A 16-year-old boy was killed in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Thursday, when he fell into a roadway while riding his bike, and a SUV struck him, police say.
Montgomery County police said Santos Escobar-Villatoro, of Gaithersburg, was riding his bicycle northbound on the sidewalk next to the southbound lanes of South Frederick Avenue, when he struck a commercial sign on the sidewalk and fell into the road.
A 2004 Toyota Highlander then struck Santos.
About 2:30 p.m., police and fire and rescue responded to the scene at South Frederick Avenue and Fulks Corner Avenue. Police said Santos died from his injuries at the scene.
Santos was a freshman at Gaithersburg High School, and he was struck right around the corner from the school. In a letter sent home to parents, the school principal described Santos as a hard-working student that had a love for history.
The driver of the Toyota Highlander has been identified as Atiana Shalis Sarkis, 18, of Pennsylvania. Sarkis was not injured, police said. The city attorney said if a business is found responsible for placing the sign on the sidewalk, it could face a $1,000 fine.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at (240) 773-6620. Callers may remain anonymous.
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A GoFundMe page was established to raise funds to assist the Escobar-Villatoro family with the mounting funeral costs.
