A 95-year-old Villager has been charged with seriously injuring a resident in her golf cart and leaving the scene of the crash.
Nancy Lou Hooper, 81, was in her brown 2017 Yamaha golf cart at about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29 when she was leaving the Chatham Postal Station. She was traveling on SE 172nd Legacy Lane when she was hit by a car that left the scene. The Michigan native was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center where she spent several days in the intensive care unit. Hooper, a full-time resident of The Villages since 2007, suffered broken legs, broken ribs and blood clots.
Thanks to dogged work of Hooper’s friends, gate cameras and law enforcement, Sumter County sheriff’s deputies shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday arrested the woman allegedly driving the car that seriously injured Hooper, who finally returned home earlier this week, but faces a long difficult recovery and enormous medical bills.
Elinor Levitt was taken into custody at Sumter Senior Living, the independent and assisted living complex on County Road 466A in The Villages. She is facing a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving serious injury.
The native New Yorker had been at the wheel of a green 2007 Mercury Montego when she ran a stop sign and hit the right front side of Hooper’s golf cart, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol. A Villager witnessed the crash and tried to get Levitt to stop, but she kept going, the report said. Residents rushed to the aid of Hooper, who had been knocked from her golf cart.
Frustrated by what seemed to be lack of progress in the apprehension of a suspect, Hooper’s teammates on the Aqua Rhythms Synchronized Swim Team went to the Chatham Postal Station in January and passed out fliers in hopes of jarring someone’s memory or coming up with clues to turn over to law enforcement.
After she was taken into custody on the Marion County warrant, Levitt was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. The former resident of the Village of Calumet Grove was released shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday after posting $5,000 bond.
FHP always advises drivers to remain at the scene of a crash.
“Leaving the scene of a crash will only make matters worse. Staying at the scene will not only spare a driver significant legal penalties, but it may save a life,” said Lt. Tara Crescenzi.
In December, 91-year-old Marilyn Hamilton of The Villages was sentenced to five years in prison after hitting husband-and-wife bicyclists in 2020 with her Mercedes. She fled the scene, but was tracked down after she had her Mercedes towed to a dealership in Gainesville. Thanks to a description of the car provided by a witness, law enforcement was on the lookout for the white luxury sedan.
