Pedestrian struck, killed in N. Bethesda crosswalk; 2nd at same intersection in 3 years

A jogger is dead after he was struck at a dangerous intersection that also claimed a life nearly three years ago, police said.

The crashes happened on Tuckerman Lane near Kings Riding Way in North Bethesda, which is a busy stretch of road about a half mile away from Rockville Pike.

The latest crash, around 10 a.m. Thursday, took the life of a 74-year-old man who was in a crosswalk for the Bethesda Trolley Trail when he was hit by a Subaru Forester.



“We’ve been running this route for years and it’s definitely a concern. People fly right through the intersection,” said Lisa Chilcote of North Bethesda, who called the crosswalk the “worst area” of her jog.

A man was struck and killed at this intersection on Tuckerman Lane near Kings Riding Way in North Bethesda on Thursday. He is the second pedestrian to be killed there in three years. (WTOP/John Aaron)

The crosswalk has a push-to-activate pedestrian signal, but it’s not clear whether the button had been pressed before the man was struck and killed. That latest signal was installed after a woman was killed in the same spot in 2019.

The traffic lights at the intersection are normally dark, but turn to yellow and then red when a pedestrian hits a button.

That can lead to confusion for drivers, said runner Erica Kessler, also of North Bethesda.

“I think they just don’t understand it,” she said.

John Aaron

John Aaron is a news anchor and reporter for WTOP. After starting his professional broadcast career as an anchor and reporter for WGET and WGTY in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, he went on to spend several years in the world of sports media, working for Comcast SportsNet, MLB Network Radio, and WTOP.

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