/ 7 March 2007

After Las Vegas wedding, groom hits bride with car

It was not the most romantic of honeymoons.

Police said a groom is in jail, accused of trying to run over his new wife after a weekend wedding in Las Vegas.

”We have a wedding certificate for [March] 4th. They were still honeymooning when he ran her over,” said Lieutenant Paul Jaroscak, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake County sheriff’s office.

Police received an emergency call on Monday from someone reporting a couple fighting in a car as they drove about 16km south-east of Salt Lake City. Katie Martindale (29) apparently got out of the car and started to walk away when James Olwine (33) drove off the road and hit her with the car, pushing her into a snow bank, Jaroscak said.

Martindale was not seriously injured but might have a broken leg, Jaroscak said.

Olwine was booked into the county jail for investigation of charges of aggravated assault with a vehicle, the lieutenant said.

He has not had a court appearance. Authorities said they did not know whether he had an attorney.

Both have jail records and are ”well known to the sheriff’s office”, he said. – Sapa-AP