Woman charged after allegedly hitting man with car

A Hawkins woman made her initial appearance in Trempealeau County Circuit Court last week on charges related to a July 4 incident in which she allegedly hit a man with her car. The criminal complaint states the victim will likely suffer substantial, permanent impairment of his right hand and right arm as a result of the crash. 

Tristan Anderson, 23, is being held in Trempealeau County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond. She faces three felony charges, including two for first-degree recklessly endangering safety and another for aggravated battery, intending to cause great bodily harm. All three have modifiers for use of a dangerous weapon. She was also charged with a misdemeanor charge of bail jumping. 

According to the criminal complaint, Anderson got into an argument with another woman during a July 4 party in Dodge. Witnesses told police that Anderson first tried to hit the other woman with a chair. The dispute continued into the driveway as Anderson’s boyfriend secured two children in the backseat of the vehicle. The male victim said he heard Anderson say she would run over the other woman.

The victim told police that as he saw Anderson accelerate toward the other woman, he pushed the woman out of the way. He told police that the next thing he recalled was waking up in the grass beside the driveway. 

A witness told police that the victim’s arms went through the windshield of Anderson’s car. Deputies observed that Anderson’s vehicle traveled approximately 31 feet from its parked location to the point of impact. A witness said Anderson left the scene without rendering aid to the victim.

According to the complaint, the victim was found to have lacerations to his arms and stomach, and he had lost a significant amount of blood. He was transported to a medical facility by a helicopter and required multiple surgeries to treat his injuries. 

On July 5, law enforcement recovered Anderson’s vehicle abandoned in a parking lot in Eau Claire County. Officers observed that the windshield of the vehicle was smashed and blood was present on the hood and grill of the vehicle. 

Both charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety carry penalties of 12 years and six months in prison and fines of $25,000. Anderson also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine for the aggravated battery charge. 

Anderson was initially held in Trempealeau County Jail on a $75,000 cash bond, but that was reduced to $50,000 on July 22. She made her initial appearance in court July 31 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 10.