A former HGTV star allegedly bumped into a school worker in her Porche before taunting them and driving away.
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Per a report by KCTV, Jennifer Bertrand, 50, is facing a charge of second-degree harassment after an incident that occurred in August 2024. Bertrand was the winner of HGTV's Design Star, a reality TV competition, back in 2008.
According to court documents, the incident happened on August 20 at around 3 PM at a high school in Platt County, Missouri. The Deputy Sheriff was reportedly 'monitoring student dismissal' at the school when they were told a staff member was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot. The victim works at the school and was allegedly wearing a high-visibility jacket.
The court documents explain that the staff member witnessed a black Porsche sedan cut the queue, almost hitting another vehicle in the process. Jennifer Bertrand reportedly drove the car. The staff member allegedly stepped in front of the Porsche and told Bertrand that 'she needed to wait, and she could not cut in line in front of other parents picking children up from school.'
Bertrand explained that she needed to pick her child up for an appointment, but the staff member told her, 'She needed to go to the back of the line and wait.'
The Porsche Allegedly Struck The Staff Member In The Leg
The court documents describe that the staff member turned away and continued his work after speaking with Bertrand. However, she allegedly drove her Porche forward, striking the worker's leg and causing him to lose balance. When the worker told Bertrand to stop, she reportedly replied, "Don't act like I hit you," and "I'll see you in court."
The probable cause statement also reveals that authorities obtained footage from the school district, which appears to corroborate the story. Court documents allege that the vehicle may have hit the victim twice in the leg during the altercation. The statement concludes, 'The suspect struck an innocent person with her vehicle and did not show any concern for his safety, or the safety of children or other pedestrians.
Per a report by the Daily Mail, authorities issued a warrant for Bertrand's arrest on Friday on a second-degree harassment charge. The warrant has a $15,000 cash-only bond.
