Pregnant Woman, Small Children Struck by SUV in Ridgewood Crosswalk

A pregnant Ridgewood woman and her two young children were taken to Valley Hospital after being struck by a vehicle at a Godwin Avenue crosswalk Thursday morning.

According to Ridgewood Police Lt. William Amoruso, east-bound and west-bound traffic on Godwin Avenue had stopped to let the pedestrians cross north-to-south on Godwin Avenue at the intersection of South Monroe just before 9 a.m. As they were walking, a Nissan SUV turning left from S. Monroe onto Godwin struck the trio in the crosswalk, knocking the mother, 5-year-old son, and stroller – holding the 4-year-old son – onto the pavement.

The driver said he believed traffic had stopped to let him turn, Amoruso said.

The mother, 34, complained of a hip injury, said Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward. Police do not believe there are any complications to her pregnancy, though she may be held overnight for observation, Ward said. Her 5-year-old son sustained a foot injury in the accident. He was not aware of any injuries to the 4-year-old.

The driver of the Nissan SUV, a 48-year-old male from Midland Park, was issued a citation for failure to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

"He was very distraught," Ward said, adding that there are no indications the driver was on his cell phone at the time of the strike.

Godwin remained closed from Ackerman to S. Monroe for several hours as police investigated the accident.

The strike marks the sixth pedestrian accident in Ridgewood this year.