Hit and Run Probe With 11-Year-Old Alleged Victim Goes to DA

A woman who earlier this month was involved in a traffic collision with an 11-year-old girl will be considered for hit-and-run prosecution by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office.

Police have withheld the identity of the driver of the black Toyota Prius who may have committed a crime when she left the scene without properly checking up on the condition of the girl after what was described as a minor collision.

The girl was riding her bicycle in a crosswalk at the intersection of Marlin Avenue and Foster City Boulevard when the driver failed to stop for her, police said. The girl rode into the car, and the force of the collision knocked the bike out from under her.

The accident occurred just after 8 a.m. on Nov.1 when the girl was on her way to nearby Bowditch Middle School, where she is a student.

The girl didn’t suffer any physical injuries and her bicycle wasn’t damaged, but she was apparently shaken up and was sent home from school shortly afterwards, police said.

“Obviously there was some mental anguish,” Foster City Police Capt. Jon Froomin told Patch. “She’s very young and it has to be a significant incident in her life.”

The suspect was identified by witnesses who provided police a partial license plate number.

Froomin said it was not clear how prosecutors would proceed.

“We think it’s something the DA should look at,” he said.

Froomin said the suspect told police during interviews that she didn’t leave the scene until after seeing the girl ride away from the accident scene in her rearview mirror.

“There are some indications the driver did take some time to make sure (the girl) was all right,” Froomin said.

A witness who helped the girl get back on the bicycle disagrees, telling police that the driver didn’t wait around very long, and didn't provide the girl with her insurance information.

“This is an independent witness and I think that statement is the closest thing we have to (knowing) what actually happened,” Froomin said.

Froomin said it is not clear how prosecutors will proceed, noting that the determining factors in whether criminal charges are pursued rest on whether they believe a crime occurred, and whether they believe they can bring the case to a jury.

Froomin acknowledged that showing concern for the girl’s well-being by stopping separates the driver from some of the more egregious hit-and-run offenders his office has seen, but that whether any laws were broken or not, he expects better from Foster City motorists.  

“The right thing to do was to go back and check up on that girl,” Froomin said.