News Releases

Collision Reconstruction Unit Completes Bauer Drive Fatal Collision Investigation

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 23, 2026

Gaithersburg, MD - The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit has completed its investigation into the fatal collision involving a Montgomery County Public Schools bus and an 11-year-old girl.

On Thursday, October 9, 2025, at approximately 3:13 p.m., 4th District officers and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to the intersection of Bauer Drive and Russett Road after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a bicyclist had been struck by a school bus. 

The investigation revealed that a 2019 Thomas school bus was traveling eastbound on Bauer Drive and turning right onto southbound Russett Road when the collision occurred.

Summer Lim, an Earle B. Wood Middle School student, was riding her bicycle eastbound on the sidewalk along Bauer Drive prior to the collision. She attempted to cross Russett Road while the school bus was already occupying the intersection and turning right onto southbound Russett Road.

The bus driver, 55-year-old Ivan Rivas, has been employed with Montgomery County Public Schools since 2001 and had driven the same route for more than 15 years. After the initial impact, Rivas stopped but then moved forward approximately 27 feet before coming to a complete stop.

At the conclusion of the investigation, CRU detectives determined that Lim was at fault in the collision for entering the crosswalk while the bus was already occupying the intersection.

Detectives also determined that Rivas was negligent for moving the bus forward after initially coming to a stop.

The case was presented to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Rivas has been cited with one count of negligent driving, contributing to a fatal accident.

 

# # #

Release ID: 26-032
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: fatal-collision