Toms River, NJ toddler runs into street, hit by SUV

🍼 A toddler was playing in the yard of a home in Toms River

🍼 The girl's mother walked away and left her in the care of family

🍼 An 86-year-old woman stuck the toddler in the street

TOMS RIVER — A split second of inattention led to a near tragedy for a toddler Sunday afternoon.

Toms River police Lt. Gene Bachonski said a mother playing with her 15-month-old daughter in the front yard of a home on Clayton Avenue around 1:25 p.m. In the moment she went inside for a moment and left the child in the care of other family members the girl ran towards the street and was hit by a Chevrolet Equinox that kept going.

The driver, Louis Turi, 86 from Toms River, did not stop, according to Bachonski. A witness gave police Turi's license plate who was stopped and told police he did not see the girl or know that he had hit her. He was found not at fault by police.

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The girl suffered a bruise to her forehead. A picture of the girl shows her to be seemingly in good spirits after the incident.

Clayton Avenue is a two-way street between Route 571 and Route 9. It has a speed limit of 40 mph.

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