Springfield neighborhood resident killed crossing River Rd. in Bethesda

Margaret McDowell Wydro, a 95-year-old resident of the Springfield neighborhood in Bethesda was killed crossing River Road last night at the Springfield Drive intersection. Wydro lived on Springfield Drive, and was headed to the bowling alley at the Kenwood Golf and Country Club across River Road just before 7 PM Wednesday evening.

Montgomery County Police say a 2007 BMW 335i driven by Kenneth Samuel Bravman, 30, of the 4100 block of Albermarle Street NW, struck Wydro as she was crossing River Road "in the area of the marked crosswalk." Bravman remained at the scene and cooperated with police investigating the accident's cause.

While the cause or fault in the accident have yet to be determined, the intersection was not properly lit by streetlights, similar to others such as the intersection of River at Ridgefield Road. Pedestrians often take their life in their hands attempting to cross at the latter intersection after dark.

Wydro was familiar to many longtime residents of the neighborhood, and remembered as very active even at 95. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.