Posted at: 03/04/2010 5:30 PM | KSAX.com
By: Megan Matthews

| Print Story  Email to a Friend

Stray Bullet Strikes Windshield Barely Missing Driver

WADENA, Minn. - A stray rifle bullet hit a Wadena woman's car Tuesday while she was driving to work, and the person who shot the gun could face charges.

"When I heard the gunshot I just knew that's what it was," Sharon Venneman recalled.

Venneman, 49, was driving to work Tuesday afternoon when a bullet shot straight through her car windshield.  She was less than a mile from her Wadena home.

"There was glass all over my dashboard.  Thank God no one was in the passenger seat, because I think they wouldn't be with us today," she said.

The bullet travelled almost a mile down 280th street, went through the passenger side windshield, through the car and is still lodged somewhere inside, according to Venneman.

Otter Tail County Sheriff confirmed the bullet came from a rifle shot by a nearby landowner who was hunting illegally.  The neighbor came forward to Detective VanDyke while the sheriff's office was on scene and admitted to shooting the rifle.

"They told us exactly what happened...that they had done dumb thing by shooting at a pheasant off a roadway, and that's what caused the bullet to go through the windshield," Detective Keith VanDyke said.

Otter Tail County Sheriff is not releasing the neighbor's name because of pending charges, but Venneman said she wants to see him punished.

"It was an accident, but personally I would like to see him not to own any guns at all," she said, because this freak accident could have been a lot worse.

"This could have drastically affected two families...mine and his.  It could have destroyed people's lives," Venneman said.

"There's a reason for the laws.  Anyone who's shooting off the road has to be conscientious of where that bullet's going to go," Detective VanDyke said.

Venneman is thankful she's walking away without a scratch.

"I feel very lucky I didn't get hurt...very lucky...that's all you can think of," she said.

Otter Tail County Attorney is reviewing this accident.  The neighbor who shot the gun could face gross misdemeanor or felony charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and violation of hunting laws.

Written for the web by Megan Matthews

megan@ksax.com