Woman who hit mental health clinic employee with car not guilty by insanity

A 32-year-old Fife woman who hit a woman with her car in a Puyallup mental health clinic parking lot in 2015 was found not guilty by reason of insanity last week.

Autumn Cornyn had been charged in Pierce County Superior Court with one count of first-degree assault after the Sept. 18, 2015, incident.

Witnesses told police Cornyn drove four laps around the parking lot at high speed attempting to hit the woman, who was an employee at the clinic at 325 E. Pioneer. The woman jumped over the median, but Cornyn drove over the median and hit her, causing her to fly through the air before hitting the ground.

The woman suffered a compression fracture to a vertebrae.

Cornyn circled back to run over the woman again, but hit a light pole. Police found her in the car wedged against the light pole.

Cornyn will not be discharged from Department of Social and Health Services custody without a judge’s order, according to court documents.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Woman who hit mental health clinic employee with car not guilty by insanity."