2-Year-Old Critical After Being Struck By Amusement Park Train In New Jersey

A 2-year-old boy was struck by a train at an amusement park in Hope, New Jersey, over the weekend and was listed in critical condition upon arrival at the hospital. Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led to the accident.

Speaking with local WABC-TV at noon Sunday, Sgt. Phillip Curry of the New Jersey state police said there was no update on the child's condition after he was airlifted to a hospital and was listed in critical condition. Curry said the child was struck by a train at the Land of Make Believe amusement park just after 1 p.m. Saturday. The train was dubbed by the park as a "family favorite."

Critical care nurse Lilly Decker, who witnessed the accident, told News 12 New Jersey about the trauma she experienced after seeing the child being hit by the train ride.

Decker said it was "an image I'll never forget." The critical care nurse explained that she saw the child running around the train tracks and thought the toddler would move out of the train's tracks as it approached. Decker said the child was hit on the left side. The train stopped but according to Decker, it had to back up to give space for the child to be lifted off the tracks.

Decker further explained that while backing up, the train could not avoid hitting the toddler again. The nurse said the child's mother "fainted on the ground" after seeing what happened to her son. Due to her critical care experience, Decker helped to keep the boy's pulse until further medical help arrived.

Land of Make Believe has yet to release a statement on the accident.

News of the toddler's accident came a few months after 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell from a 430-foot-tall Free Fall ride at Orlando, Florida's ICON park, an entertainment complex that features various amusement park rides.

Sampson fell from the Free Fall ride late in March and died. The teen's parents filed a lawsuit in April against ICON Park, the ride's owner and operators, and the manufacturers of the ride, The New York Times reported.

In the lawsuit, Sampson's parents alleged that while the ride in question had an "over-the-shoulder-harness," it did not have a seatbelt. The lawsuit further alleged that Sampson, who was more than 6 feet tall and weighed about 380 pounds, was not told about the height and weight restrictions associated with the ride.

A lawyer for the ICON park ride's owner, Orlando Slingshot, told The Times that the company was fully cooperating with authorities as the investigation continued.