A preliminary hearing is scheduled today for a Blairsville woman accused of intentionally hitting her daughter with her car.
Blairsville Borough Police filed charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, recklessly endangering, simple assault, and three summary traffic violations against 54-year-old Theresa Simms.
It happened April 16th at the Tobacco outlet store on West Market Street. Police contend that Simms and her 33-year-old daughter, Megan Russell of Blairsville, were arguing about a public assistance card when Russell got out of their car, yelling at her mother. Surveillance video shows Simms accelerating in reverse and striking Russell with the car’s open door, knocking her into a parking meter. Police arrived to find Russell, “walking in circles on the sidewalk in pain”. She suffered an arm injury and was airlifted to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, where she underwent surgery.
Simms claimed that the incident was an accident, but an interview with backseat passenger Alfred Yanhert and their own review of the video convinced them that it was intentional.
Simms is due before District Judge Jennifer Rega at 9 o’clock this morning.
