Mother Arrested After Unattended Toddler Struck by Vehicle on Pennsylvania Highway: Police

A Pennsylvania mother was arrested recently for allegedly leaving two toddlers unattended, after one of them was struck by a vehicle while walking along a highway.

The Jefferson Hills Police Department said officers responded along with fire and EMS personnel to a report of a child struck by a vehicle on State Route 51 in Jefferson Hills, a suburb south of Pittsburgh, on the evening of June 22.

Investigators learned that the 3-year-old child who was struck had walked out of a room at the Econo Lodge motel next to the highway, together with a 2-year-old child.

The 3-year-old walked out into the northbound lanes of traffic and was struck.

The injured child was transported to an area hospital in critical condition, police said.

The motorist who struck the child remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

The road was temporarily closed while the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG) Crash Reconstruction Team responded to assist the investigation.

According to police, officers learned that the victim's mother, Shawnae Galberth, had left both children unattended in a motel room. While unattended, both children left the room and walked along State Route 51.

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Galberth was arrested and booked into Allegheny County Jail on two counts of felony endangering the welfare of children.

TMX contributed to this report.