A 13-year-old died Wednesday after being hit by a truck while riding a bike. The incident occurred near a shopping center in the City of Fairfax.
Fairfax City police responded to the 3900 block of Pickett Road around 2:30 p.m. after reports of a motor vehicle crash involving a 13-year-old and a large truck.
According to police, the 13-year-old “sustained life-threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminarily information is the large truck was observed to be leaving the shopping center when it struck the juvenile riding on a bicycle. A vehicle of interest, and driver, were located nearby.”
City of Fairfax police and Fairfax County’s Police Crash Reconstruction Unit are investigating the incident.
FCPS Superintendent Urges Safety Precautions
Fairfax County Public Schools superintendent Michelle Reid emailed parents about the incident. She said that two additional Fairfax County students were also injured Wednesday in separate accidents. In each case, the student was riding a bicycle or scooter.
“Today, three FCPS students were involved in separate accidents with vehicles while riding a bicycle or scooter. Tragically, one of these incidents resulted in the death of one of our middle school students,” she wrote.
Reid urged drivers to slow down and be alert for students walking and riding bikes and scooters at crosswalks, sidewalks, and bus stops. She also encouraged students to use crosswalks, wear properly fitted helmets, follow traffic signs and signals, and use designated paths when available.
“Pause and think about the ways that we can each help to keep our students — and each other — safe every day. Whether we are behind the wheel, walking, biking, riding a scooter, waiting for a bus, or simply moving through a busy school parking lot, each of us has an important role to play in keeping our community safe,” Reid said.
Feature image, vmargineanu/stock.adobe.com
