A Lakeside woman pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday on charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a 9-year-old boy riding a bicycle on his way to school.
Courtney Webber was arrested on felony hit-and-run charges last Thursday night after a brief standoff at her Lakeside home, El Cajon police Lt. Stephen Kirk said. She was found hiding under her bed.
The boy has a vertebrae fracture, a facial fracture, and a head injury, the District Attorney's Office said Wednesday. He was still being treated at Rady Children's Hospital as of Wednesday.
Outside Webber's home was a blue Honda Fit that matched the description of a vehicle involved in the hit-and-run near the intersection of North Sunshine Avenue and West Main Street earlier that morning.
UPDATE ON hit and run from earlier. This is a photo of the actual vehicle a Honda Fit. Driven by an Hispanic female with “bleach blond” hair and large hoop earrings. Contact ECPD with any information regarding the vehicle or suspect. 619-579-3311 pic.twitter.com/estC17P8JJ
— El Cajon Police (@elcajonpolice) October 4, 2018
Investigators released a still photo of the suspect's vehicle, a blue Honda Fit, hours later, that came from a hotel surveillance system two blocks away from the crash site.
The camera picked up the blue Fit as it was headed westbound on Main Street. Police said the driver had bleach-blonde hair and large hoop earrings. About 200 feet later and out of frame, the Webber drove through a red light and collided with the boy on his BMX bike, police said.
According to DMV records, Webber's license was suspended from a drunken driving conviction in 2016.
The boy was taken to Rady Children's Hospital in serious condition.
A witness who pulled over to help the boy told NBC 7 he was bleeding, unconscious and breathing very slowly.
A Cajon Valley School District spokesperson told NBC 7 the boy was a student in the district but did not say which school.
In addition to the hit and run, Webber was also booked on possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia from a previous warrant, Kirk said.
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She was being held at Las Colinas Detention Center on $55,000 bond.
“Given her driving patterns, given that she fled the scene, given the injuries that the young boy sustained, we do believe that she posed a risk to not only other motorists but also other pedestrians who may be walking in populated intersections," Deputy District Attorney Agustin Pena said.
Webber is expected to appear in court next Thursday for a pre-trial hearing.
