TOWN OF LISBON, Wis. — A 26-year-old Illinois woman will face trial for allegedly hitting two children on a minibike and leaving the scene in the Town of Lisbon. Zuyelmar Barrios Alvarez appeared distressed as she entered the courtroom to face charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license causing great bodily harm.
The prosecution says an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old were hit while riding a mini bike on South Willow Creek Drive in the Town of Lisbon. The 11-year-old was seriously injured in the crash.
"He had a severe head injury with brain swelling. He was unable to breathe on his own, sustained two broken legs and severed the tips of one of his fingers," Deputy Robert Krueger of the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department said.
During a preliminary hearing, the defense tried to raise questions in court as to whether Barrios Alvarez left the scene. A neighbor who did not want to go on-camera says that though he did not see the crash happening, he heard it and came out to help the children.
Watch: Illinois woman to stand trial for allegedly hitting two children on minibike
"There was no car here, there was just the bike and the kids. And after a few minutes, the car came back down the hill, drove through the crash site again," the neighbor said. "She did not stop, she approached us very quickly, slowed down as she approached us, and drove into the other lane, and after another 30 or 40 seconds came back down, and that is when the driver stopped and got out of the car.”
Barrios Alvarez was arrested at the crash site, where she spoke with the deputy.
"She said initially when she approached the intersection did not see another vehicle, and when she actually entered the intersection saw the minibike traveling westbound on Willow Creek," Krueger said. “She said she braked and swerved to the right.”
Another neighbor who often walks the intersection, but also did not want to give her name, calls it dangerous because there are no stop signs. She says she sees a lot of near-misses between vehicles.
In addition, the defense argued that Barrios Alvarez does have a valid driver's license in Illinois, so she should not have been charged with driving without a valid license. The defense says she maintains an address there, but was arrested for not having a valid Wisconsin license. The defense says the deputy never asked Barrios Alvarez if she lived in Illinois when she gave him an Illinois driver's license, only where she was staying.
The court commissioner says all those arguments will have to wait until trial.
"Preliminary hearing is a summary hearing, not to hear if she was cooperative. Not to hear what the officer could have asked," Waukesha County Court Commissioner Kevin Costello said.
Barrios Alvarez is due back in court for her arraignment on November 21.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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