Driver Arrested In Hit-And-Run Of 7-Year-Old Child: CHP

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — An 81-year-old woman was jailed this week in connection with a hit-and-run crash involving a 7-year-old girl, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash happened just before 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, on Green Valley Road north of Sullivan Road in Sebastopol. A mother and her children were walking on the east shoulder of the rural roadway when a white car traveling northbound on Green Valley veered to the right and struck the child, the CHP said.

"The child fell to the ground and thankfully sustained only minor injuries," CHP Spokesperson David deRutte said. "The vehicle fled the scene northbound on Green Valley Road."

The suspect's car was believed to be a white Toyota Prius with right-side mirror damage. The CHP publicized a photo of the damaged mirror, prompting a community member to call in a crucial tip.

Thanks to the tip, deRutte said, a Prius with the same mirror damage was located at a residence in Sebastopol.

"The owner, 81-year-old Laura Greenberg, admitted to the crash but was unaware of what she had hit," deRutte said.

Greenberg was arrested Thursday and booked into Sonoma County jail.

The CHP thanked the community for its "vigilance and support" in solving the case.

Jail records indicated Greenberg was no longer in custody late Friday.

• PREVIOUS: Girl, 7, Struck In Sonoma County Hit-And-Run: CHP