Woman Pleads Guilty to Severely Injuring Repossessor
BEAUMONT — A woman has entered a guilty plea to charges of driving into a man who was trying to repossess her vehicle, seriously injuring the victim.
Carla Culver, 47, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury during a hearing Monday in Judge John Stevens’ courtroom.
She could face 2-20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine when she’s sentenced at a later date. She’s also eligible for probation.
Culver is charged with driving into a man who was repossessing her car September 29 outside Temptations Cabaret on College Street in Beaumont.
He suffered serious injuries to his legs.
According to a probable cause affidavit KFDM/Fox 4 News has obtained, police responded to an auto-pedestrian accident September 29 outside Temptations Cabaret, 5900 College Street in Beaumont.
They found the victim lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his left leg. They say it had been ripped up and his foot was turned to the side.
The victim was lying on his back and police say it appeared his leg had been smashed between two vehicles. Beaumont EMS listed him in critical condition. The victim required emergency surgery at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital.
Witnesses told police the victim was trying to repossess a Hyundai Elantra from Culver. According to the probable cause affidavit, while the victim was under the hood and in front of the car, Culver drove the vehicle forward, smashing the victim’s leg between the two vehicles.
Police say Culver admitted to detectives that she saw and heard the victim underneath the hood of the car that she was driving.
Culver said she wasn’t sure how the car accelerated forward after intentionally placing the car in drive.
Investigators say “whether or not Culver’s intentions were to harm the victim, she was reckless in her decision to drive the vehicle forward with the hood up,” knowing that the man was still in front of her vehicle.
