MONROE – A 17-month-old toddler was killed Monday after he wandered into the street and was struck by a sport-utility vehicle.
The child, Zsamel Riggins, was hit by a 2002 Dodge Durango traveling eastbound on Lower Matchaponix Avenue at 4:17 p.m.
The driver, 39-year-old Joseph Lena, of Monroe, declined to comment on the accident, which he called a “tragedy.”
The child was flown to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, and was pronounced dead exactly an hour after the accident took place.
A nearby resident said drivers often exceed the 40 mph posted speed limit on the street. However, there was no indication that Lena was speeding at the time of the accident, and he was not cited for any violations.
Monroe Police Detective Bob Bennett said the department was unable to release any information on the accident, as the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of the investigation.
The county Prosecutor’s Office indicated in a press release that it is continuing to investigate the accident, but it did not expect any charges to be filed.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said the investigation is being conducted jointly with the Monroe police, and there was no further information available on the case at this time.
Authorities have requested that anyone with information about the incident contact Officer Jabazz Spence of the Monroe Township Police Department, or Investigator John Dando of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745- 3331.