In Bartow County, Georgia, a school board member is facing misdemeanor charges after authorities say she hit a 17-year-old girl with her SUV during a dispute over a parking spot.
Bartow County Sheriff’s Deputies responded about 2:30 p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012 to report of a vehicle vs. pedestrian incident. The call from a teen and senior in high school, reported she had been struck by a white SUV in the parking lot.
Bartow County Sheriff’s police say Bartow County school board member Angie Cornett hit a 17-year-old in the leg while driving her SUV in a dispute over a parking space at Walmart.
My name is Angie Cornett. I am married to Eric Cornett. We have two children. Madison who is 16. What a free-spirited child! Love every piece of her. Avery is 12 and he is our focused child. Loves tennis, just like his momma and daddy:)
Law officers say the teen was trying to hold the spot for her brother’s girlfriend. The teen was not seriously injured, but was struck in the leg with black dirt/tire mark on jeans as evidence. Surveillence video clearly shows a white 2007 Lexus GX470 pushing into the teen, who was standing in the parking space. Cornett claims the teen leaned against her vehicle.
Walmart Security Parking Lot Surveillence Video released by the Bartow County Sheriff’s Department pertaining to the arrest of School Board member, Angie Cornett.
On Friday, December 28, 2012, at 1436 hours, I was dispatched to 101 Market Place Boulevard, Cartersville, GA, the Walmart parking lot, in reference to a female complainant being struck by a vehicle.
Upon my arrival I met with Complainant/Victim (Emily Gulledge) who said she had been struck by a white SUV. Emily said she was standing in a parking space, waiting for her brother’s girlfriend to arrive. Emily said her brother’s girlfriend had recently given birth and it was hard for her to carry the baby very far. Emily said a white SUV pulled toward the parking space, which was located to the side of a buggy return in aisle five. Emily said the vehicle (a white 2007 Lexus GX470) was being driven by a white female/Offender (Angela Cornett) who yelled for Emily to move. Emily told Angela she was saving the parking space for her brother’s girlfriend. Angela then accelerated and struck Emily on her right leg with the front passenger tire of the vehicle. Emily said her leg became caught in the tread of the wheel and she almost fell down. Emily began yelling for someone to help her. Emily said Angela then started to take pictures of her and recorded her with her cell phone. Emily then called 911 to request an officer.
I observed a long black streak on Emily’s right pant leg that was consistent with “road grime” from a tire. I asked Emily where the black marks came from and she said it was from Angela’s tire. I asked Emily if she was injured and she said that her back was a little sore. I requested Bartow County Dispatch (BCD) have Bartow County EMS en route to evaluate Emily.
I spoke with Angela and asked her about the incident. Angela said she was driving down aisle five, and Emily was walking in the same direction. Emily then started to take a buggy from another woman and looked like she was taking it to the buggy return area. Angela said Emily then stood in the parking space with the buggy so she told her to move. Angela started to pull into the parking space and Emily leaned against her vehicle and started to yell “…she hit me…”. Angela said she did not hit Emily but Emily continued to state that she did. Angela then started to take pictures of Emily with her cell phone and recorded Emily speaking to someone on her own cell phone.
I spoke with Witness (Madison Cornett), a passenger in the Lexus, and I asked her about the incident. Madison said she agreed with her mother (Angela) and said that Emily had leaned into the vehicle.
I viewed the Walmart security footage of the parking lot and I observed the following:
A subject (Emily) can be observed walking down aisle five, toward Walmart. Emily then approaches another subject with a buggy and takes the buggy from the second subject. Emily then walks into a parking space next to the buggy return area and stands there. While Emily is walking, a white SUV is seen driving in the same direction. The SUV stops as Emily stands in the parking space and suddenly accelerates. Emily is struck by the vehicle and she is physically moved by the force of the vehicle. The SUV stops and remains stopped for several moments. The SUV then backs out of the parking space, pulls back in partially, and backs out again.
I measured the height of the passenger front tire of the Lexus (a Mastercraft Courser HTR) and it measured approximately between twenty-nine and thirty inches. I measured the height of the black marks on Emily’s right pant leg and it measured approximately between twenty-eight and twenty-nine inches. I obtained several digital pictures of the incident location, the parking space, the tire, with and without a measuring device, and Emily’s leg. The pictures were subsequently transferred to a compact disc and logged into evidence at the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.
— Bartow County Sheriff Police Report
Cornett was charged with Reckless Conduct and transported in custody to a police holding area.
Cornett immediately resigned from the Bartow County School Board citing personal and family reasons. Cornett had past trouble while on the board in September 2012 and was criticized for comments she made during a school board meeting when she spoke negatively about a former school system principal. She also released a veiled threat while claiming she puts her family above her school board position (See video Wanda Gray and Angie Cornett statements 9-24-12/Cornett’s comments start here …).