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The police report states that Traynere’s blue vehicle turned illegally and struck him, leaving damage to his bicycle chain. Emergency responders assessed the child at the scene, but he was not transported to a hospital.
Following the incident, Traynere did not remain at the scene but instead drove to the police station. There, she reportedly told officers she saw a child “fall off” their bike but was unsure if she had hit him. She also could not explain the scratches and dents on her vehicle, which were consistent with the reported impact.
“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,” according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
Authorities noted visible evidence on her car. “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 detailed. Traynere admitted the damage was new and not present before the incident.
Despite the severity of the situation and eyewitnesses reporting her license plate to the Western Will County Communications Center, Traynere was not charged with a hit-and-run. Instead, Bolingbrook officials issued her a single citation for failing to yield to a pedestrian—a decision that has sparked outrage among local residents.
When reached for comment, Traynere did not personally respond. Instead, her attorney, Giamanco, dismissed the public backlash, saying, “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.”
He further argued, “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.”
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Giamanco maintained that Traynere would challenge the citation in court, stating, “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.”
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Traynere has been a member of the Will County Board since 2008 and served as the Democratic leader from 2022 to 2024, earning an additional $1,000 leadership bonus on top of her $23,000 part-time salary. She also holds a position as a DuPage Township administrator and previously ran for mayor of Bolingbrook in 2021.
As the case continues to unfold, questions remain about why a public official allegedly involved in hitting a child with her vehicle faced such minimal consequences. The incident has sparked debate over accountability and the potential for political privilege to influence legal outcomes.
