The South Carolina deputy sheriff who Kathryn Dennis allegedly hit with her car in an apparent hit-and-run last month is speaking out.
As the 32-year-old Southern Charm cast member remains uncharged, Michelle Ward, 40, who was serving as a crossing guard when she was hit in front of the Whitesville Elementary School in Moncks Corner, said during a recent interview that she believes Kathryn may be getting “special treatment” as she also opened up about the injuries she sustained.
“[The South Carolina Highway Patrol] won’t return my calls. I don’t why she hasn’t been charged,” Michelle told Radar Online on November 29.
After being hit by a 2022 Ford Bronco owned by Kathryn on October 20, Michelle hired a lawyer, and Kathryn, per police documents, was named as a “suspect” and “arrested.”
“It sucks that as a fellow law enforcement officer that I am getting this type of treatment,” Michelle continued. “If they are treating me this way, I’m really concerned about how they would treat other civilians that are not in law enforcement. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a local celebrity or actress or it’s because of the family that she is connected to or if it’s just they don’t want to. I don’t know if they just feel that they don’t have enough – I don’t know. I would like to know why just for my own sanity to know why they haven’t done anything.”
According to Michelle, she could have been killed by the Ford Bronco reported driven by Kathryn, who lost custody of the two children she shares with Thomas Ravenel, 61, earlier this year. As she recalled, the vehicle flew past the school zone where she was working at a high speed as she stood in the street.
“Luckily, I turned around to notice that she wasn’t stopping because otherwise I would’ve gotten hit in the back – blindsided,” Michelle noted.
While Kathryn has been making headlines due to the incident, Michelle was unaware of her fame when the crash occurred.
“I had no clue who this person was whatsoever,” she said. “I was told the car came back to ‘Kathryn Dennis’ and everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, do you know who that is?’ And I’m like, ‘the person who hit me!’ And they were like, ‘No. She’s a celebrity.’ I asked, ‘A celebrity of what?’”
“I don’t believe in giving anyone a break because of who they know or how much money they make,” she explained. “If you messed up, you messed up. It is what it is. You accept it, you own up to it, you accept the consequences, and you move on with life. I expect it, across the line, these are the laws you don’t get special treatment. I don’t believe in that.”
Also speaking to Radar Online, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said Highway Patrol has jurisdiction over the case and that the health of Michelle was his priority.
“Honestly, I don’t know where they are with the investigation,” he said. “I was told by the deputy it was closed but I haven’t spoken to anybody about the case. I mean, I don’t really know what they are doing.”
Reflecting on the near-deadly encounter, Michelle told Radar Online she was grateful “her children” were not crossing the street when Kathryn allegedly zoomed through the area.
“You got a vehicle coming at you that, the speed limit over there is 35 (mph), but you can tell this person is not doing 35 and getting hit – that hurts,” she shared. “I turned around and saw that the vehicle wasn’t stopping and tried to get out of the way, but I wasn’t faster than the car, unfortunately.”
In addition to being hit on her right side by the Bronco, Michelle suffered a twisted ankle and an injured wrist, which she sustained while trying to avoid being hit, and is currently wearing a boot on her leg.
“Depending on how you get hit, you could hit your head on the concrete or asphalt, and that could be damaging,” Michelle said. “I love my life. I’m not ready to leave. Even what they consider minor injuries – it’s major to me. I can’t do my normal job. I can’t do my extracurricular activities. There are a lot of things I can’t do. It hinders my life drastically.”
“I close my eyes, even today, and I can still see that person in the car,” she added.
Southern Charm season nine airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Bravo.
