Police say two brothers, reported to be ages 6 and 11, were playing in a backyard on Walnut Place in Lodi when the rusty pole collapsed and fell on top of them around 7 p.m.
The 6-year-old boy was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center suffering from traumatic arrest, in which a severe chest injury causes the heart to stop beating. He later died at the hospital.
The 11-year-old boy suffered an injured leg and remains hospitalized.
According to neighbors, the kids were playing on a clothesline. They apparently threw a scooter over the line and were hanging on it when the pole holding the clothesline snapped. The pole weighs several hundred pounds.
The parents were home at the time. Police believe the incident was a tragic accident, and no charges are expected to be filed.
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