Nationwide — Lawrence Onley, a trash truck driver from Fairfax, Virginia, faces charges after police said he unknowingly hit and killed a 13-year-old riding an e-bike on September 9. The teenager was riding through a crosswalk on Pickett Road when the crash happened. The child suffered life-threatening injuries and died at the scene.
Fairfax County police responded to the crash in the 3900 block of Pickett Road. Investigators determined that Onley, 46, was driving a garbage truck out of a shopping center and preparing to enter the roadway. He stopped at the exit and looked to his left before moving forward. At that moment, the teenager entered the crosswalk on an e-bike.
The truck struck the teenager as Onley pulled onto Pickett Road. Police initially investigated the crash as a possible hit-and-run because the truck left the area. Investigators later found the vehicle nearby and identified Onley as the driver. They determined that he did not know he had struck the child when he drove away.
According to Fox 5 DC, Onley eventually turned himself in to Fairfax County police. Authorities charged him with careless driving and infliction of injury. The charges stem from the fatal crash, which involved a large commercial vehicle and a young cyclist traveling through a crosswalk.
The crash was one of several involving Fairfax County students on September 9. Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid said three students were involved in separate crashes while riding bicycles or scooters that day. The incidents brought renewed attention to safety for students who use bikes and scooters to travel.
Fairfax County police also launched Operation Safe Right Turn days after the deadly crash. The operation targets drivers who make right turns on green lights without checking for pedestrians in crosswalks. Police said drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians can receive a fine starting at $50. The effort focuses on reducing pedestrian crashes as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians share the county’s roads.