A Milwaukee County judge on Monday ruled an 89-year-old Milwaukee woman not competent to stand trial in a Cudahy hit-and-run that injured a 9-year-old girl in a school crosswalk, ordering her into state care in an effort to restore her competency. Criminal proceedings are on hold while medical treatment is arranged, as reported by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Court records identify the defendant as Darlene Adam, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The judge ordered her committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for institutional care aimed at restoring competency, CBS58 reports. The Journal Sentinel notes that the court scheduled a status conference for March 26, and set a deadline of May 11, for a doctor’s competency report.
How investigators say the crash unfolded
Prosecutors say the collision happened on Oct. 28 near J.E. Jones Elementary at the intersection of East Ramsey and South Swift avenues, when a silver sedan hit a child who was walking to school with a crossing guard. The 9-year-old was taken to Children’s Hospital with injuries to her arms and legs and abrasions to her head, according to TMJ4.
Video and vehicle clues that led investigators
Investigators reviewing surveillance footage from the Aurora St. Luke’s South Shore hospital parking lot say they spotted a silver sedan that matched the description of the suspect vehicle. It appeared to have fresh damage to the front passenger side, a cracked windshield and what looked like a handprint on the glass. Officers later located the vehicle and interviewed the driver, FOX6 Milwaukee reports.
Driver's statements in the complaint
In court filings, the driver told investigators she believed a rock had hit her vehicle or that she had run into a construction barrel and said she did not recall seeing a crossing guard, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Prosecutors say witness accounts and the crossing guard’s statement indicated the sedan did not slow down and left the scene after the impact.
Legal process
Adam is charged with one count of hit-and-run causing injury. The criminal complaint notes that a conviction could bring up to nine months in jail and as much as $10,000 in fines. A forensic-unit examination had been ordered earlier, and the judge’s commitment of Adam to the Department of Health Services pauses criminal proceedings until doctors return their findings, CBS58 reported.
Neighbors raise safety concerns at the crossing
Neighbors and family members told local outlets they are worried that drivers routinely blow the stop sign at the Ramsey and Swift intersection and say the child remains shaken by the crash. A local report also says a GoFundMe was started to help cover the youngster’s medical expenses, according to WISN.
With Adam now committed to the Department of Health Services, the case is effectively frozen until medical staff complete the court-ordered competency report. The status conference is set for March 26, 2026, and the doctor’s report is due May 11, 2026. Judges will then decide whether her competency can be restored before any trial moves forward.
