A Montgomery County school bus driver has been cited in the October crash that killed an 11-year-old girl, but investigators have determined he is not at fault.
At around 3:10 p.m. on Oct. 9, Summer Lim was riding her bike eastbound on the sidewalk along Bauer Drive, approaching Russett Road. At the same time, a bus was traveling in the same direction and taking kids home from Earle B. Wood Middle School, where Lim was also a student.
Investigators said Lim tried to cross Russett Road while the school bus was already in the intersection and turning right from eastbound Bauer Drive onto southbound Russett Road.
The bus, driven by 55-year-old Ivan Rivas, struck Lim. After impact, police said Rivas stopped, but then moved forward approximately 27 feet before coming to a complete stop.
Police said they found Lim near the rear of the bus when they got to the scene of the crash. The bus was full of children who witnessed the crash, but none of them were injured, according to police.
Detectives in Montgomery County’s Crash Reconstruction Unit have determined the student was at fault for entering the crosswalk while the bus was already trying to make a turn in the intersection.
However, found Rivas was negligent for moving the bus forward after it had initially come to a stop.
Police presented the case to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Rivas was cited with one count of negligent driving contributing to a fatal accident.
Rivas has been employed with Montgomery County Public Schools since 2001 and had driven the same route for more than 15 years.
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