‘A great man’: Charles Latta, father of WNBA star Ivory Latta, dies in York crash

Charles Latta, father of South Carolina all-time leading high school basketball scorer Ivory Latta, died Tuesday in a car crash outside York, officials said.

Charles Latta, 67, was considered by sports and community figures as a driving force toward his daughter’s success at York Comprehensive High School, college at the University of North Carolina, and the WNBA professional basketball league.

The family is from the tiny, rural town of McConnells, about 10 miles outside York. The crash happened between York and McConnells.

Latta was heading west on Devinney Road in a 2013 Toyota sport utility vehicle when it crossed over U.S. 321 and went off the right side of the road, where the vehicle hit a tree, said Lance Cpl. Justin Sutherland of the S.C. Highway Patrol.

The crash happened around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, near York Middle School, Sutherland said.

A passenger in the Toyota was taken by ambulance to Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill for treatment for injuries, police said. The passenger has not been identified.

Sutherland said both Latta and his passenger were wearing seat belts. Neither was ejected from the vehicle, Sutherland said.

Ivory Latta once scored 70 points in a single high school game. She credited her father for much of her success.

“My father was a great man,” Ivory Latta said Wednesday.

Charles Latta was remembered as a generous man to all York area students, even after his daughter left for college and the WNBA..

“The very first key to the city of York I gave out was to Ivory Latta,” said Eddie Lee, mayor of York.

“It was clear then, and clear all these years later, that Charles Latta and his wife were keys to Ivory’s success,” Lee said. “Charles was a fine person. A great person. A person who wanted his family, and all children, to succeed.”

Former York Comprehensive High basketball coach Paula Blackwell said Charles Latta was a community and family man who never wavered in his commitment to helping others achieve success. Charles and his wife, Chenna, supported not just sports causes, but all children, Blackwell said.

“When I came to York in 1999, Charles and Chenna Latta and their family made an instant impact on me and welcomed me to the community,” Blackwell said. “What most people don’t know about Charles is that he continued to help with girls in the whole district, and it wasn’t just about basketball. It was life.”

Blackwell said Charles and Chenna Latta bought shoes for children in need. They even helped a family find a home after a Christmastime eviction one year, she said.

“My heart aches because Charles was always a person that I could discuss my professional life or ways to help players be successful in life,” Blackwell said. “He was so excited when I started coaching the boys, and just wanted me to be happy. Rest easy Charles Latta. We will take it from here! Job well done, my friend.”

Steve Love, a York city councilman and president of the western York NAACP, said Charles Latta was a person whose generosity to all people defined community spirit.

“The people of York and York County loved Charles Latta,” Love said. “He loved them, too. He cared about all children and wanted those children to reach their dreams.”

The crash site was just outside the southern edge of the city limits of York. Traffic was blocked near the intersection for hours as police and emergency officials from the city of York, York County and state agencies handled the crash site, officials said.

York Fire Department firefighters were first on the scene and called for county and other units to assist. The vehicle was off the road, but created traffic congestion in all four directions, said Domenic Manera, York fire chief.

This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 8:35 AM.