A garbage truck driver who police say hit and killed a 13-year-old boy near a Fairfax middle school was arrested and charged in the boy’s death.
Police said the student was riding a pedal-assist e-bike on the sidewalk along Pickett Road minutes after school let out for the day on Sept. 9. He entered the crosswalk when a garbage truck exiting a shopping center hit and killed him.
The truck driver, 46-year-old Lawrence Onley, stopped at the exit of the shopping center and was looking to the left as he pulled forward and hit the boy, police said.
Authorities said the crash was initially investigated as a hit-and-run, but information that developed during the investigation indicated Onley was unaware the truck hit the child. Officers found him nearby a short time after the crash, police said.
Onley, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was charged with careless driving and infliction of injury or death on vulnerable road users. Police said he voluntarily turned himself in. He was issued a $1,500 bond.
A 13-year-old riding a bike home was hit and killed in a busy area with shopping centers. News4’s Jessica Albert has information on a total of three crashes Wednesday involving Fairfax County students on bikes or scooters.
The community at Frost Middle School, which is near the crash scene, mourned the loss of the student.
“It’s a great community, but then something like this happens and you just realize how fragile life is,” Frost Middle School parent David Brown said Thursday.
3 Fairfax County students on bikes or scooters hit in one day
In an email to families, the head of Fairfax County Public Schools confirmed a total of three students were hit by vehicles in separate crashes on Sept. 9. In each case, the student was riding a bicycle or scooter.
An 11-year-old girl on an e-scooter was hit near Brookfield Elementary School in the 42000 block of Lees Corner Road in Chantilly at about 8:18 a.m., police said. The child was able to jump off the scooter without being hurt.
Later in the day, at about 3:20 p.m., a 13-year-old student riding a bike was hit by a car at Toll House Road and Country Lane in the Annandale area. The student was taken to a hospital for evaluation, with minor injuries, police said.
A 13-year-old is dead after being hit by a truck in front of a busy shopping center in the City of Fairfax Wednesday. News4’s Jackie Bensen reports.
Fairfax County’s superintendent urged drivers to be especially vigilant before and after school when students are on the street. She asked parents to make sure students wear helmets when they ride bikes and scooters.
“Pause and think about the ways that we can each help to keep our students – and each other – safe every day,” Superintendent Michelle Reid said in a message to families. “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.”
Brown, the school parent, said after the tragedy, he warned his son to be especially careful.
“We may have to think twice about how we let him go out and walk around in this area,” he said.
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