Police arrested a 39-year-old driver and said she faces DUI and serious injury by vehicle charges.
KENNESAW, GA — A Cobb County mother was run over outside a Kennesaw gas station after a verbal altercation in the parking lot, and police arrested the driver on DUI and serious injury by vehicle charges, authorities said Friday.
The incident, reported around 1 a.m. Sunday at a QuikTrip on Cobb Parkway, left Chelsea Pruitt hospitalized with multiple fractures and a long recovery ahead, according to police and the victim. Investigators said a dispute in the lot escalated into a chaotic scene that drew a crowd, and they used surveillance video and witness accounts as they built the case against the driver, Tamara Morris.
Pruitt said the night began as a routine stop for gas and snacks with her children, including her 12-year-old son. She said her son walked out of the store first and a woman sitting inside a car began questioning him in the parking lot. Pruitt said she stepped outside and argued with the woman after hearing what was being said. “She was saying basically like I was a bad parent,” Pruitt said in an interview, describing the exchange as heated and personal. She said she decided to walk away with her son, trying to end the confrontation and get back to her family.
Seconds later, Pruitt said, she heard the engine and realized the car was moving toward them. She said she pushed her son out of the way and was struck. “I fell to the ground, and she ran me over,” Pruitt said. In another account, she described trying to protect her head as the vehicle went over her, believing she might die. Police said people nearby watched the scene unfold, and the commotion drew others in as the vehicle moved through the lot.
A Kennesaw Police Department report said a crowd gathered and some people tried to intervene. In the confusion, one person jumped onto the hood of the car, the report said. Pruitt said she remembers children screaming and an officer staying with her on the ground until paramedics arrived. She was taken to a hospital and later said she was being treated at Kennestone Hospital. Pruitt told reporters she suffered a broken hip, broken ribs, fractures in her back and other broken bones in her leg, wrist and hip area, injuries she said have already required surgeries.
Police identified the driver as Tamara Morris, 39, and said she left the gas station after the collision but called 911 a short distance away. In a statement summarized in a warrant, police said Morris reported that someone jumped on her car and cracked her windshield. Investigators said they reviewed surveillance video from the gas station and concluded Pruitt did not jump onto the car, contradicting part of the driver’s claim described in police paperwork.
Officers conducted a field sobriety test and said Morris failed it, according to police accounts. Authorities arrested her and said she was charged with driving under the influence and serious injury by vehicle. Morris remained in jail without bond as of Friday evening, according to information reported by local news outlets. An attorney for Morris told one outlet he had no comment on the case.
The incident has shaken Pruitt’s family, in part because her children were present and saw the moments leading up to the crash, she said. Pruitt described the confrontation as something that should have ended with harsh words, not severe injuries. “I never thought that somebody would run me over and almost kill me just for us exchanging words,” she said. She said the weeks ahead will involve additional medical care, rehabilitation and managing the trauma of what happened in front of her children.
Police have not released details about whether any other people involved in the parking lot dispute could face charges, and investigators have not publicly described what prompted the bystanders’ intervention beyond noting that people gathered and one person jumped onto the hood. Authorities also have not publicly said whether Morris had any passengers, whether alcohol was found in the vehicle, or whether additional blood testing was requested. Those details can become part of a case file later, including in court motions, police supplements or evidence lists if prosecutors move forward.
QuikTrip stores are common late-night stops along busy corridors in Cobb County, and Cobb Parkway is a heavily traveled route through Kennesaw that can be crowded even after midnight near retail centers and restaurants. Police said the incident happened in the store’s lot, where security cameras captured key parts of the confrontation. In many investigations involving disputes in public parking lots, video can help clarify who approached whom, how a vehicle moved, and how quickly the situation escalated, especially when multiple witnesses have different accounts.
For Pruitt, the focus has been on healing and piecing together the moments she said happened quickly. She described a blur of fear, impact and pain, followed by the sound of people reacting around her. She said an officer tried to keep her calm on the ground, and she was taken away by ambulance. Friends have organized financial help for medical bills and time away from work as she recovers, according to information shared by local outlets, and Pruitt said she expects weeks of treatment.
The criminal case now turns on standard next steps in the court process, including a first appearance in front of a judge, a decision on bond and any conditions of release, and the filing of formal charges by prosecutors if they have not already been filed. Police can also seek additional warrants for records, including toxicology results, phone data or more video from nearby businesses if investigators believe it is relevant. If prosecutors proceed, Morris could face a series of hearings as the case moves toward indictment, plea negotiations or trial.
Authorities have not announced a timeline for the completion of the investigation or the release of additional records. Police also have not provided an update on whether they have interviewed all witnesses seen in the parking lot or identified the person who jumped onto the hood. Those interviews, along with the surveillance footage, are expected to play a central role in how investigators and prosecutors describe the sequence of events.
As of Friday, Pruitt remained hospitalized and said her recovery would be long, with the injuries affecting her mobility and daily life. Police said Morris remained jailed as the case continued, and the next major milestone is expected to be her initial court proceedings in Cobb County, where a judge will address bond and the case schedule.
Author note: Last updated February 13, 2026.