Woman Struck on Sidewalk Was Mother of 8

The woman hit by a car and killed as she walked on a sidewalk in Wheaton, Md. was a mother of eight, devastated family and friends said.

Maria Dolores Posadas, 45, was walking near the intersection of Randolph Road and Veirs Mill Road on Thursday, Montgomery County Police said.

Mary Alice Tabb, 83, lost control of her light-colored Hyundai Sonata at about 11 a.m., slammed into a utility pole and then hit Posadas, police said.

The immigrant from Honduras was rushed to a hospital, where she later died, police said. Tabb sustained minor injuries and was also taken to a hospital.

Posada lived with three sons and several grandchildren just minutes from the crash scene, her son Darwin said Friday. She moved to the U.S. eight years ago to "have the American dream," he said via an interpreter. 

 Friends said the mother and grandmother melted hearts with her warm personality.

She was kind and a hard worker who sold ice cream near the intersection where she was killed, friend Sonia Sosa said.

MCPD is still investigating how the driver lost control of her car. 

Randolph Road still was closed between Selfridge Road and Veirs Mill Road as of 4 p.m. 

No charges against Tabb were filed immediately, police said. She had been released from the hospital by Friday afternoon. 

Posada's family was making arrangements on Friday to send her body home to Honduras.

Police ask anyone with information to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620. Callers may remain anonymous.

Several pedestrians have been hit and killed by drivers near the same area. Most recently, a 17-year-old boy was hit and killed while trying to get away from a group of males throwing rocks at his car in November 2014. In April 2014, a woman was hit and killed by a Ride On bus.

2013 was a particularly dangerous year, with three accidents near the same location. In May, a 77-year-old woman was struck at a bus stop, and a woman was killed when two cars collided as she was standing in the median at Veirs Mill Road and Georgia Avenue. In February, a woman was fatally struck by a car as she crossed the road near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Everton Street, around the corner from the Randolph Road intersection.

Year after year, Montgomery County attempts to increase awareness of pedestrian safety. In 2014, police cracked down on jaywalking, issuing tickets, and an ad campaign was launched in 2013. Also, undercover officers busted drivers for not yielding to pedestrians in the area.

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