Cops: Driver in Water Mill Hit-and-Run May Not Realize Woman Was Struck
After getting her morning coffee on Sunday, a woman decided to take the scenic route home, walking down a less-trafficked Water Mill road, when she was struck by a vehicle, Southampton Town police said.
A jogger discovered Joanne Mercer, 62, lying on the side of the road in the vicinity of 179 David’s Lane, south of Montauk Highway, but just north of the intersection of Halsey Lane, at about 7:45 a.m., and called 911. Initially on Sunday, police weren’t sure exactly what happened to the woman. Dr. Mercer was in a semiconscious state and had blood on her, police said.
Detective Sgt. Lisa Costa said that while Dr. Mercer was a victim of a hit-and-run, it’s possible the driver did not realize anyone was struck. “At this junction we have no reason to believe it’s criminal,” Detective Costa said. “This could be totally accidental.”
Dr. Mercer, who lives and practices nearby, had been “reading and walking” and was distracted, Detective Costa said, adding that Dr. Mercer had decided to take “the back road so she didn’t have to walk on the highway.”
The Southampton Volunteer Ambulance responded, along with a paramedic working for the Southampton Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and transported her to Southampton Hospital. She was listed in fair condition as of Monday.
The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the accident to call 631-702-2230.
The incident occurred about a mile from the site of a July 2012 hit-and-run accident that left a Catholic nun dead. Sister Jacqueline Walsh was found lying on the pavement on Rose Hill Road (David’s Lane turns into Halsey Lane, which runs into Rose Hill Road). A damaged 2009 Volkswagen Toureg belonging to Andrew Zaro, a member of the Zaro’s Bakery family who owns a house at the end of Rose Hill Road, was found half a mile away. Police identified Carlos Armando Ixpec-Chitay, who worked for Mr. Zaro, as a suspect. An undocumented Guatemalan immigrant, he fled the country, and was never arrested.