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Very sad. Praying for this child and family.

I don't know if this is the exact crosswalk or direction, but here is a a streetview of the perspective of the driver.
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6273864,-76.9440828,3a,75y,137.98h,91.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1se51yFDHBrfX-Z_BaMg94Zw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Of course drivers are going to speed on that road -- it is designed for highway speeds.

Meanwhile, here's what McDaniel Road used to look like (streetview Oct 2012).
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6319132,-76.948152,3a,75y,91.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD7_4Plzb5JJxCKSd6OAJAA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The old road was a narrow rural road designed for slow traffic, farm equipment etc. Drivers pay attention on those sorts of roads.

The new road is designed to forgive speeding and distracted driving. Although it is new and "improved" it is far less safe for everyone except the late-night drunk.

The traffic and civil engineers who design and sign off on conversion of slow farm roads into speedways through subdivisions are the ones who should be brought up on criminal charges here.

@Greenbelt
Interesting before & after pictures.

Of course developers need to have these farm lanes converted to near interstate roads. The only way one can make life work in these far flung exurbs is to be able to drive as fast as possible for as long as possible.

In the NBC video I'll note the the weeds along the road are quite high. They could have partially obscured vision for both the driver and the pedestrians.

Sad news update: the child died.

I rode through there a couple of weeks ago, and I remember passing through the spot where the child was hit.

Where McDaniel Road passes over Piney Branch (I typed this before watching the video):
- heading southbound, the trail switches from the west side of the road to the east side
- there is a trail crossing that features 90-degree turns for trail users
- the crossing is at the bottom of a hill on both sides

Given these points, a driver going even slightly above the speed limit will have more difficulty in stopping (this is not an excuse). Of course, slowing down is always an option that seems to be forgotten.

The best solution to me to help prevent future collisions would be to widen that crossing so that a pedestrian refuge island could be installed in the middle. That would narrow the lanes which would help slow drivers down (I'd recommend this for all of the crossings along McDaniel Rd).

Yeah, I'm adding the links and modifying the post. I don't disagree with any of your suggestions, but my spidey senses suspect there was some phone reading going on out there. The only way you can not see someone crossing the street as part of a group is that you aren't looking. I also expect speeding to come back as a factor.

That, or they were literally asleep at the wheel.

That poor mother. Watching something like that....uhhh, I can't imagine.

Meanwhile, the driver who accidentally killed a cop is pleading guilty and will get 5 years in jail. I just wish that prosecutors would be tougher when regular people were killed.

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