CUDAHY, Wis. — An 89-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run that sent a 10-year-old Cudahy girl to the hospital in October.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9-year-old girl recovering after hit-and-run crash in Cudahy; driver in custody
Prosecutors say Darlene Adam, 89, struck Lenci Lambert near the intersection of East Ramsey Avenue and South Swift Avenue on Oct. 28 while Lambert was on her way to school.
Police arrive at the scene
When police arrived, Lambert was found lying in the street, surrounded by bystanders.
A crossing guard who allegedly witnessed the hit-and-run told officers that Lambert had only made it halfway across the street when she was struck.
He also told officers the driver made no attempt to slow down before hitting Lambert and drove away, according to the complaint.
Watch: 9-year-old girl recovering after hit-and-run crash in Cudahy
Officers question the driver at the hospital
Prosecutors say hospital surveillance footage showed Adam’s car in the hospital parking lot.
Upon inspection, prosecutors say officers saw what they described as “fresh damage” to the front passenger side of the car, as well as a cracked windshield and an apparent handprint on the glass.
According to the complaint, police spoke with Adam, who claimed she thought a rock had hit her vehicle or that she had run onto a construction barrel.
Prosecutors say Adam also claimed she did not check her vehicle for damage until she arrived at the hospital and said she did not know how fast she was going.
She also told police she didn’t recall seeing a crossing guard at the intersection, according to the complaint.
However, prosecutors say witnesses who spoke with police backed up the crossing guard’s description of the vehicle, with one of them also reaffirming the driver did not brake before hitting the child.
What’s next
Adam is charged with one count of hit-and-run causing injury. If convicted, she could face up to nine months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, according to the complaint.
She is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on Dec. 18, according to court records.
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