A 2-year-old boy died during a family pumpkin-picking trip in New Jersey after an SUV backed into him and his grandmother in a farm parking lot, according to relatives and police.
James Gabriel had arrived at Bullock Farms in Cream Ridge at about 11 a.m. Saturday. He was walking hand in hand with his grandmother, Ellen Gabriel, when a Chrysler SUV reversed into them, NJ.com reported. Ellen survived after becoming trapped beneath the vehicle.
“Everybody’s devastated,” James’ father, Robert Gabriel, said. He had been walking ahead with the couple’s 4-month-old daughter when his son and mother were struck.
Robert described his son, affectionately known as Jimmy James, as “as healthy as could be” and “as happy as could be.”
The family had expected a carefree day at the farm before returning home to watch football, Robert said.
“It was supposed to be a beautiful weekend … It was not supposed to be the absolute devastation that it was.”
James was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center, where he died from injuries caused by blunt force trauma.
“It’s never going to be the same without him,” Robert said, describing the death as an “unimaginable loss.”
Robert said he was walking with his baby daughter, Evelyn, when he turned around and saw his mother’s head pinned beneath the SUV.
“She could have easily been killed,” he said of Ellen, who is recovering from what were described as minor injuries. “She’s lucky.”
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The crash remains under investigation by New Jersey State Police. Authorities have not said whether the driver will face charges, NJ.com reported.
In a fundraiser, James’ mother, Meiling Gabriel, said her son was fascinated by “trucks, cars and planes.”
“The ordinary things that adults might pass by without noticing-a plane high above, a yellow school bus on the road, a car driving past-were exciting discoveries to James,” she wrote.
“Through his eyes, we learned to stop, look, and share in that excitement with him.”
His online obituary said James “brought immeasurable joy, laughter, and love into the lives of his family from the moment he entered the world.”
“Though his time with us was far too short, the love he gave and the happiness he brought into our lives will last forever,” his family said.
“James was truly the light of our world. He had a beautiful smile that could brighten any room and a personality much bigger than his little two-year-old body,” they wrote.
“As his parents, we had a lifetime of plans for James.”
Bullock Farms called James’ death a “terrible tragedy” and said it was “heartbroken by this unimaginable loss.”
New Jersey State Police did not immediately respond to requests for an update on the investigation.
