Crime & Safety

Bus Driver from Elkridge in Accident that Killed Holocaust Survivor

A school bus from Howard County was headed back to school after a field trip when the bus hit and killed an elderly pedestrian.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit continue to investigate a fatal collision that occurred Wednesday in Silver Spring when a 91-year-old pedestrian was hit by a school bus.

The accident happened at 2:23 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Columbia Pike (MD 29) and Tech Road.

Preliminary investigation shows that a school bus contracted by Howard County Public Schools was northbound on Columbia Pike. A pedestrian, Elia Miranski, 91, was crossing Columbia Pike from westbound to eastbound in the crosswalk using his walker.

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Miranski had safely crossed the southbound lanes of Columbia Pike and was attempting to cross the northbound lanes as the bus was traveling on a green signal and was struck by the bus, police said. The first two lanes of northbound Columbia Pike traffic were stopped on a red, left-turn arrow.

Miranski was a survivor of the Holocaust originally from Poland, according to Montgomery County police and an oral history from the Holocaust Museum. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

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Police say he lived nearby in the 12300 block of Featherwood Drive in Silver Spring.

The bus driver has been identified as Lori Jean Latimer, 52, of the 6600 block of Deep Run Parkway in Elkridge.

The school bus was from a Howard County school and was returning to the school after a field trip with 14 students on board, and two chaperones, according to police. None of the students or driver were hurt, according to police.

The circumstances surrounding this collision remain under investigation. Anyone with information about this accident is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620 or call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000. Callers may remain anonymous.


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