ENCINO : Woman Gets 45 Days in Jail in Hit-and-Run Accident
An Encino woman will spend 45 days in jail and 45 days on a Caltrans work crew for hitting a 9-year-old girl with her car and fleeing the scene, the city attorney’s office said Thursday.
Mona Dowidar, 47, was also placed on three years of summary probation by Van Nuys Municipal Judge Michael Knight.
Dowidar was sentenced after a jury found her guilty of hit and run with injury after a four-day trial, Deputy City Atty. Elijah Richardson said.
The incident occurred the evening of July 29 as Dowidar was northbound on Yarmouth Avenue near Margate Street in Encino.
Witnesses said the victim stepped into the street in front of Dowidar’s car, which struck the child, slightly injuring her. They said Dowidar continued on without stopping.
A Whittier man jumped into his car and followed Dowidar into a parking lot in the 17900 block of Ventura Boulevard, Richardson said. Dowidar was later arrested.
The child was treated at a hospital for cuts to her leg and released.
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