Car strikes 4 teens waiting for bus in Aspen Hill; 15-year-old boy has life-threatening injuries

WASHINGTON — Four high school students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, were sent to the hospital Tuesday morning after being struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk along Georgia Avenue. One of the students — a 15-year-old boy — has life-threatening injuries, police said.

Two 14-year-old girls and an 15-year-old girl were also struck but are expected to be OK. All four students attended John F. Kennedy High School in Glenmont/Silver Spring, the school said in a tweet.

In addition to the four injured students, the 21-year-old driver of the car that struck the students — a white Volkswagen Jetta — was also taken to the hospital.

The students were struck around 7 a.m. as they were standing in front of the Rita’s Italian Ice on Georgia Avenue near the intersection of Wendy Lane.

Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Oct. 9 were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
georgia avenue crash
A car struck high school students waiting for a Montgomery County Public Schools bus on Oct. 9, 2018, (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
A vehicle struck students waiting for the bus in Aspen Hill Tuesday morning. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire & Rescue)
A vehicle struck students waiting for the bus in Aspen Hill Tuesday morning. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire & Rescue)
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Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Oct. 9 were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
Four Kennedy High School students waiting for a school bus in Aspen Hill, Maryland, Tuesday morning were struck by a car that careened onto the sidewalk off Georgia Avenue. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)
georgia avenue crash
A vehicle struck students waiting for the bus in Aspen Hill Tuesday morning. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire & Rescue)

Montgomery County police said the white Volkswagen was traveling northbound on Georgia Avenue when it collided with a blue Ford Five Hundred, which had just exited a a gas station. The collision sent the Volkswagen onto the sidewalk and into the group of students.

Police said neither the 25-year-man who was driving the Ford nor a 25-year-old passenger in his car were hurt in the crash.

Police are still investigating what led to the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery County Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit at (240) 773-6620.

Northbound Georgia Avenue between Hewitt Avenue and Aspen Hill Road was closed as police investigated the crash, but has since reopened.

WTOP’s Melissa Howell and Joslyn Chesson contributed to this story.

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.

Colleen Kelleher

Colleen Kelleher is an award-winning journalist who has been with WTOP since 1996. Kelleher joined WTOP as the afternoon radio writer and night and weekend editor and made the move to WTOP.com in 2001. Now she works early mornings as the site's Senior Digital Editor.

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