Lakewood Toddler Dies in Auto Tragedy

A two-year-old girl in a Lakewood neighborhood wasn't strong enough to survive injuries she received when she was run down by a car backing out of a neighboring driveway this afternoon.

Township police say the incident was reported on Forest Park Circle at about 2:10 PM.

They did not identify the house address or any of the individuals or families involved. Police also did not elaborate on whether anyone was with the child, how much pedestrian and vehicular traffic was present at the time, or whether today's steady rain took a role.

Officer Ed Hornak and several other police and emergency staffers arrived and the toddler was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where she died, police said.

Township and Ocean County investigators were assigned to complete a probe of the circumstances. Lakewood PD Sergeant William Butterworth can be reached at 732-363-0200.