The child, identified as Chaim Kraus, was walking on the sidewalk along Raritan Avenue (Route 27) with his mother when he was struck by a car, authorities said.
HIGHLAND PARK -- A 21-year-old Piscataway man was charged with aggravated assault after his car fatally struck a 6-year-old boy Saturday afternoon, authorities announced Sunday.
The crash also left the boy's 37-year-old mother in critical condition.
The child, identified as Chaim Kraus, was walking on the sidewalk along Raritan Avenue (Route 27) with his mother around 3:10 p.m. when a 2013 Lexus heading northbound jumped the curb and hit them near the intersection of Columbia Avenue, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Highland Park police Chief Stephen J. Rizco said in a joint statement.
The driver of the Lexus, Zhang Zhen Haung, 21, of Piscataway, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, Carey said. He was also taken to the hospital but was treated and released to authorities.
According to a nearby resident who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, the mother, whose identity was not released, was a member of a nearby synagogue and would frequently walk home after Sabbath services.
"It was bad, very bad," the resident, who only wished to be identified by his first name, Arthur, said, referring to the scene after the crash. "It's a shame, really."
Chaim and his mother were both taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where the boy was pronounced dead at 3:39 p.m.
In a text message, Highland Park Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler said the mother underwent surgery following the crash. Carey, the prosecutor, said she remains hospitalized in critical condition.
"The tragic accident yesterday has the entire community grieving," Mittler said.
Haung is being held in the Middlesex County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.
According to media reports, the mother and Chaim were members of Agudah of Edison and Highland Park synagogue, located a couple blocks from where the crash occurred.
A man who answered the door at the synagogue on Sunday politely declined to comment on the incident.
At the scene Sunday afternoon, yellow fire department tape was wrapped around a broken concrete trashcan on the southbound side of Route 27. Pointing to the pieces of the can, Arthur, the resident, said the trashcan normally sits on the northbound side but ricocheted across the highway following the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
Authorities asked that anyone with information to contact Detective Donald Heck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-3300 or Highland Park police Officer Jose Curbelo at 732-572-3800.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.