FERGUS FALLS, MN – A Minnesota man’s attempt to end his relationship with his girlfriend took a dangerous turn when she allegedly forced him out of their vehicle and attempted to run him over. The incident occurred as the couple was en route to a therapy session. Veronica Roleen Gast, 30, is now facing charges of second-degree assault, criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm, gross negligence, and domestic assault, according to a police affidavit.
The Fergus Falls Police Department reported that the incident took place on August 10, just before 1 p.m. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, told the police that he and Gast had spent the morning in a heated argument. As they were driving to their therapy session, he decided to end their relationship, which led to the alleged assault.
According to the man’s account, Gast stopped the car in the middle of the traffic lane after he announced his decision to break up. He asked her to drive him back home, but she allegedly refused. He then got out of the car and started to cross in front of it towards the sidewalk. As he was crossing, he claimed that he and Gast locked eyes momentarily before she accelerated the car towards him.
Gast, however, gave a different account of the incident. She told the police that she did not see her boyfriend in front of the car when she drove off. She assumed he would be on the sidewalk. She admitted to being upset due to their earlier argument but denied intentionally hitting him with the car.
The police report stated that Gast eventually confessed to hitting the man with her car, but she denied accelerating towards him. She claimed that she was in shock after the incident and did not stop immediately. She also denied the man’s claim that they had locked eyes before the collision.
The man told the police that he was thrown over the hood of the car when Gast hit him, causing him to shatter the front windshield with his body. He sustained a laceration on his right elbow. Gast, however, claimed that the windshield was cracked because the man had punched it. It is unclear if Gast suffered any injuries from the incident.
The couple had been together for about a year and shared a residence, according to the police report. Gast was detained at the Otter Tail Detention Facility but appears to have been released, as her name does not appear on the facility’s regularly updated public inmate list. It is not known if she has secured legal representation.