A 7-year-old boy, who was standing with his father and baby sibling at a bus stop when all three were hit by a car on Tuesday, has died.
Montgomery County police identified the boy as Muhammad Haekal Saifullah Elsyaf, of Bethesda. He attended Ashburton Elementary School, according to Montgomery County Public Schools.
The boy was standing at the bus stop about 8:20 a.m. Tuesday with his father, who was also pushing his 18-month-old toddler in a stroller, when the driver of a 2002 Honda Accord pulling out of a nearby apartment parking lot jumped the curb, crashed into them and then cut back across the road and crashed into a tree.
The 7-year-old had life-threatening injuries and was rushed to the hospital along with his father, who had minor injuries. The toddler was not injured, police said.
Police said the driver of the Accord stayed at the scene of the crash and gave a statement to police. He was not injured.
WTOP’s news partners at NBC Washington spoke to the driver at the scene of the crash.
“I lost control, and it was out of my control,” he said, saying he was “very, very sorry.”
The driver, who said he was 82, has not been charged.
Police said they are still investigating the circumstances of the crash “and if charges are to be filed against the driver, it will be done following completion of the investigation and in consultation with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney.”
In a tweet, County Executive Marc Elrich said he was “deeply saddened over this terrible tragedy.”
In a tweet, Montgomery County At-Large Council member Evan Glass said he was devastated and said “we have to do everything we can to make our roads safer for all users and ensure that our kids are safe when they walk to school and wait for the school bus.”
I’m absolutely devastated. My heart aches for this little boy’s family. It’s why we have to do everything we can to make our roads safer for all users and ensure that our kids are safe when they walk to school and wait for the school bus. https://t.co/8sPxvgGlNz
— Evan Glass (@EvanMGlass) April 7, 2022
WTOP’s Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.
