Victims ID’d after crash kills 2-year-old, badly hurts siblings

An accident on a narrow South Jersey road has left a 2-year-old dead and a family grieving.

Mid-day Wednesday, New Jersey State Police released the names of those involved in the Tuesday evening crash.

Jyonshiel Martinez was killed and three siblings were seriously hurt when a BMW riven by Todd W. Xenakis Jr. struck the group while they walked down the middle of Buddstown Road in Southampton. Jyonshiel was taken to Virtua Hospital and pronounced dead. The rest of the group was taken to Cooper Hospital in Camden.

The Burlington County Times reports the group was returning from a park. Southampton's recreation area and town hall are located at one end of the road.

Jairisa Galindo, 18, was pulling Jyonshiel and Kahariel Martinez, 6, in a wagon, according to police, while John Giles, 8, was walking next to them. Mahya Martinez, 13, was with the group, but was walking off of the roadway to the right in the grass. The road has no shoulder or sidewalk and there are no street lights according to police.

Xenakis stayed at the scene and co-operated with the investigation. No charges are pending and no summonses have been issued. Police say excessive speed on the road, with a posted speed limit of 45 mph, nor drugs or alcohol played a role.  An investigation continues.