Since the October 2025 death of 11-year-old sixth-grader Summer Lim, near Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, a previously unreported traffic incident has come to light. Now, a third student has been injured near school grounds. Are two new stop signs enough to keep our children safe? MCM News asked a traffic safety expert to provide insights.
In county suburbs, the convergence of increased traffic in the late afternoon and the release of children from schools around the same time poses challenges to after-school safety.
Earle B. Wood Middle School and surrounding schools are not listed among the designated “high injury network locations.” Schools located near major roadways like Veirs Mill Road, Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue fall into that category.
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vision Zero has recorded an increase in serious and fatal car accidents. Cyclist and scooter crashes are also on the rise. At the end of November pedestrian incidents were down 5% from previous years.
“Across Montgomery County, too many of our neighbors have been injured or killed while walking or biking,” said Councilmember Evan Glass about the current situation. “This year alone, there have been 563 pedestrian- and cyclist-involved crashes, including 65 serious injuries and 15 fatalities,” said Glass.
To address these and other concerning statistics, Glass will hold a town hall on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Council Building in Rockville at 10 a.m. Parents and families are invited to attend. The City Council Building is located at 100 Monroe Street in Rockville. RSVP here: bit.ly/roadsafety2026
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