CRYSTAL RIVER - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has found inadequacies in the engineering team at the Crystal River nuclear power plant and says the weakness has led to several violations of NRC regulations at the Florida Power plant. In its 16-month evaluation covering Sept. 1, 1987, through Dec. 31, 1988, maintenance continued to be strong, and surveillance was weak but improving. The plant emerged par for the course from the NRC's seventh Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance, basically unchanged from the previous assessment. ``We consider it a fair assessment, and we have no plans to contest any of the findings,`` plant spokesman Mark Jacobs said Wednesday. In five of the seven categories, the plant earned a rating of 2 on a scale of 1 to 3, indicating that performance is good. Engineering and technical support received a 3, for insufficient performance, and security received a 1, for substantially exceeding regulatory requirements. Elderly man runs over his neighbor

HOLIDAY - An elderly man backing out of his driveway accelerated across the street and drove over a neighbor Wednesday as she was walking to visit a friend, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). Margaret Beamer, 61, of 5306 Palmwood Drive, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg by helicopter for injuries to her head and possible injuries to her chest and abdomen. Clyde Carter, of 5304 Palmwood Drive, was backing out just after 6 p.m. when he kept accelerating across the street and into the front yard of Alvin and Jeanne Gallant, Trooper William T. Bishop reported. Carter's car uprooted a mailbox and a tree in the Gallants' front yard, struck Mrs. Beamer, then hit the Gallants' home - pinning Mrs. Beamer behind the car's tires, Bishop said. Carter, driving a maroon Buick Park Avenue, continued backing up after he hit Mrs. Beamer and hit the Gallant's house, taking out part of the front wall and the garage door. Mrs. Beamer was trapped under the car between the back tires and the wall. Overturned sludge tanker snarls traffic