Charges: Driver Strikes Woman After Leaving Taco Bell Drive-Thru Line In A Rage
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (WCCO) -- A 59-year-old woman from Brooklyn Center has been charged with criminal vehicular operation for allegedly striking a pedestrian in an alcohol-involved case of drive-thru rage.
The incident happened at about 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon near Xerxes Avenue and Bass Lake Road. Police responding to the scene found a woman unconscious and injured. She was taken to the hospital with extensive life-threatening injuries, including numerous broken bones from her legs to her neck, and serious internal bleeding.
According to filed charges, witnesses at the scene described a black Audi striking the woman before fleeing the scene. Another witness, who was in the drive-thru line at a nearby Taco Bell, said that the driver of the Audi was yelling at him for "not moving through the drive-thru lane fast enough."
The driver drove away from the drive-thru line, but not before that second witness took photos of the car's license plate. That witness also saw the vehicle strike the victim.
As of Friday, the victim was still listed in critical condition, and is not expected to survive her injuries.
Police used the license plates to locate the vehicle's owner -- Tammy Renae Olson -- and apprehend her. She was wearing the same clothes as she was seen wearing in the other drive-thru driver's photos, and smelled of alcohol, the complaint said. According to authorities, her driver's license had also been cancelled "as inimical to public safety" following multiple convictions for driving while impaired.
The charges state Olson told investigators that she knew she was involved in a crash, but didn't stop and drove straight home. She said she'd had a few drinks before driving that day.
Police noted front-end damage sustained to Olson's Audi.
She's charged with criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm, and leaving the scene. The maximum sentence would be five years in prison, pending amended charges should the victim die of her injuries.