Tennessee woman fires shots at kid-filled car near her driveway

A Tennessee woman is facing felony reckless endangerment charges after she allegedly fired multiple times and hit a car full of children that she thought was going to turn around in her driveway.

Oscar Scott told the Times-News that his wife and five children, ages 4 to 12, had come from their home in Rose Hill, Virginia to Bays Mountain Park on Sunday for a family outing.

But his plan to take a scenic route home went horrible wrong when he crossed paths with 72-year-old Margie Rhea Ramey.

"We came around the side of the mountain and saw a road that turned to the right that said Bays Mt. Road," Scott said. "We figured we’d take it and see if it came out at Bays Mountain Park. We got pretty far down that road and you could see where it turned into an old log road, so I put the vehicle in reverse to turn around."

"Just as I got it into reverse she started shooting at us," he recalled.

According to Scott, Ramey fired at his 1999 Chevy Tahoe at least twice, and one shot hit the running board only a few feet away from one of the five children.

“I hadn’t even begun to turn my wheels to pull in her driveway,” he explained. “I just put my vehicle in reverse, and just as quickly as I put it in reverse I heard her hollering and my little boy said, ‘does she got a gun’. About that time she started shooting.”

Sgt. Michael Allen of the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Ramey after Scott reported the incident.

"During a field interview Mrs. Ramey openly admitted to shooting her rifle towards the vehicle because she has had a continuous problem with people tearing up her driveway," Allen told the Times-News.

For his part, Scott admitted that Ramey did have a no trespassing sign, but he said that it was no reason to shoot at a vehicle full of children.

"We got out of there pretty well as fast as we could," he insisted. "I still don’t really know what her problem was. I don’t know what’s happened to her in the past, but me, my wife and five kids weren’t doing anything wrong. I know you can’t shoot at somebody for turning around in your driveway."

Ramey was booked into the Hawkins County Jail on seven counts of felony reckless endangerment. She was released on $1,000 bond later Sunday night. A public defender was appointed during a Monday arraignment in Hawkins County Sessions Court. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 23.

[Photo: Hawkins County Jail]