John Jefferson
Inset: Jemma Allen (St. Claire, Missouri Police Dept.). Background: The bank where Allen allegedly ran over a bank worker putting up Christmas lights (Google Maps).
A 41-year-old woman in Missouri is accused of intentionally running over a bank employee who was putting up Christmas lights after becoming enraged that decorating project temporarily closed the bank’s drive-thru window.
Jemma Allen was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of second-degree assault and one count of resisting or interfering with an arrest for a felony, authorities announced. According to a news release from the St. Clair Police Department, officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel at about 9:30 a.m. responded to a call about a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of Sullivan bank in the 1100 block of North Main Street. The financial establishment is about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis.
Upon arriving, first responders located the victim, who was immediately transported to nearby Mercy Washington Hospital for treatment of “visible injuries.”
Police said the vehicle involved in the incident was a 2016 Kia Soul that was last seen driving out of the bank parking lot. The vehicle was said to be driven by Allen, per the release.
Police took witness statements and combed through bank surveillance footage to piece together what transpired. The footage showed that a crew was in the bank parking lot installing Christmas lights in the drive-thru section of the lot. The crew installing the lights had to close the drive-thru section of the parking lot because they were using a lift to install the lights in some of the higher locations.
Police said Allen was driving the Kia as she tried to “get through the crews putting up the lights” and into the closed portion of the lot.
“The victim tried to explain to Allen that the drive thru area was closed. Allen began to argue with the victim and cursed him,” the release states. “As the victim walked away and bent over to pick up a tote, Allen accelerated and struck the victim. The victim fell onto the hood of the Kia and held on to the hood as Allen accelerated the Kia through the parking lot. As Allen accelerated, the victim was flung off of the hood of the Kia, onto the ground.”
After intentionally striking the man with her can, police said Allen accelerated out the back of the parking lot.
Investigators were able to locate Allen and the Kia at a nearby residence. During the arrest, she allegedly “pulled away from officers” but was subdued and taken into custody
Allen was transported and processed at the Franklin County Detention Center and the police report was forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review.
During an interview with police, Allen said she “accidentally placed her vehicle in drive,” The Herald reported. However, witnesses reportedly told police that she “hit the accelerator” of her vehicle and hit the victim, then did not bother to get out and check on him.
She is currently being held in lieu of $100,000 bond.
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