Boy’s Suicide Attempt From Overpass Kills Virginia Driver

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A Maryland woman was killed Saturday while driving on I-66 after a 12-year-old boy jumped from an overpass and landed on her SUV. According to reports, Marisa Harris, 22, of Olney, Md., was driving eastbound on I-66 when the boy fell onto the SUV at about 4:18 p.m. Harris's 23-year-old boyfriend, who was in the passenger seat, sustained no injuries and steered the car to the side of the road after the incident.

Police said the boy was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital and is being treated for life-threatening injuries, according to NBC Washington.

The Washington Post reported police as saying the boy's fall from the Cedar Lane overpass was a suicide attempt. Corinne Geller, a spokeswoman for Virginia State Police, said Harris was killed by the impact of the fall.

Driver Dead After Boy Attempts Suicide

Harris' mother, Leigh Miller, said her daughter was attending Marymount University in Arlington as a graduate student in clinical counseling and could have helped the boy if given the chance.

She was passionate about working with children who have severe behavioral problems, the Post reported Miller as saying. "She was caring — I mean, she had an absolute love for children," she said.

Her father, Patrick Harris, said she was outgoing and well-traveled.

“That’s the irony that we’re at looking at right now,” he told the Post, referring to the fact that children with mental issues were exactly the type of people Marisa wanted to help.

“She was loved by her friends," he said, "she was dearly loved by her family, she was admired by her peers, she was just a shining star.”

Article image via Shutterstock