Alaska mayor, mother die after being struck by tour bus on trip to DC

The mayor of an Alaska town and her mother were killed by a tour bus on Wednesday night while visiting Washington, D.C.

Monica Adams Carlson, the mayor of Skagway, Alaska, and her 85-year-old mother Cora Louise Adams were hit by a bus while in the crosswalk at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street Northwest near the National Archives shortly after 9:30 p.m., WTOP reported.

{mosads}The women later died at a hospital as a result of their injuries. 

Police told the outlet that the driver of the Prevost H3 passenger bus has not yet been identified and it is unclear if the driver will face charges. Police told The Washington Post that preliminary findings in their investigation showed that Carlson and Adams had the walk light at the crosswalk.

Carlson and Adams were visiting Washington to sightsee and had toured the White House’s Christmas decorations on Wednesday, the Post reported. The tour was arranged through Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan (R).

The Hill has reached out to Sullivan’s office for comment.

The 61-year-old was elected as Skagway’s mayor following a write-in campaign in October 2017. The town of 1,100 people is about 100 miles north of Alaska’s capital city, Juneau.

The Municipality of Skagway in a Thursday statement asked for the family’s privacy to be respected.

“This is a devastating loss to Monica’s family, friends, and community,” the statement read.

Carlson also served as director of tour operations at Skagway Street Car Tour since 1996, according to president Steve Hites.

“She was very proud of her town and was a good mayor,” Hites told WTOP.

The mayor of an Alaska town and her mother, who were in town for a tour of the White House, are dead after they were struck by a tour bus in D.C. Wednesday night. https://t.co/875EcDbIHv pic.twitter.com/Oum6I99IH1

— Megan Cloherty (@ClohertyWTOP) December 20, 2018