2 Children Struck In Hit-And-Run In Sayreville, NJ
SAYREVILLE, NJ (CBSNewYork) - Two young brothers walking to school were struck by a car in a hit-and-run Monday morning in Sayreville, New Jersey.
The boys, 5 and 8, were hit while crossing Main Street to get to the Our Lady of Victories School at 7:48 a.m. Their injuries are not life-threatening. They were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
The 5-year-old was to remain hospitalized overnight, while his brother was treated and released.
The school nurse administered aid immediately after the incident, CBS2 was told.
Meanwhile, as CBS2's Meg Baker reported, the driver of the vehicle was arrested and was in custody early Monday evening. Police said Margaret Cheheli, 36, completely ignored the crossing guard outside Our Lady of Victories when she blew past and struck the boys.
"You definitely see people fly down Main Street," said John Thasites of Sayreville.
"There's been a couple accidents already on Main Street because of the speeding of people," said Eileen Mattus of Sayreville.
Cheheli was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving serious injury, endangering an injured victim by fleeing, and tampering with evidence. Police said she tossed her keys after stopping her car.
A parent was quick to snap a picture of her license plate, and that was how police tracked her down a short time after the accident.
"Definitely should have stopped, at least, just because it was a kid, you know – at least see if they're OK. (Don't) just pull away," said Thasites said. "It's messed up."
"When they come to light it's like as if it's a race car. They're taking off like the drag racers, and they go maybe 40, maybe 50 miles – 50 60 miles an hour – down the street," said another man named John. "We hear them every night going 'vroom' down street."
Neighbors said there needs to be more caution signs to warn drivers to slow down.
"Speed bumps would be great around the school zone – definitely," Mattus said.
"I always wonder -- where is policeman to stop these people?" added John. "But yet, up the road, if you go further down Washington, way down – there'll be cops, if you're driving even 25 miles over the speed limit, they'll nail you."
Cheheli was being held on $100,000 bail and was to be transferred to the Middlesex County Jail, prosecutors said.
Anyone with any additional information about the incident is asked to call Sayreville Police at (732) 727-4444 or the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-4194.
