D.C. police have identified the victim of a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a garbage truck and an electric bike as 26-year-old Kenny Jimmenez Rivera. The incident occurred on Feb. 13, around 2 p.m. in Petworth, on the 4100 block of Kansas Avenue near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street. Rivera, the operator of the e-bike, was pronounced dead at the scene, while a female passenger suffered critical injuries and was taken to the hospital by DC Fire and EMS, as reported by DCNewsNow.
The crash was captured on surveillance footage, which showed a white-and-green trash truck marked "WB Waste Solutions LLC," details of which were revealed by FOX 5. The truck and e-bike were traveling northeast along Kansas Avenue and approached the Upshur Street intersection at the same time. The trash truck turned right onto Upshur Street, and its front section struck the e-bike. The truck involved in the crash was later located in Hyattsville, Maryland. No charges have been announced as of today. In response to the tragic incident, DC's Department of Transportation plans to hold two safety meetings concerning the 11th Street NW Multimodal Safety Project.
Witnesses to the crash or those with information that could aid the investigation are encouraged to contact the Metropolitan Police Department, which continues to probe the circumstances leading to the collision. Information can be shared by calling (202) 727-9099 or texting to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411, according to FOX 5.
With the driver of the garbage truck now identified, MPD's Major Crash Investigations Unit is moving forward, although an arrest has yet to be made pending a comprehensive investigation. "I think the bigger violation for me is that he did not stop, you know? He just kept going," Dhiru Thadani, a neighbor, told 7News, expressing dismay at the driver's failure to stop after the crash. Police could not comment on any potential charges, yet the community awaits answers as the investigation into the hit-and-run persists.
