Democrat Politician Struck Child With Vehicle, Fled Scene: Report

A Democratic official from a county near Chicago is facing nationwide scrutiny after reports surfaced that she allegedly struck a child with her vehicle and left the scene.

Jackie Traynere, a Will County Board member, was only cited for failing to yield on a right-of-way after her vehicle collided with a child in a crosswalk. Several witnesses stated that as the child, who was riding his bicycle from a sidewalk, entered the crosswalk—while southbound traffic remained stopped—Traynere’s car made an improper turn and hit him.

The incident, which occurred earlier this month, only became widely known after WGN9 filed a Freedom of Information Act request following a tip. As a result, the station obtained body camera footage from responding officers.

According to the report, officers who spoke with the child noted that he saw the crosswalk signal illuminated and believed it was safe to proceed. However, as he moved forward, a blue vehicle driven by Traynere turned and hit him.

Emergency responders treated the child at the scene but did not transport him to a hospital. The report also mentioned that his bicycle’s chain sustained damage. Following the incident, Traynere drove to the police station, where she informed officers that she saw a child “fall off” his bicycle but was unsure if she had actually hit him.

Furthermore, when asked about the scratches and dent on her car at the site of the reported impact, she was unable to provide an explanation, according to reports.

“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,” stated the report, as cited by 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 added.

Traynere informed authorities that the damage had not been present on her vehicle before the incident.

When questioned by the media, Traynere directed inquiries to her attorney, who argued that the situation was 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,” attorney Joe Giamanco stated 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 added.

“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 said.

According to the Tribune, the Bolingbrook Police Department issued Traynere a traffic citation for failing to yield in a crosswalk.

“The child was riding a bike east on the sidewalk near Lily Cache and Lindsey lanes and entered the crosswalk 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 stated.