A 73-year-old woman, Patricia Herron, has been charged with DUI and other offenses after reportedly hitting an on-duty firefighter with her vehicle and fleeing the scene. The incident occurred near a fire station on Raleigh-Millington Road.
A witness reportedly provided aid to the firefighter and conveyed that she saw a gray vehicle strike him and then drive away, as per the account obtained by Action News 5. Local police were later able to stop a car matching the witness's description on the same road. The victim, suffering from scrapes and bruises as well as a possible broken foot, was treated at Baptist East and has since been released to recover at home.
During the traffic stop which saw Herron being apprehended, she is said to have struggled to maintain her balance. Further investigation by police officers led to Herron's arrest after she allegedly failed multiple DUI tests. According to WREG, Herron told police that she had taken medication for a sinus infection at noon and consumed one beer.
The charges laid against Herron include driving under the influence, failure to exercise due care, reckless endangerment, and duty to give information and render aid. Court documents cited by FOX13 Memphis noted that Herron is also being charged for reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon—a motor vehicle. Despite these serious allegations, Herron was released on a $2,500 bond.
