Teen has broken neck, skull fractures

Fifteen-year-old Julia Bertoli was supposed to be on a flight Tuesday afternoon bound for the south of France for a month-long visit with her grandmother.

Instead, the Petaluma teen remained in a coma at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, her family gathered for what they expect will be a long, difficult journey.

“She’s a fighter,” said her mother, Valerie Bertoli.

“She’s tough,” said father Joseph “Charlie” Bertoli.

They described their daughter as a vivacious, mature, confident girl who speaks fluent French, has no shortage of friends and is connected to the Sebastopol teen community.

“She’s Miss Sociable,” said her mother. “There’s nothing she wouldn’t try to do.”

The teen has been in a coma and on life support since she was hit by a car Friday evening, said family attorney David Rouda of San Francisco. She was struck as she walked across Healdsburg Avenue in a crosswalk near downtown Sebastopol.

The impact knocked her out of her shoes and 35 feet away, Rouda said. She landed on her head, breaking her neck and fracturing her skull in four places.

The driver of the car was identified by police Tuesday as Linda Chilvers, 65, of Forestville. No citation nor charges have been filed and the case remained under investigation.

“It doesn’t appear that reckless driving or driving under the influence was involved in the accident,” said Jeff Weaver, Sebastopol Police Chief.

Tuesday, the teen’s parents gathered together with the girl’s older siblings and an uncle in the hospital courtyard to discuss the plight of the girl who came to Sebastopol July 3 to enjoy the town’s annual fireworks show.

While Julia lives with her mother in Petaluma, she is at heart a Sebastopol girl. She attended Apple Blossom Elementary and Twin Hills Middle School there. She also just finished her freshman year through Orchard View School, an independent study charter school in Sebastopol, and she has many friends at Analy High.

The Bertoli family has deep roots in Sebastopol, including years as apple ranchers, dating back into the late 1800s. There are even deeper roots into the west county from her Coast Miwok ancestors, said Charlie Bertoli.

Her mother, Valerie Bertoli, is native of France and has lived in the United States since 1991. She is a longtime horse trainer and riding trainer and has a ranch in Petaluma.

Julia got to spend a year in France with her grandmother when she was 11 and learned the language. Her French grandmother had recently arrived in the states to take Julia and a best friend back to her country for month’s visit.

“One of the last things she told me was she wanted to see as many friends as possible before she went to France,” said her mother. Julia was hoping to make a dent in that goal Friday night, going to the annual fireworks show at Analy High, a summertime highlight for many teens in the community.

But before she got to the show, the collision occurred.

Sebastopol police officers Tuesday afternoon and an accident reconstruction team, including officers from Sonoma and Windsor, spent hours at the crash scene, trying to detail what happened.

Sebastopol Police Chief Jeff Weaver said there were several witnesses, some whose accounts differed.

One witness, Lori Sacco of Sebastopol, was nearby when the crash occurred. She was the one who told the girl’s mother her daughter was badly hurt, after finding the number in the girl’s cell phone.

She said just before she was hit, Julia had been walking with at least two friends, who were behind her in the crosswalk.

Valerie Bertoli Tuesday recalled the shock of getting the call and said she hurried from Petaluma to the hospital.

Charlie Bertoli flew in from his residence in Texas and sister Alexia Bertoli, 21, came in from Minnesota. Brother Mario Bertoli, 24, of Sebastopol also provided support.

“They’re doing tests on her trying to determine if she’s getting responsive at all,” said Rouda. “So far they’re just waiting.”

The teen has gone through two surgeries to ease pressure on her brain from the bleeding, Rouda said.

The unconscious teen lies in an intensive care ward, surrounded by photos and stuffed animals on her bed. She has a steady stream of family and friends who get a few minutes to see her, talk to her and wish her well.

Family members said they’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of concern and love from so many people.

 “Maybe she can hear us,” said her tearful father. “Hopefully we’ll get her back to us quick.”