Mom placed on probation for hitting daughter with car

A Franklin County judge admitted Wednesday that she was “taking a chance” by granting probation to a woman who purposely drove a car onto an East Side sidewalk and struck her 17-year-old daughter.

Ebony L. Woody, 35, pleaded guilty in September to one count of felonious assault for the Sept. 18, 2017, incident that left her daughter with a broken leg.

Common Pleas Judge Laurel Beatty Blunt placed Woody on the probation department’s mental-health caseload for five years, but she said Woody Woody will go to prison for eight years if she violates probation.

“Miss Woody, don’t make me regret this,” the judge

said.

Assistant Prosecutor Kara Keating recommended prison for Woody. Defense attorney Crysta Pennington said her client has custody of three of her children, including a baby, and should be placed on probation so she can continue caring for them.

“I know where I went wrong, and I need help,” said Woody, who has started counseling with Southeast Healthcare Services.

Woody’s daughter was walking to school, a few houses down from their residence on South Ashburton Road, when Woody drove over the curb onto the sidewalk, police reported. Woody struck her daughter, knocking her down and running over her leg.

Woody then stopped and backed up, running over the girl’s leg a second time, police said. Woody took her daughter to a friend’s house and left her there without reporting the incident. Woody later turned herself in at police headquarters.