Woman spots estranged husband with girlfriend and runs her over, FL cops say

A man noticed his estranged wife driving by as he was walking with his girlfriend, then his ex chased them down and ran the woman over, Florida authorities said.

The girlfriend was hospitalized with a spinal fracture in two places, and 41-year-old Christdon Reese is now charged with attempted first-degree murder, trespassing and violation of probation, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said April 14.

Reese passed the couple in her Volkswagen Jetta on April 10 after the two stopped at a Circle K in Auburndale and were walking to a friend’s house, deputies said.

Surveillance footage showed Reese pull into a parking lot to make a U-turn before she started “accelerating quickly” toward her estranged husband and his girlfriend, according to investigators.

The girlfriend started running down a driveway, deputies said. Reese is accused of chasing her down and hitting her with the car before turning around and fleeing “at a high rate of speed.”

Fire rescue took the woman to a hospital with a broken spine, but the sheriff’s office said she’s expected to recover.

Reese was found and arrested the next morning, deputies said. She had been out on probation following a theft charge in another county.

“Domestic related calls are some of the worst calls to which we respond,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “When people allow their emotions to take over it can result in injury or even death. This victim was injured but luckily she survived the ordeal.”

Reese is accused of hitting the woman on someone else’s private property, so she was charged with trespassing.

Auburndale is about a 50-mile drive east from Tampa.

This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Woman spots estranged husband with girlfriend and runs her over, FL cops say."