The 75-year-old Villanova woman accused in a hit-and-run accident on the Main Line in July has hired seasoned Philadelphia defense lawyer Frank DeSimone.
Suzanne K. Lammers, of Hepburn Drive, appeared in an Ardmore courtroom yesterday with the dapper DeSimone, 64, by her side. She made no public statement but signed papers waiving her right to a preliminary hearing.
Lammers was driving west on New Gulph Road near Morris Avenue in Bryn Mawr on July 15 when she collided with cyclist Andrew Mallee, 13, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Lammers is charged with one count each of causing an accident involving personal injury, a felony, and failing to stop afterward to render aid, a summary offense. The felony carries a minimum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
In Montgomery County, DeSimone is known for handling the high-profile cases of convicted wife killers Craig Rabinowitz and Rafael Robb. Both men are in prison.
The lawyer was tight-lipped after yesterday's session. "Pending an investigation [by his office] into Mrs. Lammers' case, we have no comment," he said.
Anthony Gil, assistant district attorney, said, "We're just seeking justice for this 13-year-old boy who got run over."
The case now goes to Montgomery County Court in Norristown, where a formal arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 18, said District Justice Kathleen Valentine.
Lammers has told police she thought she hit a deer and was about to return to the accident scene but became flustered by police sirens and went home.
Mallee, of Bryn Mawr, was airlifted to a hospital. Law enforcement sources said he was recovering at home from a broken leg and a head injury that has impaired hearing in one ear.
A tipster directed police to Lammers' car, which was parked in her garage and covered with a blanket, police said. Investigators who ran tests said the damage matched the circumstances of the accident, according to the affidavit.
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