A Democratic county official near Chicago is drawing national scrutiny after she allegedly hit a child with her car and fled the scene, according to published reports.
Jackie Traynere, a member of the Will County Board, received only a ticket for failing to yield on a right-of-way when her vehicle struck a child in a crosswalk. Multiple witnesses reported that as the child, riding his bicycle from a nearby sidewalk, entered the crosswalk with southbound traffic halted, Traynere’s car made an illegal turn and hit him.
The incident occurred earlier this month and only emerged after WGN9 filed a Freedom of Information Act request based on a tip. The station subsequently obtained body camera footage from responding police officers.
According to the report, officers who interviewed the child noted that he saw the illuminated crosswalk sign and believed it was safe to cross. However, as he stepped into the crosswalk, a blue car driven by Traynere turned and struck him.
Paramedics responded at the scene and treated him, though they did not transport him to the hospital. The report notes that his bicycle’s chain was damaged. Following the incident, Traynere drove to the police station, where she said she saw a child “fall off” his bike but expressed uncertainty about whether she had hit him.
Additionally, she was unable to explain the scratches and dent on her car where the collision allegedly occurred, reports said.
“She stated she got out to make sure (the bicyclist) was OK, but did not know what to do, so she left. Then she decided to come to the police station. While discussing the incident, she indicated that she might have struck (the bicyclist) but was unsure,” the report states, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“It had a half-circle scratch on the hood, all the dust near that scratch had been rubbed off as if something rubbed on the hood, and there were apparent hand/finger prints in the dust on the hood near the scratch,” the report said.
She told police the damage was not on the vehicle prior to the incident.
Media inquiries sent to Traynere were forwarded to her attorney, who stated that his client’s encounter with the child is being “dramatically taken out of context.”
“The incident at issue has been taken dramatically out of context and is being used in a transparent attempt to score political points rather than for any legitimate purpose,” Joe Giamanco said in an email response, according to reports.
“One version I heard early on — from an elected official — was that the minor was ‘run over’ and that Ms. Traynere never stopped her vehicle; such statements are patently false and defamatory,” he said.
“As the matter is currently pending, we are limited in what we can say. However, Ms. Traynere contests the single citation she received for allegedly failing to yield to a pedestrian. We look forward to resolving this matter in a court of law — not in the court of public opinion,” the attorney added.
The Tribune added that she was issued a traffic citation over the incident by the Bolingbrook Police Dept. for failure to yield in a crosswalk, the Tribune said.
“The child was riding a bike east on the sidewalk near Lily Cache and Lindsey lanes and entered the crosswallk while the southbound traffic was stopped, according to the report. The child told officers he thought the crosswalk light was illuminated, indicating it was safe to cross, before entering the crosswalk,” the outlet added.
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