Courthouse briefs
Hearing waived Kevin Michael Pitts, 19, of 47 Murray Ave. waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday into charges filed by Uniontown police alleging he hit a parked minivan in a stolen all-terrain vehicle and injured his passenger on June 2 on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Pitts has been charged with receiving stolen property, accidents involving death or personal injury, accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly licensed, accidents involving damage to an unattended vehicle or property, driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked, operating on streets and highways and operation in a safe manner.
The charges will be forwarded to Common Pleas Court, where he will either accept a plea agreement or have a trial.
Pitts waived his hearing before Magisterial District Justice Mark Blair and was returned to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of bond.
Police allege Pitts drove an ATV into the rear of a minivan near the Circle Club at 10:10 p.m. and fled the scene, but his passenger, Samuel Kiss, was thrown through the van’s back window. Kiss was taken to Uniontown Hospital with severely bleeding cuts to his head, arms, chest and legs, and was then flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital, police said.
Amanda Capan of Coolspring-Jumonville Road, Hopwood, reported the ATV stolen, police said.
Pitts is also being held in lieu of bond while he awaits sentencing on numerous other charges – including burglary, receiving stolen property, theft and arson – which were filed in unrelated cases.
Case goes to court
Anthony D. Jones, 20, of 45 Lenox St., Uniontown, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday into charges alleging he intentionally rammed the passenger side of a Uniontown police car after leading officers on a high-speed chase through the city with three female passengers while he was drunk Jan. 22.
Jones has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, six counts of recklessly endangering another person, driving under the influence, fleeing or attempting to elude police, driving without lights to avoid identification or arrest, drivers required to be licensed, reckless driving and criminal mischief.
The complaint against him was amended to show he had a blood-alcohol concentration of .13 percent, more than the state’s .08 percent level in the state’s drunken-driving laws.
Jones waived his hearing before Magisterial District Judge Mark Blair and was returned to the county prison in lieu of $20,000 bail.
The charges will be forwarded to Common Pleas Court, where Jones either will accept a plea agreement or stand trial.
Police allege that after encountering Jones in a car with three females in the Jewish Community Center parking lot off West Main Street at 2:11 a.m., he fled into downtown, driving at a high rate of speed and causing numerous vehicles to leave the road to avoid being hit.
On Coolspring Street near the city line, he rammed a patrol car driven by officer Eric Hanula and stopped near Braddock Avenue, police said, noting that a case of beer was found in the car.