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To save a boy, he gave his life
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
LADY LAKE -- Amid the carolers, the bright lights and the revelry of the annual Winter Wonderland festival, a blue SUV suddenly barreled toward a blockade of rubber cones, 100 yards from the town square. Robert Dittmeyer, a 73-year-old retiree working security, could see the speeding sport utility vehicle heading straight for a 7-year-old boy near the crowded festival. Dittmeyer rushed to the boy and pushed him aside, witnesses said, saving one young life but giving his own. The chaos that followed shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday did not end with Dittmeyer's selfless act. The Jeep Grand Cherokee continued down Main Street, crashing into a deck that earlier held a children's choir, then careening across the courtyard. When it was over, two people were dead and 16 injured in a tragedy that crushed the holiday fervor that brings thousands of visitors each year to what has become a Christmas showcase, right down to the piles of artificial snow and the huge Christmas tree in the town square about 40 miles northwest of Orlando. Dittmeyer's courage did not go unnoticed. "Bob was a hero for saving that little boy," said Bob Pasqua, a Lady Lake resident who witnessed the accident. But the Villages, a sprawling Central Florida retirement community that straddles Marion, Lake and Sumter counties, was clearly struggling to cope with the loss. That became evident only moments after the accident. Although witnesses gave conflicting accounts, some festivalgoers thought the accident was a case of drunken driving and were ready to take matters into their own hands. Police said a rapid response may have spared the driver, identified as 54-year-old Larry Alan Tomlinson of Marietta, Ga., from a mob scene. "Now I'm not saying that there wasn't a whole bunch of citizens that wanted to beat him up, but they restrained themselves," said Jerry White, 61, one of the first to approach the SUV. He said Tomlinson got out and appeared dazed. Tomlinson's wife, Rosalie, who was in the SUV at the time of the accident, told the Orlando Sentinel that spectators had struck her husband. "He had brain surgery this spring, and he is not supposed to hit his head," she said. Her husband was injured in a fall four years ago, she said, and suffered from epileptic seizures since he was a boy. She said the condition never affected his driving. Still in disbelief, scores of residents and visitors returned to the square Thursday, some leaving flowers at the scene. The upscale shops along the Spanish-style Main Street were quieter than normal, and the day's entertainment was canceled. "This is an absolute tragedy," said Jeanette Leister, 71, who moved to Lady Lake with her husband three years ago from Mount Laurel, N.J. "A lot people are in shock," she said. "You wonder how something this awful can happen in such a wonderful place." Neighbors of Dittmeyer, who has lived with his wife, Dot, in the Villages for more than two years, described him as a friendly man who loved golf. "It's an awful tragedy that cost us one of our own," said Bob Harper, a resident who witnessed the accident. The couple had moved from southwest Florida, and Dittmeyer, who once lived in Largo, had worked in golf equipment sales before retirement, said Eileen Pagano, who lives across the street. A woman who answered the phone at the Dittmeyers' house asked for privacy. "He was a very genial fellow," said Sheila King, another neighbor. "I was shocked at the news." Authorities said the second victim was Susan Feely, 48. Authorities said she was visiting from an out of state but gave conflicting hometowns. Tomlinson and his wife arrived at the Villages to look for property, according to police. The investigation is ongoing, but authorities said it appeared Tomlinson suffered a seizure. Tomlinson was released from police custody Thursday afternoon and was free to return to his home, said Cmdr. Catherine Thurmann, a spokeswoman for the Lady Lake Police Department. No criminal charges were expected to be filed, although police investigators were awaiting blood tests to determine if Tomlinson had taken any medications before the accident. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor. "There are no words to describe the remorse this man is experiencing," said Sgt. Paul Valentino, who questioned Tomlinson. -- This report used information from the Orlando Sentinel and Associated Press.
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