UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — A 2-year-old boy is being remembered as the light of his family's world after he was fatally struck by an SUV at a farm brewery on Saturday.
James Gabriel, 2, has been identified as the toddler who was killed when he and his grandmother, Ellen Gabriel, 66, of Roselle Park, were walking through the parking lot at Emleys Hill Road on Saturday morning, according to a report from NJ.com.
As the pair was walking through the parking lot, they were struck by a Chrysler SUV that was backing out of a parking space, NJ State Police said.
Ellen Gabriel suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment while James suffered fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported on scene.
In an interview with NJ.com, James' parents said they had just arrived at the farm when he was struck and killed.
His father, Robert Gabriel, told NJ.com that he didn't see the car that hit his mother and son because he was walking ahead with his daughter at the time of the crash.
"Everybody's devastated," Robert told NJ.com. "He was as healthy as could be. He was as happy as could be. We were going there to have a good day...It was supposed to be a beautiful weekend."
The driver of the SUV involved in the incident has not been identified as of Wednesday afternoon.
Patch has reached out to NJ State Police for more information on the case.
In an obituary for James, his family describes him as someone who brought "immeasurable joy, laughter, and love into the lives of his family from the moment he entered the world."
He loved "the things that made a little boy's world magical," the obituary says, ranging from Bluey to his toy cars and trucks and "the ordinary things that adults might pass by without noticing."
"Through his eyes, we learned to stop, look, and share in that excitement with him," his family wrote. James was "truly the light of our world."
"Though his time with us was far too short, the love he gave and the happiness he brought into our lives will last forever," his family said. "His memory will remain with us for many lifetimes."
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