Authorities say driver was speeding in crash that killed 6-year-old

Authorities say a Piscataway man was speeding when his car jumped a curb, hitting a mother and her 6-year-old son, and killing the child, NJ Advance Media has reported.

Shang Zhen Huang, 21, made his first appearance in court since the Jan. 16 accident that resulted in the death of Chaim Kraus and critically injured 37-year-old Rachel Kraus. During the appearance, Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Bina Desai told Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves that the defendant "came out of a parking lot and put the pedal down so hard to cut off traffic on Raritan Avenue that in less than five seconds he was up to 37 miles an hour," NJ Advance Media reported.

Huang's attorney, Joseph Benedict, entered a not guilty plea on his client's behalf, according to the story. The accident occurred on Raritan Avenue near the Columbia Street intersection in Highland Park at 3:10 p.m. Initially, the driver faced two counts of aggravated assault, but the charges were later elevated to death by auto.

Authorities say the child and his mother were walking down the street when Huang lost control of his vehicle. His blue, 2013 Lexus jumped the curb hitting two poles and a concrete planter before striking the victims.

Both victims were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where the child was pronounced dead at 3:39 p.m. and his mother remained hospitalized for various injuries.

Huang, who is a Chinese national in the United States on a study visa, remains in Middlesex County Jail on $200,000 bail.

Toniann Antonelli is the digital managing editor for news at NJ 101.5. Reach her at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.