Crime & Safety

Stroller-Pushing Mom Not on Crosswalk when Hit by Taxi, Police Say

Child suffered abrasions after stroller was struck.

On Monday evening, a mother was pushing her 15-month-old baby in a stroller across Martin Luther King Avenue in Morristown when they were hit by a taxi, according to Morristown police.

After investigating, Police Officer Carmen Caponegro said in his report that based on witness accounts and the location of the pedestrian, child, stroller and car, “I believe the pedestrian was crossing Martin Luther King Ave approximately 30 feet north of the marked crosswalk. I believe this crash was caused by the actions of the pedestrian.”

The mother, Mary Cruz Ramos-Guzman, 23, of Morristown, was struck by the center bumper, went onto the hood of the car and hit the windshield. The baby’s stroller was hit by the left front bumper of the Dodge Caravan. Later at the hospital, Ramos-Guzman told Caponegro that she was crossing in a crosswalk, according to the report.

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The driver, George Wilkerson, 53, of Morris Plains, was heading north on MLK Avenue when the incident occurred at the intersection of MLK and Willow Street.

When Caponegro arrived at 6:16 p.m., he saw that the child was in the center of MLK Ave and, “I could see that the child was crying and was being assisted by adults.” Ramos-Guzman was about 30 feet north on MLK lying on the ground unconscious in front of the minivan. Morristown Ambulance and Morristown Intensive Care Unit tended to Guzman and her child before bringing them to Morristown Medical Center, according to the report.

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Witnesses originally thought that the mother pushed the stroller out of the way and that the child was not hurt. However, at the hospital, the child had “several abrasions to the right side of his head and abrasions to his right leg,” said the police report. The mother also had several abrasions, a headache and pain in her left leg.

Wilkerson told Caponegro that the mom and child “suddenly” appeared in front of him and hit his brakes but couldn’t stop in time. In Caponegro’s report, he writes that he believes Wilkerson was going the speed limit of 25 MPH. Wilkerson agreed to give a blood and urine sample. After checking Wilkerson’s car, Caponegro wrote in his report that the tires, brakes and steering all seemed fine. 


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