17-year-old girl faces three counts of vehicular assault

By Robert Sorrell

A 17-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of vehicular assault following a crash in the Walmart parking lot last weekend.

According to an Elizabethton Police Department report released on Thursday, the incident occurred at 10:46 p.m. Saturday. Ptl. Matthew Taylor stated that while en route, he learned one of the vehicles continued to strike the other vehicle.

On scene, Taylor met with a female, who was driving a white Ford Explorer. She advised she was traveling west on Overmountain Drive when a maroon Scion TC pulled out in front of her. She said the driver “slammed” on the brakes causing her vehicle to “tap” the Scion. She said the Scion then left the scene.

Taylor said the female changed her allegations at least two times. The girl also allegedly said she “may have hit the car more than once” due to her floor mat getting “stuck on the gas pedal.”

Three witnesses told Taylor they observed the Ford intentionally strike the Scion in an aggressive manner. One witness said the Scion then fled to the parking lot of Walmart to de-escalate the situation. The witness also advised that the female in the Ford exited the vehicle and began “screaming in a threatening manner” at the occupants of the Scion.

The officer said damage to the vehicles was “very extensive” and the occupants of the Scion had to be extricated. All three passengers in the Scion were taken to the Johnson City Medical Center by the Carter County Rescue Squad. A passenger in the Ford, identified in a report as Tommy Wilkerson, was also taken to the hospital.

The female driver of the Ford was arrested and taken to the Johnson City Juvenile Detention Center. She faces three counts of vehicular assault. Her name has not been released due to her age.

Taylor said the incident was filmed by Walmart surveillance cameras and has been viewed.