October 22, 2021
HOMICIDE
On Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at 4 pm Memphis Police Officers assigned to the Appling Farms station responded to an accident call in the westbound lanes of I-40, west of Sycamore View Rd. Officers arrived to find a 2005 blue Ford Mustang with the driver’s side against the dividing wall separating eastbound and westbound traffic.
The driver, Ladarius Spates, was unresponsive and bleeding from the head. Paramedics arrived and pronounced the victim dead on the scene. Spates had been shot.
An initial investigation revealed that as the victim was traveling westbound on I-40 his vehicle veered hard across all three lanes and hit the dividing wall, where it came to rest.
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone who witnessed this shooting and crash or otherwise has information about this crime should contact CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH (2274).