Riverside woman charged with DUI, hit and run after striking 10-year-old

RIVERSIDE – A drunken driver was charged with striking a 10-year-old girl with her vehicle as the girl was crossing a street Thursday in Riverside, police said.

Police charged Julia Ann Rastelli, 50, of the 100 block of Southcote Road, Riverside, with felony aggravated driving under the influence, hit and run and disobeying a crossing guard, as well as other charges. Police said Rastelli fled the scene after hitting the girl at 3:09 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Longcommon and Herrick roads.

The girl, a student at Central School, was being assisted across the street by a crossing guard on her way home from school. The crossing guard was holding a stop sign, and was also in the intersection when the girl was struck, police said.

According to police, Rastelli disregarded the crossing guard and struck the girl, causing the girl to flip over the hood of the vehicle and land on the roadway. Police said the girl's injuries were not serious and that she was back at home with her parents Thursday night.

After striking the girl, police said Rastelli left the scene, even though witnesses in the area tried to stop her. Witnesses were able to provide police with Rastelli's license plate number and a vehicle description. Police stopped Rastelli in the 300 block of Eastgrove, assisted by an off-duty Lyons police officer.

According to police, upon approaching the driver, officers could smell a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Rastelli denied striking anyone and told police she had a mimosa earlier in the morning when asked if she had been drinking. Police performed field sobriety tests, which she failed and she was arrested for DUI. Rastelli refused a breath test, police said. She was also identified by witnesses.

Police later learned Rastelli had picked up her daughter from school prior to striking the 10-year-old. Because her daughter was in the car with her, she was also charged with endangering the life of a child.

Rastelli was additionally charged with not having insurance, failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and using a telephone while driving in a school zone.