‘No vaccines!’ Driver nearly runs over workers giving COVID shots, Tennessee cops say

A Tennessee woman told police she was protesting COVID-19 vaccines when she sped her SUV through a tent filled with health care workers on Monday, news outlets reported.

Virginia Christine Lewis Brown, 36, was arrested on reckless endangerment charges after deputies at the Maryville vaccine distribution site witnessed what happened and pulled Brown over, WVLT reported. Brown insisted she drove through the tent at 5 miles per hour, but the arresting deputy’s report states the SUV was moving at “high speed.”

Health workers and National Guard members at the site said they were nearly run over by Brown, who was yelling “no vaccine!” as she barreled past, WATE reported. More than a dozen people were inside of the tent at the time, and several said Brown’s vehicle came within inches of hitting them.

“They thought the driver was going to kill them,” the deputy’s report said, according to the WBIR.

Brown is being held at the Blount County Detention Facility, the TV station reported, and has been charged with seven counts of reckless endangerment.

This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 12:52 PM with the headline "‘No vaccines!’ Driver nearly runs over workers giving COVID shots, Tennessee cops say."