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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 1:36 p.m., Thursday, October 11, 2007

CFB: Police find no violation in Paterno-motorist case

Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Joe Paterno exchanged words with another motorist who then complained to police about the Penn State football coach's conduct. No charges were filed.

The incident, which had been rumored about on Internet message boards, was confirmed by the coach during a weekly luncheon earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported today. The luncheon is closed to the media and his comments are typically treated as off-the-record, but some people in attendance recounted Paterno's exchange with the audience to the newspaper.

Team spokesman Jeff Nelson declined comment today on the report.

Paterno told the luncheon crowd he nearly collided with another car on a campus road last week and exchanged words with the other driver and her husband.

According to a police log reviewed by The Associated Press, a staff member reported just after noon Oct. 5 that "a male driver committed a traffic violation and acted in a disorderly manner."

Penn State vice president Bill Mahon told the AP earlier this week that Police Chief Steve Shelow had relayed that the case was closed and that no citations were issued.

"There was nothing to pursue," Mahon told the AP on today, without confirming the identity of the driver who was the target of the complaint.

University police do not release names in cases in which no charges are filed.

During a news conference earlier this week, Paterno grew agitated with questions about off-the-field problems surrounding his team.

A reporter asked Paterno to comment on speculation the coach himself "might have been involved in something," to which Paterno replied, "Come on, let's go."