UPDATE 5/29/2012- The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has confirmed they have removed the twins from the home of Adrienne Spates and the children are in state custody at this time.
(Memphis) A Memphis woman, who was in the spotlight last year when her conjoined were separated at Le Bonheur Children’s Hosptial, has been charged for a hit & run in the Cooper Young area that injured two women.
Memphis police say 28-year-old Adrienne Spates turned herself in Monday, telling officers she didn’t see the two women when she was driving early in the morning on May 20.
According to police, Spates, “…she got out of her vehicle and went over to assist them. She stated when people started running toward her hollering and yelling, she got frighten and was afraid for her own safety. She then went back to her vehicle and left scene.”
In September 2011, Spates’ conjoined twins Jacob and Joshua were separated during a 13 hour operation at Le Bonheur.
She has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving injuries, failure to report a vehicle accident and violating the financial responsibility law.
It happened at Cooper and Oliver, an area where there is a lot of foot traffic around area bars and restaurants.
Witnesses said two women had just crossed Cooper when they were hit by a blue Ford Expedition headed north on Cooper.
An employee at Celtic Crossing said he was taking something out back when he heard the crash, just across the street from the Irish pub.
He said when he walked around to the front of the bar, he saw the woman lying in the street and he also saw the driver of the SUV take off.
One of the victims, Katherine Solaas, has already been released from the hospital.
The other victim is still in the Trauma ICU at The MED and told us last week she has a long road to recovery.
“I am going to be in a wheelchair at least three months and we still haven’t made the determination if I am going to need surgery,” said Shannon Parker.
Parker has a fractured pelvis, damaged blood vessels in the back of her neck, swollen feet and hands and road rash all over her body and face.
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