St. Clair Shores resident Melissa Crook said she feels lucky to be alive after a man allegedly tried to run her over with his Mercedes while she was handing out campaign materials to Democrats in County Macomb in front of the VFW Bruce Post on Jefferson Avenue in October. 13.

Crook said the local political group rented the area previously occupied by Trump supporters for $100 and a team of volunteers worked under the tent to distribute signs and other materials to several Democratic candidates.

“There were a few people who mistakenly thought we were Trump’s people, but when they saw that wasn’t the case, they just left,” Crook said.

But a man pulled into the VFW parking lot and allegedly began yelling anti-gay slurs at several people, including Crook.

“He also yelled at a woman who was using a walker and her daughter and said very insulting things to them about being overweight,” Crook said. “We asked him to leave because we were clearly not the Trump tent he was looking for.”

Crook says the man fired another shot before shooting at her car and heading straight toward her and a group of volunteers.

“He shouted that he couldn’t wait for Trump to win so ‘people like you will be wiped out’.” Crook said. “He pulled his vehicle straight at me and I backed up and he stopped less than two feet from me.”

At that point, Crook said she used her cell phone to call St. Clair Shores police. The man in the Mercedes then fled in his vehicle and one of the other volunteers was able to obtain a partial license plate number before entering traffic on Jefferson Avenue.

Officers arrived on scene and spoke to Crook and other witnesses, but said it was difficult to search for a vehicle with only a partial plate number.

“The next day, the man who tried to run us over was stopped for a traffic violation and the St. Clair Shores officer found that the partial license plate number and description of the car matched what was in the police report we submitted,” Escroc said. “Apparently he had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest and his car has now been impounded due to this separate incident, but he admitted to the officer that he was at the Bruce Post and confronted us.”

Crook said a St. Clair Shores detective told him the case had been turned over to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Hate Crimes Division.

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Communications Director Dawn Fraylick confirmed that the case is under review and that once additional information is received from St. Clair Shores Police, he will be determined what charges, if any, will be filed against the suspect. Fraylick said she expects that decision to be made early next week.

Macomb County Democrats are scheduled to be at the VFW Bruce Post from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 27. Crook said she plans to attend.

“I’m not going to cower and hide my support for a candidate who helps bring people together,” Crook said. “I’m not going to hide.”

St. Clair Shores police did not respond to a request for comment on the case.