A criminal complaint details how witnesses say 56-year-old Alan Lynn Birt of Bovey rammed the carrier with a brand new 3/4 ton pickup with its "pedal to the floor."

HOYT LAKES, Minn. — An Iron Range man is charged with assault after police say he tried to kill a U.S. Mail carrier by crashing into her truck at a high rate of speed.

A criminal complaint details how witnesses say 56-year-old Alan Lynn Birt of Bovey rammed the carrier with a brand new 3/4 ton pickup with its "pedal to the floor" on May 8, estimating he hit the mail truck at approximately 80 mph. The carrier was ejected from the truck, throwing her onto the roadway.

When authorities got to the scene Birt was described as yelling and ranting in a nearby field. He was uncooperative, and officers had to use a taser on him. Even after he was tased it took four officers to take him into custody.

Investigators spoke with Birt, who reportedly told them he was upset with the U.S. Postal Service, knew there was a carrier in the truck and purposely used his truck to crash into the mail truck. While at the hospital he was asked if he remembered anything about the crash. "Yeah, I killed that f#@%ing useless mail carrier," he was quoted as saying. When officers told him he didn't kill her, Birt was said to have responded "Well, someone should."

The 55-year-old carrier was rushed to a local hospital with a life-threatening skull fracture and four broken ribs.