HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β An 11-year-old Tuckahoe Middle School student died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while riding her bicycle on Three Chopt Road in Henrico County.
According to Henrico Police, Dania Bashier was riding her bike with another child around 11:30 a.m. when the children tried to cross the street. A vehicle coming toward them tried to swerve out of the way, avoiding one child but striking Dania in the process.
Dania died at the scene, not far from the middle school where a makeshift memorial is taking shape.
"My body is in shock. I'm still in shock and I can't just process it," Noah Duarte said. "She was one of my friends and she always used to look out for me."
It was tragic news 11-year-old Noah first caught wind of Sunday, but it didn't hit home until he walked into class Monday morning.
"She was in my advisory class, my math class all that and when I walked in, I just didn't see her. Her desk was there and everything and I just couldn't comprehend," Noah said.
Noah and the rest of the Tuckahoe Middle School community are trying to wrap their minds around the loss of one of their own.
"I just wanna pay my respects for her and just give her some flowers and make a stone just to remember her," Noah said.
Though there have been complaints from the community about the speed along Three Chopt Road and the busyness of traffic in the morning and afternoon, police said neither speed nor alcohol were factors, but admit protective equipment could've made the difference.
"When they leave, please make sure they have a helmet on. I mean a helmet probably would've saved a life in this case. Unfortunately with her not having a helmet on it results in some pretty serious injuries," Lt. Shawn Kopelove said. "It's a pretty traumatic situation for police and fire, especially when it involves a child."
Kopelove says overall crashes involving cyclists have been down in the county with 40 crashes and two fatalities last year, compared to eight so far this year and one fatality. In 2023, there were 23 traffic crashes involving cyclists including one fatality.
Through July 31, there have also been 48 crashes including eight fatalities involving pedestrians.
In response, the principal of Tuckahoe Middle School Alison Walden reached out to families. She's asking parents and guardians to talk to their children in a manner they deem appropriate and that those who would like to show support for Dania's family are invited to share their thoughts through a virtual sympathy card that would be provided to the family.
"She was nice. She was very kind. She looked out for other people. She had a bunch of friends," Noah said.
In the meantime, classmates like Noah find closure through prayers and memory.
"After I got up, a white butterfly just flew out from the sky and just landed on me and I was like, 'Oh man,' I think it was Dania just coming to say, 'I'm OK,'" Noah said.
All while urging kids and adults alike to be more vigilant when crossing these busy roads.
"She got hit right about here and I'm just baffled because sometimes I cross over here and I'm like, 'Oh my God,' So I've gotta be definitely more safe," Noah said.
Kopelove is encouraging bicyclists and drivers to become more familiar with traffic safety.
"Just make sure your bikes have reflectors on them, make sure you know the rules of the road and when you have a bike and you are operating it on one of the streets, you are just like a motor vehicle, you have to stop at stop signs, you have to stop at red lights, you have to obey all the traffic laws just like motor vehicles do," Kopelove said.
At this time, Henrico police say there are no plans to lower the speed limit on Three Chopt Road, which is currently 35 mph. However, they say they are looking into other solutions like adding speed cameras and additional crosswalks to keep this from happening again.
"Right now it is 35 mph, I don't know with it being a four-lane road if they would reduce it down to 25 because that's reserved for our residential areas," Kopelove said. "Especially with Tuckahoe Middle, Ridge Elementary and then you have Freeman High School after that, three schools in a row with the school zone signs, I don't know if they're going to reduce it from 35 mph any lower."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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