With 149 to 43 vote house lawmakers paved the way for pennsylvania to be the 24th state to approve legal pot. After years of fierce Debate Senate bill three fails the medical approval process and puts both children and adults in substantial risk. Reporter tearful testimony from patients house lawmakers approve medical marijuana in pennsylvania. These are real people that we can help right now. We have a duty. Were legislating medicine when in fact its not recognized as medicine because under federal law its illegal. Reporter 154 page senate bill three allows doctors to prescribe medical marijuana through a statewide patient and dr. Registry but it only includes cannabis oils, pills and ointments. Smoking marijuana would still be illegal. This is not an opioid. This is a relief to great families who are suffering right in front of us in this chamber. Reporter the bill would cover patients with 16 different conditions. Among them cancer, ptsd epilep epilepsy, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. Weve been fortunate enough to look to other states for evidence and there has been no dramatic rise in crime, no substantial diversion to the blackmarket or any serious adverse effects. This is not good enough for our patients in pennsylvania. Reporter some cannabis active visit says the bill doesnt help enough people. He says the real reform would come with statewide decriminalization similar to philadelphias ordinance. By limiting the access to it were limiting the people had were helping. Reporter program may take two years to get up and running and supporters say it is worth the wait. All were doing is offering potential treatment that will change the lives of countless people. Reporter the bill will now go to the state senate and could be on governors wolf desk by next were where hes told us tonight he will sign that bill into law. Lucy. All right. Thank you very much, chris oconnell. On your radar the rain is out of here. At least for the night as we take a live look at reading many saw todays sunshine change to rain by the time they went home from work. Some even saw ice. Take look at this video sent to us from the fox 29 viewer haverford got some hail this evening. All right, kathy, same roller coaster you think . Yes, i do indeed think so. You can see this upper level low spinning over the great lakes. Some snow far north. We saw some thunderstorms rolling through and you saw that hail right here on fox 29. This lifting toward the north. One last thunder shower moving toward northeastern pennsylvania and southeastern new york. But the rest of us are in the clear with moonlit skies much its 54 in philadelphia. 54 in the poconos. 52 in wilmington. Normal high for this time of year is 52. So its even warmer than what average for this time of the year. Overnight, 48 in the city, 41 in the suburbs with partly cloudy skies. It will be mild the wind will be picking up tomorrow afternoon for your st. Patricks day. One more mild day coming up well time the showers more to come this week. It will be turning much colder in the seven day forecast and even the chance of a spring snow shower more on that we have updated information ill have it with the seven day later in the broadcast. All right, kathy, thank you. Now to a story youll see only on fox 29 tonight much this is wawa left of a car after a deadly crash last week. A mangled mess of metal now theres a dual investigation into that wreck ton night were beginning to learn more into what may have happened moments before that crash. Fox 29s Dave Schratwieser is live outside accident investigation district in north philadelphia. Dave . Reporter iain, sources confirm tonight that Philadelphia Police have been joined in this investigation by investigators for internal affairs at the Philadelphia Housing Authority. As they try to get to the bottom of this crash. In fact pha investigators were here just this afternoon. Theyre trying to determine if a Police Department cruiser from the pha was chasing the driver seconds before this crash. A memorial marked with flowers, candles and rosary beads sits at second and cecil b. Moore where a horrifying crash one week ago left one man dead and the street filled with debris. He lost control and then he ran up to all those poles there, hit the wall. Reporter the victim was trapped inside and so badly burned the car had to be taken to the medical Examiners Office to remove the body. Philadelphia police have now identified the driver as 39yearold john dawkins the fourth from stenton. He died from injuries suffered in the violent crash which remains under investigation. They were chasing him, Police Officers were chasing him. Dont know why. Report roar thats what one witness told reporters the morning of the crash. Philadelphia police now tell fox 29 that dawkins had been pulled over on cecil b. Moore moments before for a traffic violation. He then fled the scene. The officer who pulled dawkins over radioed in that the driver fled and announced he was not pursuing dawkins. The Department Policy prohibits Police Pursuits for traffic violations. The impact was so severe, the truck of the car was in the middle of the block over here. Thank god another car wasnt going down Second Street or else it would have taken out that person too. Reporter sources tell fox 29 the Police Accident investigation district and pha Police InternalAffairs Officers are now trying to determine if a Philadelphia Housing AuthorityPolice Cruiser was pursuing dawkins after he fled the car stop by Philadelphia Police. Its a shame though cause i would never ran from Police Officers even if they were chasing me no matter what the situation may have been. To get your own life taken like that its crazy. Reporter sources confirm that investigators have identified a pha Police Cruiser through Surveillance Video near the crash scene, a gps tracking device on that cruiser indicates it was traveling at a high rate of speed that evening. Pha police chief ban forward bar tonight would not comment sight citing the ongoing investigation. Philadelphia police likewise would not comment. Theres no indication at this point if officers have been taken off the street or disciplined as a result of this investigation. Lucy . No doubt about it, Dave Schratwieser well stay on top of that one. Police are investigate a deadly stabbing in north philadelphia. It happened on the 2300 block of oakdale street this evening. Investigators say a man was stabbed once in the chest he died at Temple UniversityHospital Police are now searching for the killer. Were learning new information tonight in the death of a Maryland Police officer with ties to Delaware County. Officer jacai colson died in an ambush on sunday. Prince georges county police announced today a fellow officer mistook colson for a suspect before shooting him sunday. Investigators say colson was caught in the crossfire of an unprovoked attack at hess police station. Police say one man opened fire while his two brothers video taped the gun battle. Officers did shoot the gunman who is expected to survive. His two brothers are in jail. Colson was undercover at the time so he was not wearing a uniform. The 28yearold grew up in boothwyn attending chichester high school. Scary moments on a septa bus when a man was slashed in the face. Skyfox over the scene in springfield, Delaware County this afternoon. Septa is investigating exactly what happened but they tell us the victim was not seriously hurt and local Police Arrested one man at the scene. You decide Ohio Governor john kasich kept his president ial hopes alive by winning his home state last night. He now turns to pennsylvania to give momentum to his long shot candidacy. The republican president ial primary race just got real interesting. Pennsylvanias primary is on april 26th and governor kasich could play spoiler at the Gop Convention this summer. Fox 29s bruce gordon breaks it down. Reporter during an hour plus town hall meeting governor kasich never mentioned donald trump by name, but throughout the event the Ohio Governor fresh off a big win in his home state was quick to differentiate his views from those of the billionaire businessman. On the call for ban on Muslim Americans entering the u. S. The muslims are fighting in the war right now for the united states. So lets stop demonizing them. Reporter on traumas sometimes inn inflammatory rhetoric. I want you all to know as i continue to pursue this campaign, i am not going to take the low road to the highest office in the country. Okay . Reporter on the ability to turn a republican nomination this summer into a gop victory in november i know this is true. Im the only one that can win the general leck. These folks arent going to win the general leck. Reporter in his first of what may be many trips to our area, kasich ended with a low key sales pitch. I guess im not going to be any more overtly political than the saying than to say help if you can, i love being here. This was great honor for me to be here and i want to thank you all very much. Reporter some mostly student audience had been marco rubio supporters until the florida senator bowed out tuesday night much this woman is kasichs camp. Hes done a lot by work aig cross the aisle yet holding his own beliefs. Reporter thats important to you. Thats extremely important to meme thats the only way to get stuff did you have. Reporter kasich no surprise gave his event high marks. The spear witness writ was good. It was positive. It was hopeful. It repped the best of what america is all about. Reporter this early town hall made clear kasich used pennsylvania as a winnable contest. Political analysts describe it more as a must win. Because drum is that such a controversial front runner theres an opening for a long shot like kasich, but its a very long shot indeed. Kasich says the remaining primary schedule plays to his strengths he calls it his home court advantage. Of course you he was born in pennsylvania. But he will need victories in seven of the final 20 contests to have any chance at being considered for the nomination. You can get bet that both donald trump and ted cruz will fight hard against any attempt to change those rules. In the newsroom im Bruce Gordon Fox 29 news. President obama announced Merrick Garland has his pick to replace Justin Scalia on the Supreme Court today. And now starts the fight in congress to confirm him. Garland is currently chief justice of the dc court of appeals where he has served since 1997. Republicans are already threat threatening to refuse the nominee referring to the time honored tradition that they do not confirm a nominee during a president ial election season but the president says selecting a Supreme Court justice shouldnt be about politics. Supreme court really is unique. Its supposed to be above politic. It has to be and it should stay that way. Supreme Court Justice has not been both nominated and confirmed during a president ial Election Year since 1940. Local contractors not happy, not at all to see our jeff cole again. When he tried to ask a few questions outside a city court bleep. What i was angry about . Why customers are pursuing him and the legal trouble he faces fox 29 investigates is coming up. And, home in the middle of the morning when a woman comes face to face with stranger standing in the middle of her house. How he got in thats even creepier. There were no victims, no witnesses, but police slapped this guy with ticket any way. What the driver did hours later that got himself caught. Fighting to keep her 6foot pet alligator rambo. The state wants to take him away. Why she says keeping him inside her house is for h in north philadelphia students releasing balloons in memory avenue classmate who passed away from meningitis. As they mourn they also have concerns about the potentially deadly if he can. School officials held a meetinmeeting addressing the wos and of students and parents. Shawnette wilson is live outside the high school. Shawnette. Reporter well, one parent we talk to said she is still unsure whether her child is safe from meningitis. But most of the parents we talk to say they left the meeting with a better understanding that most of the children here are not at risk. Nothing we need to be alarm with. Theyre on top of it. Reporter dean washington is one of many parents who left the meeting to night at George WashingtonCarver High School feeling at hes. He was there with his daughter colby to ask questions about meningitis. Not an airborne disease. You can only crack it through fluid. Reporter meeting was called a day after 1584 old Jonathan Briggs a ninth greater at the school died suddenly of meningitis. His death left many parents concerned about whether it was safe for their children to return to school. I expected to hear some gobbly goop and got a good plane talk. A nurse, doctor, School District all the questions were answswer. I just wanted to know basically about the family, um, the school community, how they were pulling together for the family. Reporter before the meeting students released balloons and signed a poster bearing pictures of jonathan who were told loved to sing and was a forward for the Junior Varsity basketball team. Like a happy guy. Friday he was normal and then tuesday yeah, tuesday found out he had died. Matteo got emotional talking about his friend. Like so hard to think ill never see him again. Reporter jonathans coach Kristin Jones calls him an mazing kid and dedicated athle athlete. Went undefeated and he walked around wis his held high and kids loved him. Parents also learned from tonights meeting who might be at risk. They indicated the protocol, the fact that its transmitted through bodily fluids it had to be a kiss exchange, cigarettes, drinking sodas from the same bottle. Reporter and School Officials also say that they have interviewed jonathans family to see who else he may have had close contact with. Iain and lucy, back to you. Thank you very much, shawnette. Members of a National Guard troop in new jersey are spending their first night at home in a very long time. They got warm welcome this afternoon from family and friends. The 328th military Police Company greeted by around of cheers in cherry hill. 120 men and women spent the last year in cuba securing detainees at guantonimo bay. Members come from 20 of new jerseys 21 counties. International organization honored aphylly fallen philly leave tonight in northeast philadelphia. It recognized officer Robert Wilson for an exceptional act of courage. His 11yearold son accepted the award at the ceremony this evening. Officer wilson died in a hail of gunfire during a robbery attempt at a north philadelphia game stop last year. The robber shot him several times. But he did engage in that fierce gun battle to protect all of those other people inside the store. This is an organization for Security Professionals and it recognized 37 officers for their bravery tonight. In Lancaster County, this horse ended abandoned at an auction. Some someone abused the mare shot with a paint gun more than a hundred times. Tonight the horse is getting much needed help and love in chester county. Fox 29s dawn timmeney went to the new Bolten Center to see how the horse is doing. Someone took a paintball gun and shot her. Kelly smith of omega horse rescue couldnt believe her ey eyes. Absolutely heartbreaking. This horse was so scared when we first approached her. Reporter kelly discovering this 20yearold horse abandoned after an auction at new holland stables in Lancaster County on monday afternoon. The horse shot 130 times at close range with a paintball gun left tied to post. Very very gentle soul. Just imageable to me someone would do this to an animal and think its okay. Reporter local spca quickly notified and kelly who named the horse lilly staying with the badly injured mare until she can be taken to penn vet new Bolten Center in kennett square. Shocked and furious. Dr. Rose nolan is caring for lilly who is quarantine in their Critical Care center. She says in her 15 years of practicing veterinary medicine shes never seen anything like this. Come on baby. Lilly is covered with head to toe in paint. Its believed she was shot by more than one person. Even more disturbing, she was probably in a stall and unable to escape the cruel act. She has a lot of bruising an lot of pain from this. Probably over a hundred welts and bruises. Reporter she is malnourish and all tra sound revealing shes blind in her right eye. Unrelated to the cruelty she endure. Dr. Will remove that eye tomorrow and treat the left one for an ulcer. Although shes not going to have Perfect Vision from that eye i think we can ma