Telegraph Staff Writer
STARKE— Starke Police arrested a 34-year-old woman after witnesses said she ran over her friend.
Sholeke Lomeke Merriwhether was booked into the Bradford County Jail on April 19 for aggravated battery.
According to an arrest report, the victim was driving the defendant’s car on Starke’s eastside with the defendant in the car as a passenger.
“(The victim) stated she was driving her friend’s car on Jenkins Street when she saw another friend of hers walking nearby,” wrote Officer David Hall in the report. “She stated out loud she wanted to stop and speak with the individual. Her friend, Sholeke Merriwhether (suspect), who was the passenger and owns the vehicle, stated she did not want to stop and talk to the Individual.”
The victim said she stopped the vehicle over Merriwhether’s objection.
“At this time, Merriwhether exited the vehicle, walked to the driver’s side, and snatched (the victim) out of the seat,” Hall wrote. “(The victim) stated she was attempting to pick herself up off the ground and had one leg inside the vehicle…when Merriwhether entered the driver’s seat and began reversing the vehicle while (the victim) was still attached to it.”
Hall added that the victim was dragged underneath the car and run over by one of the vehicle’s tires.
(The victim) stated she was screaming for Merriwhether to stop and that she is running her over, but Merriwhether continued to reverse, showing no regard for (the victim’s life.”
Hall wrote that the defendant eventually paused, allowing the victim to escape from under the vehicle.
The officer added that he observed a minor injury to the victim’s right hand where she struck the asphalt and noted road rash on her left elbow, lower back and left leg.
Hall added that he located the defendant’s Nissan at Pine Forest Apartments, but people in Merriwhether’s apartment said the defendant was not home.
