March 11, 2015-  Commonwealth v JoAnne Browne:  JoAnne Browne was found guilty by a jury on March 11, 2015, of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and simple assault.  The charges stemmed from an altercation that Ms. Browne had with her son Kyle’s girlfriend on February 7, 2014.  In the morning hours, Kyle and his girlfriend were the subject of a traffic stop in Hummelstown.  Officers testified that the car was impounded and when Ms. Browne arrived on scene to assist her son, she immediately began screaming obscenities at the girlfriend, calling her a slut and asking her son why “this whore” was in her car.  Officers had to move Ms. Browne away from the victim.  After the situation calmed down, Browne convinced Kyle and his girlfriend to get in Browne’s car so they could get a ride to Walmart.  Another argument ensued inside of the vehicle over why Kyle was back in a relationship with the victim, and ultimately Browne ordered them both out of the car.  As soon as Kyle exited, Browne sped off with the victim still in the back seat.  She was asked repeatedly to let the victim out of the vehicle, but she refused, telling her that she was going to take her “somewhere far” where she could never get to her son again, and that she would teach her to stay away from Kyle.  As the car was traveling approximately 30mph on Main St. in Hummelstown, the victim attempted to open the front passenger door of Browne’s Honda Element so that the back door could also be opened, at which time Browne assaulted her by hitting her in the face and knocking her to the backseat.  The victim had to then kick the back door open.  As she was preparing to jump out at a stop sign in the distance where cars were stopped, Browne said “You want to jump bitch?  Then jump,” and pushed her out of the vehicle.  The victim suffered a broken left tibia which was fractured in two places.  She had two surgeries and had to have a metal plate and 10 screws placed in side of her leg, which are still there.   A year later, she cannot run and still struggles with pain.

Two witnesses testified to the defendant’s driving behavior, almost side-swiping one of them and continuing to drive with her passenger doors flapping open.  One witness testified that as she was driving against the vehicle, she saw the driver push the female at the very moment that she fell out of the vehicle.  This reach and push by the defendant caused her to swerve into the oncoming lane of this witness. These people and multiple others rushed to the victim’s aid before police and medical help arrived.  She could not move and was covered with coats to keep her warm.  Browne did not stop and proceeded home where she was arrested shortly thereafter.  Browne testified that the victim jumped out on her own.  She stated that the police officers lied about the words she spoke at the traffic stop, and explained that she went home after the incident to get her head together.  Browne is a social worker who was employed by Dauphin County Children and Youth as a caseworker.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2015 in front of Judge Scott Arthur Evans.  This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Hartlep.