A driver accused of driving through yards at a high speed, causing damage and almost hitting someone, allegedly said her car had a mind of its own.

A criminal case was filed yesterday against Jennifer Rose Baker, 36, Bloomfield, on preliminary charges of criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor, and criminal recklessness, a Class B misdemeanor.

The case stems from an incident that occurred in Linton on Monday, August 3, investigated by Linton Police Officer Adam King.

Officer King was dispatched around 5:40 p.m. to a location on E Street SE in Linton where a group of people told him a blond woman in a white four-door car drove over a flower bed, damaged paver bricks, damaged a lawn, then drove through the yard and continued on. They said the woman then parked the car at the Liberty Place duplexes with a flat tire. The people said the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed and almost hit a woman working in a yard.

Officer King located tire marks from 7th Street SE onto E Street SE and saw marks into a yard where the car hit paver bricks that popped the tire. The tire marks then went through that yard to 8th Street SE.

When Officer King inventoried the vehicle, he found an ID belonging to Jennifer Baker and witnesses confirmed Baker was the driver of the car.

By 8 p.m., Officer King had located Baker at a residence and transported her to the police department for an interview.

Baker confirmed she did drive the vehicle and parked it at the duplexes but said she did not hit anything. During the interview, when asked about driving through a yard, Baker allegedly said the vehicle had a mind of its own.

Baker is being summoned to appear in court for an initial hearing on September 10.