Update, Feb. 28, 10:50 a.m.
Montgomery County police are looking for a Toyota Corolla in connection with a hit-and-run that occurred in Aspen Hill Tuesday night. Police said via Twitter that the car in question is of unknown color and a model from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The car may have damage to its front right corner, possibly to the headlight area.
Family and friends of Marylyn Eres Ali, the woman who was fatally struck as she was crossing Connecticut Avenue sometime between 7 and 8 p.m., held a candlelight vigil Wednesday night along Connecticut Avenue near Everton Street, WTOP reported.
Ali routinely took the L8 Metrobus from Washington, DC, to the bus stop at Connecticut Avenue and Everton Street, usually arriving home around 7 p.m., according to a flier distributed by police. Police are asking for information from any passengers on the L8 bus who might have seen something at this bus stop around the time of the collision.
Original story, Feb. 27
Montgomery County police are searching for the driver who fatally struck a 53-year-old woman while she was crossing Connecticut Avenue Tuesday night.
Emergency responders found Marlyn Eres Ali, of the 3800 block of nearby Elby Street in Wheaton, just off southbound Connecticut Avenue at Everton Street at approximately 8:15 p.m. They transported her to Suburban Hospital where she later died.
According to a police statement, Ali appeared to have been crossing from east to west on Connecticut Avenue at Everton Street. She had crossed the northbound lanes safely but was struck by a vehicle in the southbound lanes.
Investigators have not confirmed the type of vehicle involved but say it may have front-end damage.
Detectives are requesting that anyone with information contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240.773.6620. Callers may remain anonymous.
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Speak Out: Three Pedestrian Deaths in Three Weeks
Drivers need to be much more cautious and do often speed on this stretch of road, but being struck at 45 mph is enough to kill someone as well. This is why it perplexes me that I've witnessed work crews installing a portion of sidewalk level with the road in the median at CT Ave and Everton St, presumably to help pedestrians cross. This is one block from the intersection of Randolph & CT with a traffic light & well marked pedestrian cross walks, so why encourage pedestrians to cross where there are neither? People are constantly crossing CT, Randolph and Veirs Mill Roads where there is no crosswalk or traffic light, often with young kids. Last year, the county put in relatively attractive barriers on Randolph near Viers Mill, and they've greatly reduced the # of pedestrians jaywalking. I hope more of the same will be done soon elsewhere to prevent such horrible deaths.
Pedestrians almost always choose the shortest routes to their destination. This is well-known. It's time to stop trying to re-engineer human behavior and start re-engineering our streets so that pedestrians can use them safely.