The prosecutor’s office is marching forward with a criminal case against a Villager accused of punching a woman who had been driving a golf cart which fatally struck his wife.
Thomas Kent Brammer, 71, who lives in Villa De Laguna, is facing a felony charge of battery after allegedly punching a 73-year-old Villager who struck and killed his wife, 71-year-old Deborah Ann Kempfer, on Dec. 15 on Morse Boulevard at San Juan Drive.
When deputies arrived on the scene, Brammer was found near his unconscious wife, who had been struck by a 2011 Yamaha golf cart. Apparently enraged, he punched the golf cart driver through the vehicle’s curtain.
Brammer and Kempfer, who had been married 43 years, were out for a walk that morning when the tragic accident occurred.
Kempfer had been crossing Morse Boulevard toward San Juan Drive when she was struck by the golf cart, which was pulling out of San Juan Drive and making a left turn onto Morse Boulevard, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The report indicated that Kempfer had walked into the path of the golf cart. Kempfer was transported to Ocala Regional Medical Center where she died later that same day.
Brammer was taken into custody after allegedly punching the golf cart driver, who was never charged or ticketed in the incident. Brammer was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and later released on bond.
The New Jersey native was due in Sumter County Court on Thursday, but his court date has been pushed back.
Brammer and his wife lived for 35 years in Rhinebeck, N.Y. She worked in sales administration at a car dealership and then founded a pet care business, “I’ll Be There Pet Care.” The couple moved to The Villages where she served as secretary of the De Laguna Homeowners Association.
“The world will feel dimmer without her bright laughter and genuine smile,” her obituary said.