A 2-year-old girl died after being struck by a U.S. Postal Service truck Monday morning in Elizabeth.

A city spokesperson says the girl was walking with her grandmother and a 4-year-old boy at the intersection of Rahway Avenue and Chilton Street when the three of them were struck by the postal truck.

Andres Figueroa, a witness to the accident, says the trio was walking near to but not in the crosswalk at the time. Figueroa says the grandmother tried to push the 4-year-old to safety as she clutched the 2-year-old in her arms just before they were hit.

"She didn't have a choice but to protect the baby," he says.

The 2-year-old was pronounced dead a short time later at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth. The grandmother and the 4-year-old were taken to University Hospital in Newark. Their conditions and identities have not been released.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service says the agency is investigating the incident and will cooperate fully with police. The truck driver stayed at the scene after the accident, according to authorities.