WOODSTOCK – An elderly woman turned herself in to police Thursday after being charged with fatally hitting a 6-year-old boy with her car and then leaving the scene.

Veramae C. Phillip, 83, of Woodstock, is charged with failure to report a fatal traffic crash and leaving the scene of a fatal traffic crash.

The most serious charge is a Class 1 felony, typically punishable by four to 15 years in prison.

After turning herself in to the McHenry County Jail about 2 p.m. Thursday, Phillip posted the required $5,000 of a $50,000 bond and was released.

Bryan Silva of Leland had been with his family for a party on Saturday. At about 9:04 p.m. in the 4600 block of Franklinville Road, he was crossing the street with his father and older sibling to get to their car when he was hit.

Silva was taken to Centegra Hospital – Woodstock, where he was pronounced dead.

It had been dark and raining at the time.

The vehicle that hit the boy, which was described as a white car or SUV with damage to one of the headlamps, had been northbound and did not stop after the collision.

Police sent out fliers to area auto body repair shops and tow companies. The owner of an auto body shop contacted police after seeing a vehicle with a similar description.

Phillip had been driving a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu. 

Sheriff Keith Nygren said Phillip had been hospitalized in recent days, but not for physical injuries due to the accident. She and and her family have been cooperative with police.

Phillip did not know she hit the boy, Nygren said.

"She thought she hit something, maybe a branch," Nygren said. "This is a terrible tragedy for everybody involved."

As of Thursday afternoon, there have been 689 fatalities on Illinois roadways this year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.