Homeless Man Killed In Germantown Pedestrian Collision

GERMANTOWN, MD — Montgomery County Police officers are investigating a fatal pedestrian collision that left a 64-year-old man dead Tuesday morning in Germantown.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Toyota Sequoia, driven by Rachelle Tankeu, 55, of Germantown, was traveling west on Middlebrook Road. At the intersection with Great Seneca Highway, the car, for reasons still under investigation, left the roadway and struck a pedestrian who was standing on the median at about 10:44 a.m., police said.

The pedestrian is identified as Richard Lee Cooper of an unconfirmed address. Many readers left comments asking if the man killed was the homeless man who frequently panhandled in the area.

One reader posted: "There's a homeless guy panhandling there every day. I noticed he was gone. Was he the person hit? This is a serious problem that the police have to stop! Way too dangerous for everyone!" Another user commented, "I wonder if it was the guy panhandling there for about a month. I don't understand why Montgomery County allows panhandling."

>> See Related: Germantown Crash Kills 1 Pedestrian, Police Say

After striking the pedestrian, the Sequoia struck a 1998 Ford Expedition that was attempting to make a left turn from northbound Great Seneca Highway onto westbound Middlebrook Road, police said. The driver of the Expedition is identified as Gender Anelio Castillo Flores, 32, of Germantown.

The drivers of both vehicles and a passenger in the Ford were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The pedestrian, Cooper, was pronounced deceased at the scene, police told Patch.

Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of the collision. Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact the Collision Reconstruction Unit at 240-773-6620.

Patch File Photo