Reviewed on: May 05,2026

Is Trying to Run Someone Over Considered Attempted Murder?

Can my sons girlfriend be charged with attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon since she tried running him over?

Asked: May 07, 2019
Author: Celia
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Yes, and the law treats the attempt seriously even when no one was physically injured.

Attempted murder requires two elements that prosecutors look at together. The first is intent, meaning the person deliberately tried to cause death or serious bodily harm. The second is a substantial step toward carrying out that intent. Deliberately using a vehicle as a weapon by driving at someone qualifies as both. The fact that she missed does not eliminate the criminal act. It simply changes the charge from a completed offense to an attempted one.

In most states, attempted murder is a serious felony carrying significant prison time, often comparable to what the completed offense would carry given the demonstrated intent. Some jurisdictions would charge this as assault with a deadly weapon rather than attempted murder depending on the specific circumstances, the speed involved, how close contact was, and what the prosecutor believes they can prove about her state of mind in that moment. Both charges are felonies and both are treated seriously.

Assault with a deadly weapon using a vehicle is a charge that has become more common as courts have recognized that cars used as weapons are functionally no different from other weapons when the intent to harm is present.

The key variables that affect how this gets charged and prosecuted are whether there were witnesses, whether there is video footage, what she said before or after the incident, and her prior history with your son. All of those feed into what the prosecutor decides to charge and how aggressively they pursue it.

Your son should be cooperating fully with law enforcement and documenting everything he remembers about what happened.

https://www.inmateaid.com/ask-the-inmate/is-trying-to-run-someone-over-considered-attempted-murder#answer
Accepted Answer Date Created: May 08,2019