Uniontown teen charged in fatal 2014 crash
Roberto M. Esquivel|Herald-Standard
Balloons mark the location on Walnut Hill Road, South Union Township, where two teens were killed in a vehicle accident on March 12, 2014. On Tuesday, two counts of homicide by vehicle were filed against Rodney A. Harris for his alleged involvement in the crash.
Harris
McFadden
Jones
The driver of a car involved in a 2014 crash in South Union Township was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle.
State police said Rodney A. Harris, now 19, was driving a black Honda at about 90 mph when the car spun out of control and landed on the guardrail after striking another vehicle at the intersection of Morgantown Road and Walnut Hill Road. The March 12 accident claimed the lives of De’Andre Jones, 17, and Trevor McFadden, 16, and severely injured a fourth passenger, Ziare Ellis, all of Uniontown.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Justin Handlin, two witnesses, identified as Zelcon Walker and Jeremiah Weimer, came forward two days after the accident to relate what they saw.
Walker and Weimer, who were friends with Harris, told officers that Harris passed their vehicle on Morgantown Road “at a high rate of speed,” prompting the two to yell at him to slow down. Walker told police that Harris responded “by saying something along the lines of ‘I got this’,” according to the affidavit.
Weimer told police that Harris “waived ‘bye bye’ to them as he passed their vehicle,” police said.
Weimer added that he estimated Harris’ vehicle to be traveling at around 90 miles per hour before losing control in the curve and crashing into the other vehicle, Handlin wrote.
Several other witnesses told police that the Honda was observed going at a high rate of speed, Handlin wrote. Two witnesses also related that they observed the brief conversation between the two vehicles while they were stopped at the intersection before continuing on and losing control.
In the affidavit, Handlin indicated that the vehicle lost control going around the curve and crossed over into the eastbound lanes. A GMC Envoy, traveling eastbound, couldn’t avoid the Honda and struck it into the passenger side, sending the Honda clockwise and into the air. It landed on the guardrail, facing north, police said.
Police said Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, while McFadden succumbed to his injuries while at the Uniontown Hospital.
Handlin wrote that Uniontown Police Lt. Tom Kolencik was one of the first officers on scene and observed the driver’s seat to be vacant, while Harris was leaning against the guardrail. Ellis, McFadden and Jones were still in the vehicle at that point. When Handlin arrived on scene, Harris had already been taken to the hospital, he said.
According to the affidavit, tire depth may have played a role in the vehicle losing control.
Handlin wrote that “its tires appeared to have adequate tread depth. The tire depth on the rear tires of Unit 1 (Harris’ vehicle) was immediately observed to be an issue.”
The affidavit also indicated that it was raining at the time of the crash and the roadway was wet, but there was no standing water observed on the roadway, Handlin wrote.
Harris was charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, two counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and related traffic summary charges.