A woman well known in Mobile’s restaurant community died Monday afternoon after she was hit by a vehicle while crossing Old Shell Road in Midtown.
Powell Hamlin, owner of the Dew Drop Inn, confirmed that his wife, Robin Hamlin, was struck and killed. Mobile police said the crash happened just after 3:45 p.m. directly outside the restaurant, which sits along the busy Midtown corridor.
Driver Remained on Scene
According to police, the driver stayed at the scene after the collision. Investigators have not determined whether speed played a role, and the crash remains under investigation.
Hamlin, speaking shortly after the crash, said he believed the driver had been speeding. He also said he had recently raised road-safety concerns along that stretch of Old Shell Road with Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s administration. Those concerns have not been independently verified, and police have not commented on any contributing factors.
A Loss for a Landmark Business
The Dew Drop Inn opened in 1924 and is widely regarded as Mobile’s oldest restaurant, famous for its hot dogs and hamburgers and its role as a neighborhood gathering spot for generations. The loss of Robin Hamlin sent shockwaves through the close-knit Midtown business community, where the family behind the restaurant has been a fixture for decades.