Woman, infant hurt in fall from moving van in Indiana County, police say; man charged

BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. — A man is facing charges after a woman and baby fell from a moving van in Indiana County on Sunday evening.

Blairsville Borough Police Chief Louis Sacco says the incident happened on South Spring Street around 8:30 p.m. Witnesses told police the woman and baby fell from a southbound gold-colored van that was “driving fast.”

While first responders were on scene, witnesses saw the van driving north on South Spring Street and police tried to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the van tried to evade police, but drove into a retaining wall. The driver, a man identified as Rony Gomez Lopez, then ran until police deployed a taser to take him into custody.

Police then returned to the still-running van, finding a 3-year-old child inside.

Sacco said the woman, who police do not identify, told officers that Gomez Lopez was speeding and punching her in the arm when she and the baby fell out of the van. She said they fell out because the van’s sliding door wasn’t fully shut.

The woman and 3-year-old sustained minor injuries in the incident. The baby was flown to Children’s and is in critical condition.

After being treated for minor injuries, Sacco says Gomez Lopez was taken to the Indiana County Jail to await arraignment on several charges, including endangering the welfare of children, fleeing from police and DUI.

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