What to Know
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A baby is dead, his 5-year-old brother is fighting for his life and their mother is seriously hurt after an alleged drunk driver hit them[hhmc]
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Ronald Rebernik, 62, faces charges of vehicular homicide in addition to multiple driving offenses in Saturday's crash in Raritan Borough[hhmc]
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The daughter of a relative of the children's father says the victims are Domitila Rosales and her sons, Matias (1) and Daniel (5) Ortega[hhmc]
A 62-year-old New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk, hitting two parked cars and then driving down a sidewalk, where he hit a woman pushing her 1-year-old son in a stroller, her 5-year-old son behind her.
The 36-year-old mother, Domitila Rosales, remains hospitalized with serious injuries following the 7:15 p.m. accident Saturday near Anderson and Second streets in Raritan Borough, authorities said Monday.
Her baby, Matias Ortega, died. Her older son, Daniel Ortega, was critically hurt; he remains hospitalized as well.
Authorities said Monday their investigation showed Ronald Rebernik, also of Raritan Borough, was driving his 2004 Ford Escape south on Anderson when he crossed to the northbound side, hit two parked vehicles, left the road and kept traveling southbound on the sidewalk, where he hit the three family members.
Yu Aung Thu/AFP via Getty Images
According to Maribel Ventura, the daughter of a relative of the children's father, Rosales was taking the two children to a park when they were hit. Ventura said the mother pushed her 5-year-old son out of the way, but the 1-year-old boy in the stroller was hit and dragged by Rebernik's vehicle.
Rebernick then allegedly kept going south on the sidewalk, got back onto the road and hit two more parked vehicles on the northbound side of Anderson Street before his vehicle stopped. Rebernik faces charges of second-degree vehicular homicide, in addition to vehicle summonses for DWI, DWI in a school zone and other driving offenses. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and remains there under police guard, officials said. He'll be moved to the Somerset County Jail for a detention hearing upon his release from the hospital.
It wasn't clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
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NBC
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