Baby Critically Injured In Keyport Crash Fighting To Recover

KEYPORT, NJ — The incident stunned the Keyport community when it happened this past Jan. 8: A grandmother was out walking with her two young grandchildren on a cold winter afternoon when all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, a young woman driving a car jumped the curb and drove into all three of them on the sidewalk.

The grandmother, Debbie Triano, 59, of Keyport, suffered two broken legs and a broken tailbone, according to this GoFundMe page set up to help the family. She was on her way home from picking the older grandchild up from pre-school when they were hit.

The older child, a 4-year-old toddler boy, broke his leg, arm and jaw. However, the eight-month-old baby was the most seriously injured of all: The car's impact caused his car seat to dislodge from the stroller his grandmother was pushing, the county prosecutor said.

The baby carrier flew, airborne. An eyewitness to the horrific crash told the Asbury Park Press at the time that the carrier, with the baby inside, even hit a tree. The baby remained strapped inside the whole time, but had been seriously injured: He endured multiple skull fractures, orbital fractures and severe brain trauma, according to the GoFundMe page.

The baby, named LJ, also broke his leg and is currently having difficulty moving his right arm, according to the page.

These revelations are new; previously, the county prosecutor had only said that the two children were critically injured. The extent of just how badly the baby was injured has not been reported until now.

"LJ was struck by a vehicle, along with his grandmother (59 years old) and cousin (4 years old). All three were walking home after picking LJ’s cousin up from preschool, when a vehicle jumped the curb and hit them from behind," according to the page.

No criminal charges have been filed against the driver, a local Keyport woman, Kathy Ascolese, 22. As of Thursday, Jan. 31, a spokesman for the Monmouth County prosecutor said detectives were still investigating and there was no update in the case.

The incident happened at 3:12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8 on Main Street near Butler Street in Keyport. The grandmother and children were walking on the sidewalk when they were struck by a northbound 2008 black Acura TL, police said.

Ascolese also had a child with her in the Acura as well. The age of that child is unknown. She and the child got out of the car to assess the damage, and Ascolese was hospitalized for observation after the crash. The child's condition is unknown.

The grandmother and the toddler boy are out of the hospital and both recovering at rehabilitation facilities. But the baby remains in the pediatric intensive care unit and requires around-the-clock care, according to the page.

His parents are Olivia and Alex Lopes. Olivia is a physical education teacher at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, and coaches basketball and lacrosse at Ridge High School. Alex is the offensive coordinator of the men's lacrosse team at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The page has so far raised $48,000 of it's $75,000 goal. Olivia has reportedly not left her son's side in the hospital.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information to assist the investigative team is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Detective Kristian DeVito or Agent Reginald Grant at 800-533-7443, or Keyport Police Department Detective Bureau at 732-264-0706.

Original Patch article on this incident: Baby, Toddler Critical After Being Hit By Car In Keyport

Top photo via the GoFundMe page; Patch is a promotional partner with GoFundMe.