Shocking footage captured the terrifying moment a mother and her two young children were hit by a car outside a New Jersey preschool — allegedly by a woman driving drunk to pick up another child.
Patrice Pisani had just walked out the front door of Bloom Academy in Freehold in Monmouth County with her two sons around 3 p.m. Friday when a woman driving a gray SUV slammed into them, surveillance video obtained by News12 NJ shows.
The mom was able to pull one of the boys out of the way — seconds before the car smashed into a pillar, with the back of the car knocking Pisani’s youngest son to the ground, with the tire bouncing off his leg.
The car continued moving and smacked into the back of mom and her other son, forcing them to the ground and pinning them against a railing, the clip shows.
Two other women rush out from inside the school to help them as the driver stumbles out of the car.
The younger son suffered a leg injury and burns from the underside of the vehicle, Pisani told News 12. The mom suffered injuries to her back and neck and the older boy also suffered minor injuries. They were taken to a local hospital and later released.
The driver of the SUV, identified as 68-year-old Angela Arrigo, of Manalapan, was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto, and endangering the welfare of a child, Freehold Police told Patch.
Pisani said she was there to pick up another child.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident,” school officials said.
“While we are grateful that the injury was not more severe, we remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students, families, and staff.”
