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HAZE Temp: 54 °F Wind: W at 4 mph Friday, January 31, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 10, 2003 Driver faces felony assault charges Eagle Point resident allegedly ran over a woman at McDonald’s after an earlier dispute By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune An Eagle Point driver has been charged with felony assault after allegedly running over a woman in a McDonald’s drive-through last year. Melissa Dian Kerr, 32, of the 1900 block of Stevens Road, pleaded not guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday morning to charges of third-degree assault and menacing in the incident, which police said followed an altercation in a Wal-Mart parking lot. A grand jury indicted Kerr last month. She was booked in jail and released. Kerr told police that she thought her red Dodge pickup truck was in "park" when she revved the engine at 45-year-old Rebecca Gail Willenborg, also of Eagle Point. Willenborg was standing in front of the pickup while Kerr waited for her hamburger and fries, investigators said. The charge alleges that Kerr intentionally or recklessly caused Willenborg physical injury, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. Kerr’s vehicle is considered a weapon. Willenborg was hospitalized after at least one of the pickup’s tires ran over her, according to police reports. Willenborg’s pelvis and arm were broken, but she was listed in good condition at Rogue Valley Medical Center several days after her confrontation with Kerr on Sept. 23. The two women did not know each other, police said. Willenborg reportedly approached Kerr’s vehicle after an earlier run-in at the Wal-Mart parking lot off Crater Lake Highway. Both driving red, full-sized Dodge pickup trucks, Kerr and Willenborg narrowly missed a collision. Leaving her parking space, Kerr reportedly pulled through another space in front of her, instead of backing up, and almost struck Willenborg’s truck, police said. The two women’s stories differ. Police said they exchanged obscene gestures and mouthed words before Kerr drove off, headed for a nearby McDonald’s. Willenborg followed Kerr and confronted her on foot in the restaurant’s drive-through, investigators said. Willenborg later said she was trying to find out what was going on while Kerr told police that Willenborg was screaming at her, said Medford police Detective Terry Newell. Kerr warned Willenborg to move away from the truck or she’d get run over, Moran said. She revved the engine, and the truck jumped forward and hit Willenborg, Moran said. Kerr later called Medford police to report that she had struck a pedestrian at the McDonald’s on Crater Lake Highway, according to police reports. Kerr was not arrested. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office cited her to appear in court. While police believe road rage incidents are common, they are not usually reported, Moran said. "All these road rages that are occurring out there, how many of those could turn into situations like this?" Kerr’s trial date has not been set. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S