A Festus woman has been charged with two felonies in connection with an accident that occurred Wednesday, March 19, in the Twin City Walmart parking lot when she allegedly backed her car into two female pedestrians, seriously injuring them.
Paula Childs, 46, was charged today, March 20, with two counts of driving while intoxicated/causing serious physical injury, each one a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, according to court records.
The Festus Police Department received a call at about 3:10 p.m. about the accident outside the store, 650 S. Truman Blvd., Chief Doug Wendel said.
He said Childs, who was driving a 2010 Ford Fusion, was arrested in the parking lot.
Before police officers arrived, a 55-year-old St. Louis woman and a 63-year-old Festus-area woman were transported by Joachim-Plattin Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County, Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said.
He said this afternoon that he did not have an update on their conditions.
“The 46-year-old female driver backed out of a parking space,” Wendel said. “She said her accelerator stuck, causing her to race backwards. She ended up striking two individuals who were walking and three parked vehicles. One of the victims was pinned against another vehicle (by the Fusion).”
He said the parked vehicles that were struck included a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, a 2003 Chrysler Sebring and a 2023 Ford F-150 pickup. One of those vehicles got pushed into a 2022 Jeep Wrangler.
“She hit three and knocked one into the other one,” Wendel said. “I do not know the extent of the damages.”
The store’s surveillance footage shows Childs “rapidly accelerating” as she backed out of a parking space, hitting the first woman and running over her legs before striking the second woman, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
The reporting officer reported that Childs’ “speech was severely slurred, and she mumbled at times.”
Childs allegedly admitted to “taking several strips of suboxone” and smoking a THC vape pen earlier in the day, court records said.
One victim had a compound leg fracture and the other woman had multiple rib fractures, irregular heartbeat, multiple lacerations and chipped teeth, court records said.
Festus Police Capt. Lewis Pippin said Childs was in Festus Police custody this afternoon, but she was to be transferred to the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro.
Childs is being held without bond, court records show.