A hand signal asking a Florida driver to slow down turned into a much more serious confrontation, resulting in jail time for the driver. Two bicyclists said the woman came back, drove her Mercedes dangerously close to them and eventually accelerated backward in their direction.
The incident happened at approximately 7 p.m. on March 22 along Conservation Trail in The Villages. The male and female bicyclists told Fruitland Park police they first saw the white Mercedes convertible approaching at a high rate of speed.
When the man motioned for the driver to slow down, she allegedly responded by making an obscene gesture and yelling at the pair. The bicyclists said she later returned from behind them, forcing the woman onto the grass and coming close to the man’s leg.
Jill Allison Vernon, 58, was arrested that evening. Court records cited by News 6 show that she pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was ordered to spend 90 days in jail.
The Bicyclists Said They Heard the Mercedes Coming Back
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According to the arrest affidavit, the first encounter happened while the Mercedes was traveling in the opposite direction. After the driver passed, the female bicyclist became concerned that the car might return.
A little while later, both riders heard an engine getting louder behind them. The woman looked back, saw the Mercedes approaching and quickly moved onto the grass. She also warned the man, who had to stop as the car passed close to his leg. The driver reportedly told them they didn’t live on the street and had no reason to ask her to slow down.
When the man said he planned to get the license plate number, the driver pulled into a driveway. The bicyclists said she then returned to the road and accelerated backward toward them. Both moved into another driveway because they believed they were about to be hit.
Bodycam Shows the Arrest Outside Her Home
The bicyclists gave police sworn statements, and an officer went to the driver’s nearby home. According to the affidavit, police considered her the primary aggressor and believed she had attempted to use the Mercedes as a deadly weapon.
The newly released bodycam shows the officer telling the woman she is under arrest. She moves toward the house as he reaches for her hand, and she falls after striking a wall. She continued pulling away while the officer tried to place her in handcuffs. During the struggle, she repeatedly said she needed to use the bathroom and later said she’d had an accident.
Police arrested her on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and resisting an officer without violence. She was booked into the Lake County Jail and released after posting a $6,000 bond.
She Was Also Ordered To Complete Community Service
The case did not end up going to trial. News 6 reported on Sept. 7 that the woman pleaded no contest to the aggravated assault charge.
Along with the 90-day jail sentence, she was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service.