'She Flew Up On Top Of His Car': Witnesses Describe Scene When Car Struck 3-Year-Old Girl, Mother In Florence Township On Halloween
FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- A 3-year-old girl and her mother remain in critical condition after they were struck by a car in Burlington County on Halloween. Neighbors believe they were trick-or-treating at the time of the accident.
"It was Halloween night. There was no need for him to be going that fast," neighbor Ayesha, who only provided her first name, said.
Neighbors are upset along Cedar Lane in Florence Township after witnessing a woman and her small child hit by a car while trick-or-treating.
"She flew up on top of his car," Ayesha said.
Ayesha says she tried to stop the victims. She says they were crossing the busy street ahead of their group and apparently didn't see the car coming.
"She actually was looking backward, instead of crossing the street and looking to where she was going," Ayesha said. "I had to do a double-take because I didn't see the car. But when I looked the second time, I seen him and I told her, 'Hey, hey, hey,' but she didn't hear me. The car just hit her."
Ayesha says the 33-year-old mother and 3-year-old daughter were thrown onto the car's windshield and fell off about 40 feet down the street.
A nearby policeman called paramedics. The mother and daughter were then airlifted to Cooper Hospital in critical condition.
Police say the 44-year-old driver remained at the scene the whole time.
"He literally sat right here in front of me," neighbor Tami Hickman said.
Hickman says she comforted the distraught man.
"He was crying. I put my hand on his shoulder and told him to calm down," Hickman said. "[He kept saying,] 'Just that didn't see them, didn't see them.'"
Police are still trying to determine how fast the driver was going. Big Ray's Steaks and Sub Shop across the street did not catch the accident on their cameras.
But employee Pinky Gandhi says the victims are customers.
"It is upsetting because you personally know them as a customer and plus because as a mom, because if I see anything would happen to my child -- it's sad news," Gandhi said.
Police are not releasing the names of the victims or the driver at this point.
The driver is not facing any charges so far.
