A 46-year-old Maryland man is facing charges after a garbage truck struck and killed a 13-year-old student riding a pedal-assist e-bike in Fairfax City earlier this month.
The crash happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the 3900 block of Pickett Road, near a shopping center and Frost Middle School. The teenager was riding along the sidewalk when he entered a marked crosswalk as a garbage truck was leaving the shopping center.
Police said the truck driver, Lawrence Onley of Fort Washington, Maryland, had stopped at the shopping center exit and was looking to his left. As he moved the truck forward into the roadway, the vehicle struck the teenager.
The child suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the student’s name.
Driver faces two charges
Onley has been charged with careless driving and infliction of injury or death on a vulnerable road user, according to investigators.
He voluntarily turned himself in after the investigation identified him as the driver. He was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and released on a $1,500 secured bond.
The case was initially investigated as a possible hit-and-run. Investigators later determined that Onley apparently did not realize the truck had struck the teenager at the time of the crash.
The investigation eventually led authorities to identify the garbage truck and its driver. The circumstances of the case were also reviewed by prosecutors before the charges were filed.
Onley has a pending court appearance in Fairfax City General District Court. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Investigation follows deadly afternoon crash
The collision occurred as students were leaving school for the day. The victim was a student at Frost Middle School, which is located close to the crash area.
The fatal collision was also one of three separate incidents involving Fairfax County Public Schools students and vehicles on Sept. 9. In the other incidents, students were riding bicycles or scooters when they were involved in crashes.
The circumstances of the Pickett Road crash have drawn attention to the risks faced by young cyclists and pedestrians around busy shopping-center entrances and road crossings.
For investigators, a key part of the case was determining what happened at the shopping-center exit and what the driver could see before moving into the roadway. Police said the teenager was already entering the crosswalk when the truck began moving forward.
The investigation remains part of the legal process, and additional information may become available as the case moves through court.
