Police: Woman mad at Redmond dealer rams into cars

(Update: Jail correction: Woman was released on her own recognizance; adding video)

A Culver woman angry with a Redmond car dealership rammed into several parked vehicles, damaging six of them and her own, while leaving the business on South Highway 97 Tuesday morning, leading to a traffic stop and her arrest, police said.

Officers were notified around 10:25 a.m. of a driver intentionally crashing into the parked vehicles at a dealership that asked not to be identified, Lt. Curtis Chambers said.

By the time police were dispatched, other callers to Deschutes County 911 dispatchers reported the woman had driven away from the dealership.

Thanks to callers’ reports, officers found the woman, later identified as Vanessa Hancock, 37, driving a 2011 Kia Sportage heading north on Northwest Sixth Street near Maple Avenue and initiated a high-risk (guns drawn) traffic stop in a lot shared by several businesses on Sixth Street, Chambers said.

The decision to initiate a high-risk stop was made by officers on the scene, based in part on an initial report the woman might be suicidal, by unknown means, Chambers said. He added that investigators later determined the reports Hancock was suicidal were inaccurate.

An investigation determined Hancock became upset at employees of the dealership as part of an ongoing civil dispute and intentionally rammed several cars for sale as she left, nearly hitting two workers standing nearby, Chambers said.

She damaged six vehicles, as well as her own in the process, he added.

Officers detained, interviewed and arrested Hancock on several charges.

A Deschutes County Jail lieutenant said she was booked on three counts of first-degree criminal mischief, misdemeanor hit-and-run (failure to perform the duties of a driver in an accident involving property), reckless driving and two counts of reckless endangering.

The charges listed totaled $60,000 bail, but Hancock was released from jail on her own recognizance about two hours later, with a pending initial court date of Jan. 29, the lieutenant said.

“The Redmond Police Department encourages those experiencing civil disputes to seek resolution without resorting to criminal behavior,” Chambers added. “Resources are available in the form of attorneys, Legal Aid and courts to help resolve disputes.”