A Montgomery County school bus driver was charged with one count of negligent driving after a police investigation into an October crash where an 11-year-old student was fatally struck by the bus while biking home.
The Montgomery police department said in a news release Friday that the student, Summer Lim, and bus driver Ivan Rivas, 55, bear responsibility for the collision.
Summer was “at fault in the collision,” police said, because she entered a crosswalk while the school bus was in the intersection. The driver erred, police said, by not immediately stopping after an initial collision.
The Oct. 9 collision occurred at 3:13 p.m., shortly after classes ended at Earle B. Wood Middle School. Summer was biking eastbound on Bauer Drive in Aspen Hill near the school, while the school bus was traveling in the same direction.
The school bus was turning right onto Russett Road when the collision occurred, police said. Summer was attempting to cross the intersection while the bus was already in the crosswalk, according to investigators.
Police said Rivas briefly brought the bus to a stop after striking Summer but then moved forward another 27 feet before coming to a complete stop, according to investigators.
Police said in October that Summer was found near the rear of the school bus and died at the scene.
Her family did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Maryland court filings show Rivas was charged with negligent driving on Dec. 30. He did not appear to have an attorney on file yet, and did not respond to a request for comment at a phone number listed for him.
Rivas has been employed by Montgomery County Public Schools since 2001, and he drove the route for more than 15 years, according to police.
Montgomery school officials placed Rivas on leave after the collision as police investigated, which district officials said was standard procedure.
Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Liliana López said in an email Friday that the school system had received the findings from the collision reconstruction unit. She said any further actions involving staff members involved will be handled as “a confidential personnel matter.”
“Our deepest sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the student, and we recognize the profound impact this loss has had on the school community,” she said. She added that the school system is providing counseling and other support resources to students and staff.
After Summer’s death, county officials added a three-way stop to the intersection where the collision occurred, which will require a vehicle to stop before proceeding through. Some residents had called for the stop sign, citing the fatal collision and an incident months earlier when another student was struck.
Shiera Goff, a spokeswoman for the police department, said Friday that nothing in the investigative report indicates a lack of stop signs was factor. The Washington Post requested the full report but did not receive it by time of publication.
In an obituary, Summer’s parents wrote their daughter had a love for crocheting and reading. She had recently started ballet school and “fell in love with its feminism and grace.”
“Summer grew into a girl with a passion for food, arts, reading, gaming, singing, and music,” they wrote. “But she will be best remembered for her fierce devotion to her family and friends throughout her short but love-filled life.”
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