A woman crossing a street with her daughter in Gaithersburg early Monday was hit by a driver and killed, police said.
Muivembet Gelaw, 50, of Gaithersburg, was walking with a cane across S. Frederick Avenue near the intersection with S. Westland Drive when she was hit about 5:55 a.m. by a 2002 Toyota Camry traveling south. She was declared dead at the scene.
A family friend said Gelaw and her daughter had been on the way to a bus stop, headed to church, when Gelaw was hit.
The victim's family rushed to the scene, and and an ambulance was called to help a grieving relative. It was unclear if that person required medical attention.
"Investigators right now are stating that she was 'in the area of the crosswalk,' but that determination won't be confirmed until they look at a lot more evidence," said Capt. Paul Starks of Montgomery County Police.
The intersection where Gelaw was hit has crosswalks, traffic lights and pedestrian signals, police said.
The driver of the striking vehicle, a 42-year-old Gaithersburg man, remained at the scene of the crash. Montgomery County Police are looking into speed as a possible factor, with is standard in a fatal pedestrian collision.
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"Investigators want to know, was the signal functioning properly, and what the signals were, for the parties involved," Starks said.
Traffic was diverted from the area in the aftermath of the crash.
