UAHS bleachers collapse; 4 injured
Three Uniontown Area High School cheerleaders and a Uniontown High School custodian were injured Saturday when a section of bleachers collapsed in the high school gymnasium. The identities of the cheerleaders and the custodian were not available as of press time.
Dr. Charles Machesky, Uniontown Area School District superintendent, said one of the girls suffered a broken leg and a broken nose, a second girl suffered a leg injury and the third girl suffered minor injuries.
The custodian suffered lacerations to the head, Machesky said.
Machesky said the bleachers were pulled out for a boys basketball game that was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
“The cheerleaders were practicing in the balcony area of the gym and needed more room,” Machesky said. “The cheerleading sponsor went to get the custodian to push the bleachers back, but the girls thought they could push them back on their own.”
The cheerleaders started to push on the bleachers unaware that a locking mechanism needed to be released, Machesky said.
As they pushed, they snapped two braces that were holding part of the bleachers in place, allowing upper levels of the section of seats to collapse on top of them, Machesky said.
“They didn’t know about the locking mechanism and they were trying to force bleachers back, causing the metal braces to break,” Machesky said.
The bleachers reportedly struck several cheerleaders as they fell, and one girl was trapped under the seats.
According to officials, members of the boys basketball team rushed to the aid of the cheerleaders and pulled the bleachers from the trapped victim.
In the chaos, the custodian was also injured while trying to help the trapped girl.
Uniontown police and the Uniontown Fire Department were called to the scene.
Personnel from Uniontown Fireman’s Ambulance and American Ambulance took the injured from the school to Uniontown Hospital, police said.
According to Machesky, the bleachers were inspected just two weeks before the incident occurred Saturday and were deemed fit for use.
An update on the condition of the injured patients was not available Saturday evening.
The incident did not delay the boys varsity basketball game scheduled for Saturday afternoon between Uniontown and Hempfield.