of 5 on the open-ended Richter scale is considered moderate, but could produce some serious damage in a heavily populated area. Howard Jarvis hospitalized LOS ANGELES Tax rebel Howard Jarvis. forced to bow out of a citizen rally in Montreal earlier this month because of internal bleeding, has checked into a hospital for medical tests. "The tests are general in nature, that's all we knou." said a spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

"He was admitted Thursday and will be released soon, probably Friday or Saturday." Jarvis. 79, who co-wrote tax-slashnm Proposition l.t. was hospitalized in Montreal after canceling his appearance at the April 5 rally attended by 6.300 aimry taxpayers protesting spiraling municipal taxes. 2 convicted in lye murder LOS ANGELES The former fiance of a Sylmar law student and another man have been convicted of murdering the woman, who opened her front door and had lye thrown into her face in 1980. Richard M.

Oilman, 47. former fiance of the victim. Patricia Ann Worrell, 34. was found guilty yesterday, and Ricardo Robinson, 24, was convicted Wednesday, both on charges of murder, mayhem, assault with a caustic chemical and conspiracy. They will be sentenced May 11, and face prison terms of 25 years to' life.

A third man, Bobby Ray Savage, 22, is scheduled for trial June 3. Oilman and Robinson were tried before separate juries because evidence against one was inadmissable against the other. The verdict against Robinson was kept secret by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Robert R. Devich until the second jury convicted Oilman yesterday. Worrell, who was president of her class at San Fernando Valley College of Law, died 120 days after two men appeared at her door on Aug.

14. 1980 and threw the acid into her face. Testimony in the two-month trial revealed that Oilman became angry when Worrell refused to return the diamond engagement ring he had given her; he then plotted revenge. Amtrak train's new route SACRAMENTO Amtrak's Coast Starlight will be rerouted through Sacramento, Marysville and Chico beginning April 25, the state Transportation Department has announced. The new route for the Los Angeles-Seattle train will provide Marysville and Chico with their first regularly scheduled train service since 1957, the department said yesterday.

It also will expand the number of people served by the train to nearly 1 million. The Transportation Department initially proposed the new route four years ago. Amtrak subsequently asked the Southern Pacific Transportation Co. to allow the reroute but SP refused, contending $3.5 million in track improvements were needed. After negotiations with SP failed, the case went before a national arbitration panel.

In December, the panel ruled in favor of Amtrak by stating the track improvements called for by SP were unnecessary. Curry building in Fresno FRESNO Yosemite National Park's concessionaire has broken ground for an office and distribution center in Fresno as part of a long-term effort to remove non-essential facilities from Yosemite Valley. The park's master plan calls for relocation of Yosemite Park Curry Co. offices and warehouses to the park's periphery at El Portal to restore Yosemite Valley to as natural a state as possible. But Curry decided iastead to relocate 50 miles south of the park at Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley where transportation connections, labor force and access to vendors are better, said President Ed Hardy.

The company will build facilities for employment, reservations, purchasing and warehousing on 3.5 acres at Las Palmas Business Park near Fresno Air Terminal. Bonin confession sold? MANHATTAN BEACH A former chauffeur for the attorney of convicted Freeway Killer William Bonin was arrested for investigation of selling a handwritten Bonin confession missing from the attorney's files, police said yesterday. Detectives said David Vigil, 30, of Torrance was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot at the Manhattan Men's Athletic Club. He was booked for investigation of receiving stolen property and released on S1.000 bail.

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