Senseless: Child hot car deaths in NJ are on the rise – NJ Top News

Here are the top stories on NJ 101.5 for Monday, July 7, 2025

⬛ NJ man called ‘American hero’ for saving 165 lives in Texas flooding disaster

A New Jersey native is being called "an American hero" for rescuing nearly 200 people out of flood waters in Texas.

The death toll was up to 80, including 28 children, as of Sunday afternoon.

Officials reported that more than 850 people were rescued within the first 36 hours but many remained missing on Sunday, including 10 girls from Camp Mystic, a summer camp wiped out by the flooding early Friday.

"United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer and petty officer Scott [Ruskan] directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas," Homeland Security Secretary Krisi Noem said Saturday on X.

Rider University spokeswoman Kristine Brown said he was a member of the Rider Class of 2021. According to the university website, Ruskan is from Oxford in Warren County and attended Warren Hills Regional. He ran track and field for Rider.

⬛ Tragic rise in child hot car deaths in NJ;  AAA sounds the alarm on safety

As the summer heat ramps up in New Jersey, AAA is sounding the alarm on child vehicular heat strokes and how quickly they can happen.

This is especially concerning given that child deaths inside hot cars increased by nearly 35% last year, said AAA Northeast Outreach Manager, Shani Jarvis.

In 2024, 39 children died in hot cars across the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Two of the kids were in New Jersey, Jarvis confirmed.

On August 30, 2022, a 2 year old girl in Franklin Township, Somerset County died in a hot car when the outside temperature was 93 degrees, Jarvis said.

In 2024, there were two child vehicular heat stroke deaths. One was on July 15 in Lakewood, when a two-month old girl died when the outside temperature was 98 degrees. Jarvis said two days later on July 17, a 6-month old baby girl in East Hanover succumbed to vehicular heat stroke when the outside temperature was 93 degrees.

⬛ Island Beach State Park reopens Sunday with ‘limited capacity’

SEASIDE PARK — One of the Jersey Shore's most popular beach destinations is operating at "limited capacity" on Sunday morning

The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry announced the closure of Island Beach State Park on its social media late Saturday night due to a sewage  An update on Sunday morning said the park was open with "limited functioning restrooms" after announcing a full closure via its social media on Saturday night due to "sewer line blockage issues."

"Per the New Jersey Department of Health’s Public Recreational Bathing Code, operational restrooms are required to safely allow public access. Without operational restrooms, it would be both unsanitary and unsafe to allow visitors into the park," the agency wrote on its Facebook page. "There are limited functioning restrooms available at this time; if issues persist systemwide, an early closure may be necessary. Island Beach State Park is working to bring in portable toilets to help accommodate visitors."

⬛ Destructive thunderstorms leave 3 dead, topple dozens of trees

PLAINFIELD — Strong thunderstorms were being blamed for at least three deaths in central New Jersey after trees fell on vehicles as they were traveling in during the height of a storm Friday.

According to a statement from the City of Plainfield the men were identified by the city as Rocco Sansone, 79, of North Plainfield and Brian Ernesto Valladares, 25. Over 80 trees fell across the city into power lines vehicles blocking intersectons.

North Plainfield police in a statement said a tree fell on a Jeep Cherokee traveling on Greenbrook Road around 6:30 p.m. killing the only person inside, a 44-year-old Middlesex Borough woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

All power has been restored but a state of emergency remains in effect in the Union County community. Clean-up efforts also continue for those families who lost everything.

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