Driver Charged in Collision with 10-Year-Old Bicyclist

The Friday evening collision on Tuckerman Lane caused serious injuries to the girl

July 23, 2014 11:15 a.m.

The driver who police say struck a 10-year-old girl who was crossing Tuckerman Lane on her bicycle Friday has been charged.

Montgomery County Police spokeswoman Angela Cruz said the driver, Irina Tsyrlova, 63, of Bethesda, was charged with passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Cruz said Tsyrlova was charged the same day as the collision.

The girl, who was seriously injured in the collision, was later released from the hospital, according to Cruz. Police said Tsyrlova remained at the scene after the collision.

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The incident happened around 5:50 p.m. Friday in North Bethesda. Local news reports at the time said the 10-year-old girl was crossing the street at the intersection of the Bethesda Trolley Trail on her bike in front of a stopped vehicle, when another vehicle passed the stopped vehicle in the other lane and struck the girl. Witnesses at the scene told WJLA TV the girl was dragged briefly by the vehicle.

The trolley trail crossing is known to be a dangerous one, according to local residents interviewed by WJLA. Ken Hartman, the director of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, wrote in an email to residents Tuesday that new flashing lights are currently under construction at the crosswalk, but not yet operational.

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