Bozeman, Mont. — A 9-year-old girl died in Bozeman after police say a car hit her while she was riding her bike on Wednesday afternoon, June 17th.
The crash happened in the 300 block of East Griffin Drive, at the intersection of Griffin and Rouse, where the roadway later reopened, but the loss continues to weigh on the community.
Bozeman police reported they got a call just before 11 a.m. Wednesday about a vehicle versus bicycle collision.
When responders arrived, the child had already died from her injuries. Police say the investigation is still underway, and more information may be released at the earliest by next week, according to officials with the City of Bozeman.
Bozeman Police say it appeared the girl was riding down Rouse when she suddenly turned across the road and was hit by the car.
Just blocks from the crash site, employees at the Bozeman Bike Kitchen noticed police officers and emergency crews up the street from their shop but said they did not want to visit the crash site and potentially interfere with an ongoing police investigation.
“We all knew something was happening, but didn’t want to gum up police and officials, so we tried to give them their space” said Kara Gratzek, shop manager at the Bozeman Bike Kitchen.
Gratzek says the crash also stands as a reminder of how road use is changing between pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists as Bozeman grows.
“It’s such an unfortunate event. It feels like as this town grows, we’re facing more interactions between pedestrians and cyclists with cars and it’s such a shame.” said Gratzek.