A 9-year-old boy riding a scooter in Herndon, Virginia, collided with a minivan and died Thursday evening, police say.
It happened about 5:30 p.m. in a neighborhood full of townhomes near Dulles International Airport. The woman driving the minivan was obeying the speed limit as she turned into the neighborhood, and the boy struck the side of the minivan.
Medevac went to the scene, but the child was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The minivan’s driver stayed at the scene. Police said there’s no indication she had done anything wrong.
“This is very tragic, very unexpected,” Fairfax County police Capt. Chris Cosgriff said.
The boy rider was not wearing a helmet, police said. It’s unclear how fast he was going.
“Please, have your kids wear helmets. Teach them the basic safety rules. Keep an eye on them,” Cosgriff said.
According to the law, children younger than 15 are required to wear a helmet when riding an e-bike, scooter or bicycle. There’s no way of knowing if that may have prevented this child’s death.
Police interviewed neighbors and are reviewing video evidence.
