City detective recovering after accident
Uniontown Police Detective Donald Gmitter is off work recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in a July 9 accident while responding to a reported disturbance. “Just one of those things,” Police Chief Kyle Sneddon said. “Responding to emergency calls can be dangerous. He was exercising caution.”
State police at Uniontown investigated the two-vehicle accident, which occurred at 10:20 p.m. on Lincoln Street.
Gmitter was traveling east with the emergency lights on when a vehicle driven by Glades Harris, 38, with three passengers turned left into his path, state police said.
The right front of a marked Jeep Cherokee that Gmitter was driving hit the left rear of Harris’ vehicle and pushed it sideways into a curb, police said.
All the occupants from both vehicles were taken to Uniontown Hospital. Gmitter was treated and released with a sprained ankle. Harris suffered minor injuries.
Her three passengers were Marquetta Harris, 14; Mark Harris, 9; and Levey Daly, 7.
Sneddon said four state troopers responded to the scene and conducted a thorough investigation.
“I’m comfortable with whatever they say,” Sneddon said.
Gmitter has been a city police officer for about five years and was promoted to detective in March.
Sneddon said he did not know how long Gmitter would be off work.
The fate of the Jeep, which was marked as the chief’s vehicle, is not yet known. Sneddon said the city’s insurance company has not yet looked at the vehicle.
The city fire department and ambulance service also responded to the accident.