Affidavit filed against 92-year-old driver who allegedly struck child

An affidavit charging a 92-year-old Lake Placid driver with hit-and-run with injury has been filed with the state attorney's office following an accident Tuesday night where she reportedly struck a 10-year-old child, according to investigating Lake Placid Police Sgt. Mark Schneider.

Schneider said when he returns to work today after his two days off, he'll also be citing Francis Jeanann Summers, 92, with failure to yield right-of-way to pedestrians.

The state attorney's office will look over the case and, if they agree with his information, a warrant will be issued for Summers' arrest, he added.

The accident happened Tuesday evening near the intersection of West Interlake Boulevard and Green Dragon Drive.

Schneider, who was on duty and witnessed the accident, said Summers had just come off the circle onto Interlake Boulevard when she hit 10-year-old Trejo Blanca, of 142 Serenity Ave., Lake Placid.

Schneider said Blanca was crossing the road at a crosswalk with her mother, sister and two brothers.

The front bumper reportedly hit her, and she landed on the hood of the 2003 Mercury Sedan, and then fell in front of the vehicle, he added.

"From my vantage point, I couldn't tell how hard she hit the ground," Schneider said. The child's mother and sister helped her up off the ground and away from the front of the car, he said.

An attempt was made to seek comment from the family but there was no listing in the local phone directory.

Once Blanca was away from the front of the vehicle, Summers left the scene, Schneider said. Summers, who was driving about 10 to 15 miles per hour, reportedly never got out of her car, Schneider added.

Schneider then turned his emergency lights and went to check on the girl. He said her right arm was bruising quickly.

"We actually watched it turn black and swell," Schneider said.

Blanca was speaking, but in Spanish, he said.

"Her right arm was hurt and she was crying," Schneider said. "Her mom was crying."

Schneider said he determined the injuries were non-life threatening and called for an ambulance. Fellow Officer Eddie San Miguel also arrived on the scene to stay with the family while the sergeant went after the driver.

He reportedly followed her for two miles, turning off Interlake and onto Catfish Creek Road before the vehicle stopped outside of Placid Lakes. Schneider then questioned Summers about the accident.

"My first question was, I asked her, 'Did you know you hit that child in the crosswalk,'" Schneider said. "She said yes."

Summers said she asked if the girl was OK, and then left after learning she was OK, according to Schneider.

When contacted Thursday, Summers said she never could see the child, save for a few inches of hair.

She claimed she did roll down her window to ask if everyone was OK.

"There was no conversation with them whatsoever," Summers said.

She added that one of the family members kept motioning with her hands to go on, and that's when she left.

Schneider did not arrest the 92-year-old right away because, "I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row," he said.

"I've had serious bodily injury crashes I've handled the exact same way. It's better to take your time and get the case right than to rush it," he said.

After getting Summers' information, Schneider said he released her to go home so he could get back to the scene and check on the child's condition.

Lake Placid Police Chief Phil Williams said Schneider had to use Spanish interpreters to talk to the witnesses about what they saw. He indicated previously that Blanca suffered a broken right arm.

Williams added that he encourages his officers to do plenty of investigation before an arrest is made to make sure it is warranted.

"This person, that was the suspect in this case, is someone who's going to be there," Williams said. "She's going to be around."