A 24-year-old man is facing a charge of gross negligence manslaughter by vehicle in connection with an August fatal collision involving a man riding a lawn mower in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County police said Wednesday in a statement.
Maxim Galkin of Gaithersburg was arrested Tuesday after police obtained an arrest warrant on Dec. 12, according to digital court records.
Attorney information was not available for Galkin in digital court records Wednesday afternoon.
In late August, county police identified the driver of the riding lawnmower as Juan Gerrero-Moreno, 28, of Silver Spring.
According to police, county and Gaithersburg police officers responded shortly after 1 p.m. Aug. 20 to the area of Great Seneca Highway and High Gables Drive for the report of a collision involving a black 2021 Genesis G70 and a lawn mower operator. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews also responded.
The responding officers and MCFRS crews found Guerrero-Moreno unresponsive in the road, police said. First responders performed life-saving measures before Guerrero-Moreno was taken to an area hospital with “serious injuries.” He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to the statement, a police investigation found Galkin was allegedly driving an “estimated 100 mph in a 50-mph zone” at the time of the collision.
“Despite posted yellow signs indicating the presence of pedestrians and an approaching intersection, Galkin’s sedan struck the zero-turn riding lawn mower,” the statement said.
Guerrero-Moreno was struck as he was crossing the northbound lanes of Great Seneca Highway from west to east. Galkin remained at the scene following the collision, according to police.
After Galkin’s arrest Tuesday, he was released from the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville on a $100,000 unsecured personal bond, police said.
Since the collision, two roadside memorials have been placed near the crash site by the Action Committee for Transit, a non-profit organization based in Montgomery County that advocates for improved public transportation and roadway safety. The group is known for placing white “ghost” bikes and shoes at the scenes of fatal bicyclist and pedestrian collisions.
One of the memorials at the crash site is a lawnmower that has been painted white.
View on Threads
