New York, May 20: A woman has been charged in connection with the death of her 10-month-old son in a tragic accident involving a vehicle she was operating without a valid driver’s license in New Jersey, US, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening, May 17, on Grawtown Road in Jackson Township. Police responded around 6:15 p.m. to reports of an infant struck by a car. The child was found unresponsive with critical injuries and was later pronounced dead at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood. US Shocker: Woman Allegedly Beats 14-Year-Old Son to Death With Extension Cord Over Unfinished Chores, Waits 5 Minutes Before Calling 911; Arrested.

Woman Charged After She Accidentally Crushed Her Infant While Moving Car 

According to the investigation, 26-year-old Wendy Castillo-Torres was cleaning cars at a friend’s garage while her infant son sat in a bouncer between two parked vehicles. After finishing the cleaning, Castillo-Torres reportedly got into one of the vehicles but mistakenly shifted it into drive instead of reverse, crushing the child between the two cars.

A witness immediately called 911, and Castillo-Torres reversed the car, but it was too late to save the child. Authorities later confirmed that Castillo-Torres did not possess a valid driver’s license at the time of the incident. US Shocker: Woman Caught on Camera Poisoning Husband’s Coffee With Bleach, Strikes Plea Deal to Avoid Prison.

“This appears to be a tragic accident,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a statement, offering condolences to the grieving family. Castillo-Torres has been issued a summons and is awaiting a court appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.

The case has drawn renewed attention to child safety and parental negligence, echoing a similarly tragic case in February 2024, when a Missouri infant died after her mother accidentally placed her in an oven instead of a crib.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2025 07:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).