Teens, Boy Struck by SUV Driven by Fire Director in New Jersey: Police

Two 14-year-old girls and a 6-year-old boy were struck by an SUV driven by a local fire director at an intersection in New Jersey, police say. 

The children, who were walking home from school, were hit in a crosswalk as they were crossing Livingston Avenue near Delevan Street in New Brunswick Tuesday afternoon, according to police. 

They were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to be treated for their injuries. One of the 14-year-old victims, identified by her family as Jocelyn Palaenz, broke her leg.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as New Brunswick Fire Director Robert Rawls, stayed at the scene and was taken to the hospital to be evaluated. 

It's not clear what caused the crash in the 25-mph zone. New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill says he met with the families and the driver, and said in a statement that Rawls "only expressed interest in the well-being of the children. We hope they all recover soon." 

The girls were friends, and the boy was a brother of one of the teens, according to relatives. They were in fair condition. 

-- Ida Siegal contributed to this report. 

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