Complaint: Woman hits boyfriend with car while on the way to therapy session

A Woman Faces Multiple Charges for Allegedly Trying to Run Over Boyfriend

A woman is facing multiple charges for allegedly trying to run over her boyfriend.

Incident Details

1. Veronica Roleen Gast, a 30-year-old woman, is facing four charges in Otter Tail County Court.

• Two counts of domestic assault
• One count of second-degree assault
• One count of criminal vehicular operation

Sequence of Events

According to the boyfriend’s statement:

1. The couple began arguing on Saturday morning and the argument continued throughout the day.
2. Feeling like their relationship wouldn’t work, the boyfriend asked Gast to bring him back home.
3. Gast stopped the car in a traffic lane and asked him to get out.
4. The boyfriend got out and started walking in front of the vehicle towards the sidewalk.
5. Gast made eye contact with him and allegedly accelerated to run him over.
6. The boyfriend turned his body away from the car, went over the hood, and hit the front windshield with his back, causing it to shatter.
7. Gast continued to drive for about half a block before pulling over into a parking lot.

The boyfriend sustained a cut on his right elbow.

Gast’s Account

In her statement, Gast claims that driving into her boyfriend was an accident.

• She asked him to leave the vehicle after the argument escalated.
• He started walking towards the sidewalk, so she began to drive away.
• However, as she accelerated, he walked in front of the car and got hit.

Gast admits to hitting her boyfriend and states that she continued to drive out of shock.

She pulled over to apologize because he was cursing at her.

Gast denies making eye contact with him and says she was just looking forward.

Legal Consequences

If convicted of all charges, Gast could face over eight years in prison and $19,000 in fines.

Support for Domestic Violence Victims

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate assistance, contact:

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline
• Organizations listed above can provide safe shelter, advocacy, legal help, and support groups.
• Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes.

More than 12 million people in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. Click here to see those.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• SDG 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention any indicators, but potential indicators that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets include:

• Number of reported cases of domestic violence
• Number of convictions for domestic assault
• Number of resources and support services available for victims of domestic violence

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: kstp.com