A man is in trouble with the law after authorities stated that a baby, who was traveling in a moving van with a woman, suffered critical injuries in Indiana County.
According to Blairsville police, witnesses reported that a gold-colored van was speeding along South Spring Street at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday when a mother and her baby were ejected from the vehicle.
Neighbor Tom Ager was left perplexed, pondering, “What in the world is happening?”
According to him, the mother was devastated and could not be comforted.
Ager recounted the distressing scene as he witnessed the paramedics carefully placing the woman inside the ambulance. Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn’t contain her tears. Shortly after, a police car swiftly arrived at the scene, speeding past in urgency.
According to the police, the driver of the van, 22-year-old Rony Gomez Lopez, drove past the scene and when an officer attempted to pull him over, he accelerated and collided with a retaining wall along East Brown Street.
The driver fled, but the police pursued and apprehended him by employing a taser. Upon returning to the van, the officers discovered a distressed 3-year-old girl inside, crying.
According to the woman who fell out of the car, she informed the authorities that Gomez Lopez was driving at a high speed when he struck her on the arm. She also mentioned that the sliding door of the van was not properly closed, leading to her and her baby inadvertently falling out.
The child was transported by air to UPMC Children’s Hospital in critical condition. The woman and the 3-year-old girl discovered in the van were brought to the hospital to receive treatment for minor injuries.
Another neighbor expressed their feelings, stating, “In my opinion, he deserves life in prison.”
After checking his minor injuries at the hospital, Gomez Lopez was then transferred to the Indiana County Jail. He is now confronted with various charges, such as endangering the welfare of children, attempting to elude the police, simple assault, and DUI.
Ager expressed his disapproval and concern, advising the individual to refrain from repeating the behavior and make efforts to improve their life. He acknowledged the possibility of the person being under the influence of alcohol but emphasized that such actions were unacceptable.
The Blairsville police have been in contact with Children Youth Services.
