Grandmother, Children Hit By Car In Keyport Tuesday Afternoon

KEYPORT, NJ — A grandmother and her two young grandchildren — one of which was a baby — were hit by a car that jumped onto the curb Tuesday afternoon in Keyport, a spokesman for the county prosecutor confirmed to Patch. The baby was reportedly sent flying out of its stroller into the air, but appeared to be protected because it remained in its carrier.

The accident happened just past 3 p.m. at Butler and Main streets in Keyport, county prosecutor spokesman Chris Swendeman said. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Serious Collision Analysis Response Team (SCART) was dispatched; that unit only responds for the most serious of car crashes.

"The motor vehicle collision happened this afternoon at approximately 3:12 p.m. on Main Street, said Swendeman. "The collision involved a vehicle striking multiple pedestrians, a grandmother and two children. All involved, including the driver and their passenger, a minor, have been taken to a local hospital."

However, an eyewitness to the crash told the Asbury Park Press it was even more dramatic: The older woman was walking with her two young grandchildren when the car jumped the car and hit them. The force of the impact ejected the baby from its stroller and sent it flying into the air, where, still in its carrier, it hit a tree. The baby was miraculously protected from serious injury because the child was buckled into the baby carrier, the witness said.

The other child, who appeared to be about three or four years old, appeared to be unconscious and was more seriously injured, said eyewitness John Dubon, 51, who lives at the corner of Walling Terrance and Main Street. He also told the Asbury Park Press he heard the grandmother screaming: "Where's the baby? Where's the baby?"

The baby in its carrier was found near a tree nearby.

The adult driving the car had a child with them, as well. They too were taken to a nearby hospital, Swendeman said.

The condition of the grandmother, the infant and the toddler is not immediately known Tuesday night. It is also not known what caused the driver to drive onto the curb.

The incident is currently under investigation, more details to follow as they become available. Anyone who witnessed the accident or has information to assist the investigative team is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kristian DeVito or Agent Reginald Grant at 800-533-7443, or Keyport Police Department Detective Bureau.

Photo credit: Renee Schiavone/Patch (not a photo from the Keyport accident scene)