AURORA, Colo. (AP) - The wife of Aurora’s fire chief could face a felony charge for a hit-and-run crash that injured two children in another car, police said.
Adriene Garcia rear ended a sedan stopped at a red light Wednesday night and left the scene, Aurora police said. Her Nissan Pathfinder was found about 20 minutes later.
The two children, who weren’t wearing seatbelts inside a Hyundai sedan, were taken to the hospital. Police said one of them suffered a serious injury but is expected to recover.
Garcia’s attorney, Danny Foster, said she managed to drive the vehicle more than a mile before it stalled. She then called her husband, who in turn called 911.
“They’re fully cooperating with the investigation,” Foster said.
He said Garcia suffered a brain injury several years ago and the family is investigating whether that contributed to the accident.
“We’re not quite sure why she was not cognizant of the accident,” Foster said, adding that Garcia is no longer driving pending the investigation. “She has a lot of processing issues. This is not the type of person who would flee the scene and leave her responsibilities at the door.”
Police said they expect to recommend a felony careless driving charge against Garcia. They were also investigating whether to charge the driver of the Hyundai, whom they did not identify, for failing to restrain his children.
The Denver area has been plagued by a string of serious hit-and-runs in recent years. KUSA-TV reported that 132 people have died in Colorado as a result of hit-and-runs since 2008, at least 11 in 2014 alone.
Among the more alarming cases was that of a Denver man who drove his friend’s Saab into a crowded bus stop last year. Two young boys were also killed in Denver last year while crossing the street with their mother, a case that remains unsolved.
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