Two pedestrians were struck and killed on Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland, less than 24 hours apart.
The deadly crashes happened about two miles from each other.
On Thursday night, a 32-year-old Rockville man was struck on Rockville Pike near Wooton Parkway/1st Street about 6:30 p.m., according to Montgomery County Police.
Police said the victim, Brett Richard Badin, was trying to cross Rockville Pike going west when he was struck by a Honda Accord driven by a 61-year-old Rockville man. Badin died at the scene.
“The vehicle that struck the pedestrian remained on scene and that individual is being cooperative,” Montgomery County police Capt. David McBain said.
Badin had taken a bus to meet friends for dinner at IHOP.
“We first heard that Brett had not shown up at the dinner and that there had been an accident on 355 with a pedestrian struck and killed, and Brett never misses these dinners, and we knew in our hearts it was him,” said his mother, Mindy Badin.
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“We were told he crossed where there wasn’t a crosswalk where the bus stop was fairly directly across from the restaurant, and we’re flabbergasted, just shocked,” said his father, Joe Badin. “That’s so unlike him.”
Neither the driver of the Accord nor his passenger were injured.
Less than 24 hours earlier, a 40-year-old man was struck by a Nissan Sentra driven by a 28-year-old man in the 12200 block of Rockville Pike, police said. That crash happened about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.
Authorities identified that victim as Michael Louis Gamboa, of Gaithersburg. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The driver of the Sentra remained on the scene after the crash. He was not injured.
“It gets dark out early, still,” McBain said. “We try to encourage pedestrians to go to the crosswalks. Go to a lighted intersection somewhere that they can be seen and they can cross safely with the lights.”
Montgomery County police acting Assistant Chief Thomas Didone said there were 13 pedestrian fatalities last year. There have already been three pedestrians killed this year.
A 76-year-old man was killed Jan. 6 while crossing Georgia Avenue in Aspen Hill.
“Just because you’re in the crosswalk, just because the walk signal’s up, doesn’t mean the driver sees you,” Didone said. “Please make sure your life is protected by making that extra contact. I don’t want you to be dead right or dead wrong.”
Police are investigating both crashes. Anyone who may have seen either crash or who has more information is asked to call the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.
