ATHENS, Ga. — An Athens woman was arrested after allegedly running over another woman with her car and dragging her in the street after attempting to repossess her vehicle.
According to the police report, Shanita Smith, 24, came out of her apartment wearing a towel when the workers arrived to take her Nissan Versa at 12:37 a.m. Tuesday.
A worker with C&O Recovery, a repossession company, called 911 and said that Smith confronted them outside her apartment. He said Smith got in the vehicle and attempted to speed off but was stopped by the other employee, who attempted to jump in the car with her, according to Athens-Clarke County Police.
The repo employee told police that Smith put the car in reverse and the other employee, who was the repo worker’s girlfriend, got caught in the car’s doorframe and was dragged for a short period of time before falling out. The man said that Smith ran over the other woman’s legs and crashed into a white Toyota Sequoia nearby. The employee told police he tried to knock on Smith’s car window after she hit the SUV but she drove off.
The woman who was run over said she told Smith to stop the car. She said Smith briefly stopped before hitting the gas and speeding off. She said both of her legs and right arm were run over. Police ran the employee’s name and realized she had a warrant out for her arrest in Forsyth County for violating a protection order. Due to her injuries, she told police she would turn herself in after going to the hospital.
An officer spotted Smith walking down the street in her towel and brought her back to her apartment to put some clothes on. According to police, Smith said had just gotten out of the shower when she heard her car starting up. She saw a tow truck behind her car and went outside to stop the repo workers.
Smith told police the female employee told her to “hold up b----” when she tried to get into her car. She said she put the Nissan Versa in reverse and attempted to drive away when the woman opened the door, jumped in the car with her and started fighting for control of the vehicle. Smith claimed the woman elbowed her in the ribs and that she was scared, so she backed out and left.
Smith told police she had “no intention” of running her over, according to the police report. She also told police she didn’t realize she hit the Toyota Sequoia.
Police arrested Smith and charged her with reckless conduct and duty upon striking an unattended vehicle. Smith was transported and booked in Clarke County Jail. Two women on scene took custody of her three children.
The Athens encounter is the second violent attack on a worker attempting to repossess a car in the on Tuesday.
In DeKalb County, a repo worker was shot as he tried to repossess a car at a Shell station in Stone Mountain. Police said the man was training a coworker and it was his first day on the job.
The man was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
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