A woman who struck numerous vehicles while driving with her hood up along two Schuylkill County highways and speeding through a construction zone on Tuesday has been charged with more than 50 offenses and committed to Schuylkill County Prison.
Jamie Fowler, 28, who had no current address, was apprehended Tuesday after her reckless driving spree on Route 61 and I-81, according to court documents.
She was charged with nine counts of both aggravated assault and simple assault, 10 counts of recklessly endangering another person, 10 counts of disorderly conduct, five counts of leaving the scene of an accident, and one count of DUI, among other charges, court papers said.
State Police at Frackville said that they had received multiple calls about a car driving erratically on I-81 and then Route 61 southbound beginning at about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Along Route 61, the driver entered an active work zone, forced one vehicle off of the road, struck another and rammed another vehicle three times before heading into Pottsville, where she caused a four-vehicle crash, troopers said.
Several people were injured in the crashes, troopers said.
Fowler had her preliminary arraignment before District Judge Edward Tarantelli on Tuesday. She was unable to post her $250,000 bail and was committed to Schuylkill prison awaiting further court action.
Court documents and State Police gave this account:
The first report of Fowler’s erratic driving occurred at about 8:30 a.m. along I-81 in Ryan Township, where witnesses saw Fowler driving with her hood up and covering the windshield. She stopped in the right lane of travel and exited the car to close the hood, but as she continued south on the highway the hood opened again and she kept driving.
Troopers next were called about a crash in the area of Route 61 and E. Darkwater Road in New Castle Township, where an SUV had been flipped onto its driver’s side about 100 yards north of the intersection. The driver of the SUV was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a shoulder injury.
The passenger in the SUV was uninjured, but both he and the driver said that their vehicle had been slammed into by a vehicle with its hood up.
Another motorist said that he was heading south on Route 61 with his daughter and grandson, who is a minor, when they were hit from behind by a vehicle with its hood up. The vehicle then struck them two more times at high speed before he was able to drive into a construction area and escape while Fowler drove off. None of the occupants of that vehicle were injured.
A construction worker who video recorded Fowler striking both vehicles said that Fowler had driven into the left lane, which is not a travel lane, as active construction is occurring there. Fowler continued in the construction lane at a high rate of speed, then traveled back into the travel lane, where she hit the first vehicle.
The witness said that Fowler was driving in a slumped position so she could see where she was going while the hood covered the windshield.
Another motorist said that she had to drive into the construction zone to avoid having Fowler’s vehicle hit her from behind.
While on scene, troopers learned that Fowler was involved in a four-vehicle crash on Route 61 in Pottsville, where she was taken into custody by city police after trying to leave the scene. The crash occurred near the intersection with Arch Street and left several other people injured.
A number of victims told investigators that it was Fowler who caused the incident and then tried to run from the scene.
Fowler also was transported to an area hospital for treatment, but no details were given on her injuries.
“I strongly believe that the driving behavior of Fowler throughout the duration of this incident put all victims and the general motoring public at the risk of serious bodily injury or death,” Trooper Adam Sajone wrote in his account of the incident.
Anyone with any information or video of those incidents was asked to send it to Sajone at asajone@pa.gov.