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Police find Largo woman, but few answers
Her body and car are pulled from the Intracoastal Waterway.
By Jonathan Abel, Times Staff Writer
Published March 5, 2008
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Authorities pull the car belonging to Mary Zelter from the water at the boat ramp at the east end of Bay Esplanade on Clearwater Beach on Tuesday morning. Her body had been recovered from the same spot late Monday night.
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[Jim Damaske | Times]
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Mary Zelter signed herself out from a Largo assisted living facility.
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CLEARWATER -- The search for Mary Zelter ended on a windy boat ramp about 10 miles from where the 86-year-old woman disappeared. Mrs. Zelter disappeared a week ago after signing out of her assisted living facility in Largo. Her credit card was used at an Albertsons about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26, the last trace of the retired nurse and former travel agent. About 11 p.m. Monday, two fishermen spotted her body floating near a boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway. The 100-pound woman was found clutching her purse. A few hours later, authorities fished her white 2003 Chrysler Sebring convertible from the water. Largo police Lt. Mike Loux said there were no obvious signs of criminal activity on Mrs. Zelter's body or her car. The car was submerged in the water, its windows closed and the roof partially open. An autopsy was performed Tuesday, but results were not immediately available. Her family released a brief statement thanking Largo police and the public for helping in the search. "As our family grieves over this heartbreaking news and remembers her wonderful life and generous spirit, we hope that the investigation into her death will yield answers -- not only as to how this needless death could have occurred, but also how this kind of tragedy can be prevented in the future," the statement said. "She was a very strong, very, very healthy, proud independent woman -- very, very self-sufficient," her son Jim Zelter, 45, said in an interview Tuesday night. "Even though she was in a facility near my sister, she cooked a lot of her own meals. When people saw her, they did not believe she was 86." He said his mother didn't drive long distances but she frequently ran errands. "Her driving skills had never come into question," Jim Zelter said. "We never had to have the conversation about how you can take the car away because it never came up." For 25 years or so, Mrs. Zelter lived with her husband in Venice, where she was active in the community. She frequented the library and volunteered at a local hospital and with Meals on Wheels. Her husband died two years ago, and this fall she relocated to the Largo area to be near her daughter, Mary Lallucci. Mrs. Zelter -- who had problems with her short-term memory, according to her family -- lived at the Regal Palms assisted living facility for the last four to six months. For the first month, she was not given the keys to her car so she would have time to settle in, Jim Zelter said. But she seemed to be adjusting well to her new surroundings and as her spirits appeared to improve, the keys were returned. Jim Zelter said he hoped his mother's death would call attention to the need for a Silver Alert, similar to the Amber Alert used to track missing children. Her disappearance triggered a wide search involving scores of volunteers and thousands of fliers. And her demise, apparently behind the wheel of her car, may also point to issues involving drivers in their 80s and 90s. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, research indicates most people will outlive their driving ability by about 10 years. "The most at-risk driver is the one with cognitive impairment," said Selma Sauls, a planner for the department. Sauls said the number of drivers age 70 and older has almost doubled in the last 20 years. In Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties, at least 10 percent of licensed drivers are 75 and older, according to the department's 2007 figures. In Hillsborough, the number is 5 percent. The American Medical Association calls the safety of older drivers a public health issue, and estimates that the per-mile fatality rate for drivers 85 years and older is nine times as great asfor drivers 25 to 69 years old. Experts say older drivers are generally more careful and experienced than their younger peers. As their driving acuity fades, they tend to adjust their habits by not driving at night, avoiding busy roadways or keeping to short trips. But some people have conditions that make them unsafe despite the precautions. The state has a form by which people can anonymously report a driver they believe is medically unsafe -- an alternative for people who don't feel they can confront the driver. The complaints are then investigated and a driver can be required to pass a medical examination to retain his or her license. As people live longer, it becomes necessary for many to plan for life without a car. "This is something you start talking about with your friends and children and grandchildren at 60 and 65," said Yoli Buss, director of driver improvement for AAA Auto Club South. "What are we going to do when we can no longer drive?" AAA is promoting a self-evaluation to help the elderly determine whether they should drive. But it can be a difficult topic to raise with an aging driver. "Giving up your keys without a plan is a prison term," Buss said. "That's why it's so important to talk about." Researcher Caryn Baird and Times staff writer Richard Danielson contributed to this report. Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4157. Resources
[Last modified March 4, 2008, 22:58:54]
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