Women who drove into protesters in Lawrence given probation

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – A Lawrence woman who drove into protesters in 2020 will serve six months of probation after reaching a plea deal.

Lynda Kitsmiller, also known as Lynda Muncy. pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery.

Prosecutors dropped a reckless driving charge as part of the plea deal.

Police said Kitsmiller accelerated her vehicle into a group of people protesting police brutality in downtown Lawrence in May 2020. One person suffered minor injuries.

A month later, a Baldwin City woman, Mary Ellen Rose, was accused of driving into a crowd of people in downtown Lawrence. She later pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was fined $100.