Found white mercedes
 

An 89-year-old Villager has been arrested in a hit-and-run crash that injured two bicyclists in The Villages.

Marilyn Jean Hamilton has been arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol in the Oct. 30 hit-and-run crash that left 60-year-old Jessica Laube of the Village of Dunedin with a serious head injury. Her husband, 68-year-old Robert Hunter had been riding with her on Morse Boulevard and also was struck by Hamilton’s white Mercedes.

My mom voluntarily turned in her driver's license when she turned 90, even though she was driven around by her sons, even though she lives alone. My dad did not, and I would not let him drive me anywhere, and would tell him he was dangerous. He rear ended a car making a left turn as he didn't see it. My mom, the doctors took his license away. Its very difficult when one lives alone to give up driving, however, there is no excuse for leaving the scene. . .

I think the judge was too lenient with the $10,000 bail bond, because accidents will happen, but leaving the scene is a character flaw for taking responsibility.

The fact that her vehicle was found at a repair shop in Gainesville shows a clear attempt to avoid prosecution, and surely she knows what she did was wrong. There is also someone out there that is complicit in this attempt to skirt prosecution.

Time to bring Stocks and Pillory back to the Town Squares

:agree:

So glad to hear they caught her. Shameful behavior.

Don't forget the Iron Maiden.

"Let him who is without..."

I looked up Mercedes dealerships, and the closest one is in either Gainesville or Orlando. So, I don’t think it was a clear attempt to avoid prosecution.

However, I think that leaving the scene of a personal injury accident DOES demonstrate an attempt to avoid prosecution. Caused by.... can only speculate. Any of a number of things.

Deservedly they will take her DL away and hand her the keys to a new golf cart.

Old school 'social distancing'

Considering the injuries the bicyclists suffered, that she stopped and got out of the car and saw what she had done, then took off, never reported it and probably did not call 911 and then drove to a distant dealership for repairs, she should be drawn and quartered.

Unfortunately, Florida law only allows a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Either Benz dealership offers ride back home, or a rental. Sad part is she may or may not remember the accident.

At 89 I doubt she would last 5 years in a prison.

Hope she does spend a number of years behind bars.

Or could we draw and quarter her?

Could be she thought that if she went some distance away the dealership would not know about the incident.

Doubt it if u drive a Benz you go to the dealership. She may not be able to grasp the severity of her actions

I hope they took her license because there was clearly evidence of some sort of accident.

A life sentence for her would be justice served.

Is bond supposed to be punitive? I thought it was there to ensure that you will return for your hearing/court dates?

Her children must be heartbroken and sick all at the same time. My heart goes out to all involved. Leaving the scene was horrendous.
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And you think a measly 10,000 would cause her to return?

Where is she going to go? Should they keep her locked up and come down with COVID? There are lots of other who were let loose on no bail. I certainly don’t condone her actions.

I'm feeling a bit unsympathetic right now. For an almost 90 year old woman to be so addled as to not know that she had hit and badly injured two cyclists, yet cognizant enough and to get her car repaired in Gainesville.

Her “children”? You mean the ones that are in their 60s or 70s?

Omg! She’s gonna get 6 months probation if that. 89 years old, what else can you do?

Geez! What about the children of the cyclists?

She looked perfectly lucid in her mug shot and remarkably younger than 89.

I wonder if she was in a rush to get to a hair appointment and then back home for ice cream.

My expertise is not in psychology, so I would not comment to lucid as a diagnosis, looking at a photo.

Dealerships do not do body work. There are plenty of body shops nearby. She was definitely trying to avoid prosecution.

how long do you think an 89 year old lady would last in prison...kinda a moot point

My 90yo mother had a heart attack while driving and hit another car. She died in the hospital a few hours later. When the cop called me to inform me, he asked if I knew if her license had expired many years earlier. I was living out west at the time and had no idea.

Just because someone loses their license doesn’t mean they will stop driving.

Im sure most prople read this in the paper so there is no need to blast her name all over here too. Thats pretty lousy. Shes 89, trying to take care of herself and had an accident. She left out of fright, im sure.

We desperately need smart cars
 

This accident may have been avoided if she had been driving one of the new smart cars that assist in avoiding accidents. Fully self-driving cars (once fully developed) would be even better.

Maybe those of us who have elderly parents should consider getting or encouraging them to upgrade technology. The next biker struck may not survive the accident. How would you feel if it were your parent who killed someone?

People still read the paper? I don’t know anyone who reads the paper.

For a hit an run that could have caused death or serious disability?!!! That's insane.

WHAT?! You defend that?!!! Maybe we've got another person to watch for hit and run possibility. ::shocked::shocked::ohdear::ohdear::ohdear::ohdear :

As no one has died yet, it seems that this hit and run accident, fleeing the scene of an accident, failure to stop and provide medical attention, etc., is a Third Degree Felony in Florida with a penalty of five years in prison OR five years of probation and. $5,000 fine. As days passed before the woman was found, who knows if she was DUI. She won’t be charged with that.

If one of the victims dies, it becomes a First Degree Felony with up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If she was also DUI, there is a four year mandatory minimum sentence.

Losing one’s license is traumatic—it changes one’s life a lot, quite often. Of course, being knocked off a bicycle and spending time on a respirator following a serious head injury is also pretty traumatic. It can often lead to a permanent change in one’s life.

Some of us may say five years of probation and a $5,000 fine is too much for an 89 year old woman, and others may say it isn’t enough. However, I would be shocked if she doesn’t also face a personal injury lawsuit and have to spend time in court defending herself from that. That is very stressful. It is also likely to be very expensive, possibly well beyond what her insurance will cover.

A $10,000 charge for return insurance is not tying her down. the $1,000 deposit is chump change and the whole bond is covered by her car as collateral. Ten times that bond would be more reassuring. Also, taker her keys with her license to keep her off the roads.