A Missouri mother is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly causing a violent multi-vehicle crash while under the influence — and then walking away from the scene as her two young children lay unresponsive and bleeding inside her wrecked car, according to law enforcement reports.
Courtney R. Brown, 32, was arrested Monday morning, May 12, and charged with two counts of DWI causing serious injury, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, per an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Authorities say Brown came to a sudden stop in the middle of eastbound Interstate 270 near Missouri Route 367, setting off a chain-reaction crash involving three other vehicles.
The driver who first sideswiped Brown’s vehicle reportedly stopped to check on the occupants — and found her two children, ages 3 and 8, unrestrained in the front passenger seat, unconscious and seriously injured.
Police allege Brown ignored commands from an officer to return to the crash site and walked nearly a mile away before being detained. When apprehended, a Missouri State Trooper noted her “relaxed demeanor,” “slow, deliberate movements,” “watery and bloodshot eyes,” and “confused speech.”
Emergency responders found the children lying across the center console, suffering from severe trauma. Both were transported to a local hospital and remain intubated in critical condition, according to reports from KSDK and FOX 2.
Toxicology reports indicated the presence of cannabis and amphetamines in Brown’s system at the time of her arrest. She was treated at a nearby hospital before being booked into the St. Louis County Jail, where she later posted a $100,000 bond.
Brown is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on June 2.
