Latest news with #Uniontown
CBS News
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Video shows Pittsburgh-area man driving in reverse on main road
A driver in Fayette County was spotted going in reverse on a main road. Shane Williams told KDKA-TV it all started after he got a call from his mother that his cousin's car broke down in the Walmart parking lot in Uniontown. "I came up to Walmart and tried to fix it, see what was going on with it, and the only gear that worked was reverse," Williams said. Williams, who has a background as a mechanic, said the transmission went out in the car. "It wouldn't go in gear. When I put it in gear, it wouldn't go forward at all. It was just revving up real high," Williams said. "So, we were sitting there for a little bit. It was raining. We had my little cousin in the car, my mom in the car, so I was like, well, just follow me and I'll drive it backwards home." Shocking video shows man driving in reverse in Fayette County With his family following behind him, Williams said he started driving in reverse from Walmart to Route 40 to the Fayette Bank Building in downtown. "I had them follow in front of me, so nobody got in front of me and kind of made it safe," Williams said. KDKA-TV asked Williams why he decided to drive it in reverse rather than calling a towing company. "Why not call a tow truck? You know, it didn't cross my mind at the time, and I was just in a rush. And I'm like, I don't want to sit here and wait. I have my little cousin with me, my mom with me. We had groceries in the car. Tow trucks around here take a quite time to get to you. So, by the time they get here, I can have it at home," Williams said. The entire journey was caught on video. "I don't think there's a law stating that you can't drive backwards. There might be now," Williams said. Williams told KDKA-TV that he made it home safely. "I didn't think there was a law for driving backwards as long as I followed the laws of the road. So, I used my turn signals. I stopped at every light and drove it backwards home," Williams said. Is it illegal to drive in reverse? Pennsylvania State Police in Uniontown said this incident is not currently under investigation. A spokesperson said driving in reverse is illegal, as it interferes with traffic and is considered careless driving. State police ask that anyone who sees someone driving in reverse call police.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- CBS News
Past arrest of new Uniontown Area High School girls basketball coach has parents asking questions
The hiring of a girls basketball coach at Uniontown Area High School is causing concern among some fans. Dierre Jenkins is the new girls basketball coach at the high school in Fayette County. But a past arrest for selling cocaine has parents asking why he got hired. The Uniontown Area School Board voted to hire Jenkins at Monday's board meeting. After Jenkins' arrest in 2023, he entered a program for first-time offenders that led to his criminal charges being dismissed and his record expunged. While Jenkins does have a lot of support in the community, there are still those who don't believe in second chances in this instance. "I wouldn't want my kid to be exposed to somebody who has that criminal past," said Ashley Fairfax. Fairfax is a parent in the Uniontown Area School District. She called the hiring of Jenkins disappointing. She believes athletic coaches fall into the same category as teachers and should be held to a different standard. ''They're around children and they're also public servants, basically, that they should be held accountable for their actions," she said. "I believe there's a second chance out there for him. I don't necessarily believe it should be at a school with children." Jenkins most recently served as an assistant boys basketball coach at neighboring Laurel Highlands High School before he was let go in 2023 after Pennsylvania State Police filed charges accusing him of selling cocaine to a confidential informant. "I think everyone deserves a second chance. If he's going to clean himself up, let him have it," parent Hattie Hughes said. Under the former district attorney, Jenkins entered an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program for first-time offenders. "There's a lot for people who make bad decisions, and then turn their life around and do much better for themselves the second time," Hughes added. Jenkins was a 2002 graduate of Uniontown Area High School and a member of the 2002 WPIAL basketball championship team. In a statement to KDKA-TV, Superintendent Dr. Dan Bosnic said, in part: "Coach Jenkins is recognized as an alumnus of the school and has a passion for the game of basketball. We look forward to the future success of our girls basketball program." Jenkins told KDKA-TV's Shelley Bortz off-camera that he's excited to be the team's coach and is looking forward to the challenge.
Fox News
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Police make arrests at PA high school basketball game after brawl in stands: 'Never seen anything this ugly'
A Pennsylvania high school basketball game saw a wild brawl in the bleachers end with arrests this past Friday night. The game between Uniontown and Meadville High Schools got physical, but not with players on the court. Rather, it was parents in the stands, as at least two adult men were seen throwing punches, which led to quite the scene. Video circulating online of the incident appears to show coaches and referees moving both teams to their benches in the fourth quarter. Then, cameras quickly shift to two men throwing punches at each in the stands, with many trying to break it up. "I've never seen anything this ugly break out in person," an announcer on Unionville High School's YouTube channel during the game said. "This was really a shame." The man who appeared to initiate the brawl was wearing a white jersey, and cameras caught him exiting his spot in the bleachers, walking down to the court and going to the other side behind Meadville to confront someone. That's when things turned ugly. One player from the Meadville bench, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and white pants, jumped into the stands to throw punches before a coach eventually brought him back down to the court. But things got much worse when a Meadville player chased after a fan, who appeared to provoke him near where the initial brawl was, and sent him flying down onto the court. Players from both benches looked like they were going to brawl before coaches quickly sent them to the locker room. Different altercations happened at both ends of the court, but eventually dissipated. Police officers were seen in the video of the altercation leading a man wearing a blue shirt out of the gymnasium in handcuffs. Another man at the opposite end of the gym was also in handcuffs. TMZ Sports learned from Meadville police that they intend "to be charging several fans and players. Most likely with Disorderly Conduct." Announcers for the game noted a technical foul being called on Uniontown after a foul by Meadville was making the crowd upset before the brawl. "Uniontown fans are going after the officials here a little bit," the announcer said. "You might have some ejections here." Because of what occurred, the game was called by officials with 3:12 left in the fourth quarter, where Meadville was leading Uniontown, 63-55. This game was the first round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association's 5A state tournament, and the governing body's official bracket as of 5:27 p.m. on Monday states a "double forfeiture" with neither team moving on. Hershey, the team slated to face the winner of Uniontown-Meadville in the second round, has subsequently moved on to the quarterfinals. "I have contacted the schools involved and have requested a report from them by Monday AM regarding last night's incident," PIAA executive director Robert Lombardi told the Erie Times-News about the incident. "I have no further comment until I receive their reports." The PIAA did not initially respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
