Girl, 11, killed in Smithtown hit and run mourned

A wake for the 11-year-old girl who police say was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Smithtown brought family and friends together Sunday to mourn the child's death.

A room at Moloney's Hauppauge Funeral Home was filled with mementos of Courtney Sipes - her gray hoodie, a pink stuffed bear, a softball nestled in a black catcher's mitt. A sleek black guitar and a golden trumpet sat near the casket. Photographs offered glimpses of Courtney throughout her short life.

One group showed her wearing a bright pink shirt, romping in a pile of fall leaves. In one photo, she posed like a cheerleader, with bunches of leaves serving as pom-poms. In another, she threw the leaves skyward, her face lifted in joy.

The photos, a note read, were taken on Nov. 22, two days before she died.

Authorities say Maureen Lambert, 20, of Stony Brook drove into the girl with her Chevrolet Avalanche sport utility vehicle as Courtney crossed East Main Street. Authorities say Lambert knew she had hit someone, but left the scene without stopping.

Lambert was arrested on Wednesday night after she turned herself in to authorities. She is being held on $250,000 bail on a felony charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

The wake continues Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A service will be held Monday night at 8 p.m. Burial will be private.