An 89-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged with felony hit-and-run causing injury after a child was struck by her car in Cudahy last month. The incident occurred on October 28 when a 9-year-old girl, identified by authorities as Lenci Lambert, was crossing at the intersection of East Ramsey and South Swift avenues, near J.E. Jones Elementary School, and was hit by a silver sedan. The vehicle did not stop after the collision, according to WISN 12 News.
In a statement acquired by CBS 58, the young victim suffered a concussion, road rash, and, as per her family, now harbors a fear of crosswalks. Following the accident, Darlene Adam, the elderly driver of the involved vehicle, was tracked down at Aurora St. Luke’s South Shore hospital, a mere two blocks from the school. Police found the damaged car in the hospital parking lot, and Adam was inside for a scheduled appointment.
According to a criminal complaint, Adam told officials she believed she had hit a rock or a construction barrel. However, the Cudahy police were able to confirm the involvement of her vehicle in the incident, which matched the description from a crossing guard witness who saw the accident occur. FOX 6 News noted that surveillance footage depicted a silver sedan with fresh damage on the passenger side, including a cracked windshield and an apparent handprint on the glass.
Adam expressed to a WISN 12 News reporter that the incident was an accident and announced her intentions to relinquish her driver's license, saying, "I'm giving up my license." Without any previous criminal record, Adam faces up to nine months in jail if convicted. She is expected to appear in court on December 18, as reported by CBS 58.
Following this event, discussions have emerged regarding the assessment of senior drivers' ability to operate vehicles safely. Lauren O'Desky, owner of Glendale-based Oasis Senior Advisors, emphasized in a statement to WISN 12 News that, "Not all elderly people are bad drivers. Just because you are higher up in age doesn't mean that you shouldn't drive." She suggests that loved ones take note if they suspect an older family member may be struggling with driving and engage in a conversation about their capacity to continue driving, before a serious incident occurs.
