Kimberly Cheree Wright in Gladstone court for cop assault

A woman wanted by police tried to escape by running across four lanes of highway traffic but the law caught up with her.

Kimberly Cheree Wright faced Gladstone Magistrates Court.

A woman who fled from a Gladstone shopping centre assaulted a police officer during her dramatic arrest.

Kimberly Cheree Wright, 33, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on July 3 to obstructing and assaulting police, and unlicensed driving.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said on June 15, police were patrolling Park Street, West Gladstone, when checks of the car Wright was driving revealed that she had not been licensed since January, 2022.

Sgt Hoskins said Wright got out of the vehicle at a shopping centre and police told her to remain where she was so they could speak with her.

But Wright started walking away from the officers.

Sgt Hoskins said police told Wright to stop “a number of times” but she ignored them and continued to walk away.

“Police advised (Wright) if she would not stop, she would be placed under arrest for obstructing police,” Sgt Hoskins said.

“She again continued to ignore police and walked away.”

Sgt Hoskins said after Wright was arrested she began to scream and ran away from police.

“Running out in front of oncoming traffic on the Dawson Hwy, which is four lanes,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard that police chased Wright and when they caught up with her, she struggled and elbowed an officer in the chest.

The court was told that Wright had a one page criminal history and a traffic history of the same length.

On Wright’s criminal history was a previous obstruct police offence.

A self-represented Wright told Acting Magistrate Stephen Byrne that she was looking for work and she had made “a silly decision” to go and get art and craft supplies on the day she was caught by the police.

Mr Byrne fined her $1150.

A traffic conviction was recorded but no criminal conviction was.