Drinking and driving remains one of the most preventable yet devastating dangers on the road. Even after all the ads, the warnings, and the tough laws, people keep getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t, and the fallout can be life-changing in an instant. Take what happened on a Friday afternoon in New Jersey: a routine school pick-up suddenly turned into a nightmare when a woman, apparently drunk, crashed her SUV right through a preschool entrance, hitting a mom and her kids. The frightening scene, captured on surveillance video, has left the community shaken and the internet reacting with shock.
It was reportedly around 3 p.m. on Friday, right outside Bloom Academy in Freehold Township. According to Patch, Arrigo from Manalapan drove her SUV into the crowd. She had been drinking, they said. Surveillance video captured Patrice Pisani, a mom, pulling one of her sons out of the way, but she couldn’t reach her younger boy in time. The SUV slammed into the building and hit the little one, knocking him down. The car didn’t stop there. It kept going, hit Pisani and her older son, and pinned them against a railing before finally stopping.
First responders rushed in and helped the family. Both kids were checked out, and the youngest had a leg injury plus some burns from the underside of the SUV, as reported by News 12 New Jersey. Pisani hurt her back and neck, and her older son got off with some scrapes. Paramedics took all three to the hospital, and after treatment, they were able to go home.
Police showed up and arrested Arrigo right there. They charged her with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto, and endangering the welfare of a child. The case isn’t closed yet, as investigators are still piecing things together, and they want anyone who knows more to speak up.
Once the crash footage hit the internet, social media exploded. People felt a rush of relief that no one got seriously hurt. Some couldn’t believe how narrowly everyone escaped something much worse, especially since the car hit right where parents and kids were gathering at pickup.
Internet Reacts After New Jersey Preschool Crash Injures Mother and Child
The frightening crash left many people shaken, with several calling it nothing short of a miracle. “This is crazy. They are LUCKY to be alive. Legit miracle,” one person wrote. Another added, “This was a true miracle. 9/10 times, this situation has a different ending.”
Others focused on the decision to drive under the influence. “Honestly… how do people get THIS drunk and then decide that it’s a good idea to drive???” a user asked. Another said, “That person should never be behind a wheel ever again.”
Some comments were even more direct about accountability. “A drunk driver crashing into a preschool is not an accident it is a selfish decision that leaves families paying the price,” one person wrote.
The anger was clear in other reactions as well. “This is infuriating. There’s absolutely no excuse to get behind the wheel intoxicated, especially in the age of Uber. I want this lady and every loser like her to be behind bars for a lengthy sentence!” one comment read.
Several people also pointed to the setting itself. “A preschool should be the safest place on earth for a family. To have a car slam into the front of one because of a drunk driver is a literal nightmare. Truly terrifying,” another added.
The crash shook a lot of people, but at least all three family members pulled through and left the hospital. That’s something to hold onto after such a scary ordeal.
