NJ Train Ride Hits Toddler, Critically Injuring Them: Police

HOPE, NJ — A 2-year-old was seriously hurt after getting hit by a train ride at an amusement park on Saturday, according to State Police.

The incident occurred at the Land of Make Believe in Hope Township at 1:05 p.m., State Trp. Brandi Slota told Patch. The 2-year-old was airlifted to a nearby hospital and listed in critical condition, Slota said.

Police did not have an update on the child's condition as of Monday morning. Further details about the incident were not immediately made clear.

“It’s an image I'll never forget,” critical care nurse Lilly Decker told News12. She said she saw a little boy running near the train tracks, thinking he would move away when the train came. The boy was hit from his left side when the train stopped.

The train was too heavy to lift off of the two-year-old, News12 added. The train had to then back up and couldn’t avoid hitting the toddler again, the outlet said.

“The mother came and she just fainted on the ground,” Decker recalled. The nurse then kept the boy’s pulse, noting that the was still conscious, crying and able to move his legs, the report added.

Land of Make Believe is a 30-acre water and amusement park in Warren County offering rides, games, food and live entertainment. The park has operated since 1954 at the site of a former dairy farm.