3 Children Shot, Toddler Killed In Crash: NJ Weekend

NEW JERSEY — A toddler was killed in a car crash and three other children were wounded in shootings over the long weekend in the Garden State. Here is a look at the incidents that occurred:

3-Year-Old Dies In Crash

A 3-year-old girl died in a multi-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon at Routes 33 and 34 in Howell, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.

The three-car crash was reported shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Authorities said the crash involved a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck with an adult female driver, a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with an adult female driver and three passengers, including two children, and a 2021 Ford Bronco with an adult female driver.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee was seriously injured and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the prosecutor's office said. One of the two child passengers in the Cherokee, a 3-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other, a 2-year-old boy, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized.

The drivers of the pickup truck and the Ford Bronco sustained minor injuries, authorities said.

The accident is under active investigation. No criminal charges have been filed nor traffic summons issued as yet in the incident.

Woman Killed, 3 Injured In UTV Crash

A woman was killed and three others injured in a UTV crash on Sunday morning in Tabernacle, NJ State Police said.

Around 1:18 a.m., on Sunday, state troopers responded to a crash on Butterworths Bogs Road in Tabernacle Township, Burlington County.

According to a preliminary investigation, a Polaris Ranger UTV, occupied by four occupants, was traveling southbound on Butterworths Bogs Road when the driver lost control. The UTV ran off the road, hit a tree and overturned, Det. Jeffrey Lebron said.

A rear-seat passenger, Jamie Widrig, 45, of Chatsworth, sustained fatal injuries.

The driver, a 42-year-old man from Chatsworth, the front-seat passenger, a 28-year-old man of Chatsworth, and a rear-seat passenger, a 39-year-old woman from Tabernacle, sustained serious injuries and were taken to an area hospital for further medical evaluation, Lebron said.

The accident remains under investigation.

Man Shot Dead In Mercer County

A man was shot dead in Trenton on Saturday morning, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office said.

Just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Trenton police responded to the 1400 block of South Clinton Avenue on a report of a man down in front of the location.

Officers arrived on the scene to find an unresponsive man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Authorities have not yet released the identity of the man.

No arrests have been made. The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact MCHTF Detective Karl Johnston at (609) 439-5248 or OIC William Jett at (609) 331-5010. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

3 Children Injured In 2 Separate Shootings

Three minors were shot and injured in two separate incidents in Trenton over the weekend, according to media reports.

The first shooting took place Friday around 8 p.m., on Frazier Street. An 11-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were in the backseat of their mother’s car when they were shot, according to NJ.com.

The children were shot in the lower leg and taken to an area hospital. According to NJ.com, a black SUV pulled up alongside the vehicle and fired shots, before fleeing. No one has been arrested yet.

The second incident took place around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police responded to Calhoun Street where they found a juvenile girl with a gunshot wound to her thigh, NJ.com said. She is currently in stable condition.

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