HERNANDO COUNTY, FL — A Spring Hill woman is heading to prison for a decade and a half after using her van as a weapon during a violent dispute.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced 49-year-old Jeannie Potter to 15 years behind bars. This comes after a jury found her guilty last December of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon.
The incident started just two days before Christmas in 2024. Deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office rushed to a house on Corrine Avenue after getting a call about a battery.
When police got there, the scene was chaotic. They found a white minivan smashed directly into the home’s garage. Both Potter and the victim were still at the house.
According to the victim, Potter showed up shortly before the crash. She wasn’t supposed to be there at all—there was an active court order telling her to stay away from the property. Ignoring the order, Potter pulled into the driveway, got out of her van, and started ripping security cameras off the outside of the house.
The victim came outside to confront her. That is when things turned dangerous.
READ: Argument In Tampa Ends With Woman Killed And Man Stabbed
Potter jumped back into the driver’s seat. She drove the van straight at the victim, bumping them. The victim managed to pull out a cell phone and record what happened next. The video showed Potter backing the van up, shifting into drive, and accelerating hard right at the victim again.
The crash injured the victim’s leg, and they had to go to a local hospital. Potter was also taken to the hospital to get checked out.
While at the hospital, Potter talked to deputies. She said she was angry because the victim had sold property she believed belonged to her. She admitted she ripped the cameras down and drove at the garage while the victim was standing there. However, she claimed it was an accident, telling police she just “did not hit the brake soon enough.”
Investigators reviewed the cell phone video and witness statements. The evidence didn’t match Potter’s story of an accident.
Assistant State Attorneys Kasey Whitson and Heather Errede prosecuted the case.
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