The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

August 4, 2008

Chase driver draws time-served sentence

By Joe Pinchot

SHENANGO VALLEY —

Yousef A. Adhami not only put police and the public in danger when he led police on a two-state chase Jan 7, he also set back the cause of Palestinians looking to make a life in the United States by claiming that he had explosives and was willing to use them, a local judge said.

“It was an insult to every law-abiding Palestinian in this country,” Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Francis J. Fornelli said Monday.

But, America is a generous and forgiving country, and its people are willing to give Adhami a chance to prove his worth, Fornelli said, adding that he was willing to give Adhami that chance.

Fornelli sentenced Adhami to time served, 2 years’ probation and a $500 fine on charges of fleeing police and terroristic threats. The judge also permitted Adhami to immediately move to California so Adhami can be with his ailing mother.

“I thank you so much, sir,” said Adhami, who pleaded guilty in June.

Adhami, who turns 39 today, of Youngstown, formerly of Farrell, was clocked doing 69 in a 35 mph zone at 10:45 a.m. on state Route 304, Hubbard Township, Pennsylvania State Police said.

The patrolmen pursued Adhami’s car, but Adhami refused to stop and entered Shenango Township on state Route 318. Southwest Mercer County Regional police picked up the pursuit, which ended when Adhami drove his car into a corn field off Mercer-West Middlesex Road, between Lebanon Church and Greenfield roads, in Lackawannock Township, state police said.

When Adhami got out of the car, he warned police to get back, said he had explosives and would use them against police, police said.

State and Southwest police negotiated with Adhami while West Middlesex volunteer firefighters closed a one-mile stretch of the road, police said.

Adhami was arrested after about two hours. A policeman was able to get close enough to spray him with pepper spray.

Members of the Allegheny County Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit searched the car, but found no explosives.

At his preliminary hearing he said he was addicted to crack cocaine and “whatever they gave me” at the time of his arrest.

Fornelli said drugs derailed the life of a man who is hard-working and driven, but that ambition may have led him to drugs.

Adhami was working and had three years in toward a civil engineering degree when he was arrested.

“You drove yourself so hard you sought chemical ways to maintain that level of performance,” Fornelli said.

“I wish I could take the clock back,” Adhami said.

Fornelli said Adhami has so much of his life yet to lead and so many people who care about him.

“You’re a bright man,” Fornelli said. “You have such a bright future.”

Adhami said he wanted to live up to those expectations.

“I want to get back to my old ways when I can get up, go to work and come back to my wife,” Adhami said.

Text Only
Local News
  • Storm blows in fast, leaves damage

    A scattered storm that started in Michigan and pulled in moisture over Lake Erie organized itself into a locally-severe storm system Sunday over Mercer County.

    May 28, 2012

  • transit Transit is once-in-a-lifetime show

    A rare celestial wonder that won’t be seen again for more than a century is set to play out before our eyes and Farrell’s resident astronomer  is giving locals a chance to get a first-hand look at a “black dawn.”

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012