An upset woman drove her car through the doors of Region 8 on Highway 51 on Oct. 9. After the incident she was taken to the Mississippi Crisis Center.

Region 8 Executive Director Dave Van reported the woman had come to Region 8 to request a doctor’s letter that would give her family medical leave from her work. She was relieved of work for four weeks but was upset to find out that the family medical leave did not require her employer to pay her. She returned to Region 8 and asked the doctor to retract the letter. Van said the doctor felt it would have been morally and ethically wrong to do so.

“It is fair to say she was trying to use the system in a way that was not appropriate,” said Van.

Van said the woman returned multiple times to Region 8 and was continually denied retraction of the letter. On the last visit, she ran her car through the front doors of the building.

“According law enforcement Region 8 could have pressed charges and according to legal advisers she would have spent a long time in jail,” said Van. “We decided the best thing to do was to further evaluate her after the incident at the crisis center, where she remains today.”

Van said when he visited her after the incident she said she would do it again if she got a chance.

“This was never about her not receiving treatment. She was receiving more attention and time from Region 8 than any other consumer in the previous three to four weeks,” said Van. “Given the circumstances Region 8 has been very respectful and compassionate to this individual. I don’t think that I would have been treated this way if I had run my car through the Walmart front doors.”