PEABODY, Mass. — EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story quoted police as saying the mother was struck by the vehicle. Boston 25 News has been in contact with the family, who claim the mother was not struck.
Two children were struck by a vehicle in Peabody, Friday afternoon and a driver is now facing charges.
“They have bumps and bruises and a broken leg, going to need some stitches,” said Maryann Andre who is the grandmother of the two girls, ages 5 and 8, hit by a grey SUV.
The driver of the vehicle, Ovidia Lopez-Esteban, from Lynn, was placed into custody for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
The two children and their mother were crossing Lynn Street near County Street when Lopez-Esteban hit the children with her car, according to law enforcement officials.
Witnesses say the girl’s mother who is an ER nurse jumped into action.
‘The mother was an ER nurse I tried to assist the mother the best I could ‘til the cops arrived,” said Louis McNulty who works at a barbershop down the street.
McNulty saw young girls get hit by the SUV.
“She [the driver] was trying to come around the bus to make the light. As she was coming around the bus a mother and her children were walking across the street to pick up some dry cleaning, She ended up clipping the 2 little girls and hitting them,” said McNulty.
The two children were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. Both children were conscious upon being transported, according to fire officials.
In the meantime, the girls’ grandmother tells Boston 25 they’re expected to be OK.
“Thank God because they’re strong little girls and they are waiting for their iPads,” said Andre.
She and her husband were rushing to bring those iPads to the hospital and know their granddaughters are very lucky.
“We are very relieved that it wasn’t worse,” said Andre.
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