Multiple people were taken to the hospital early yesterday morning (Sunday) after an attempted drag race on I-395 turned into a police pursuit, resulting in a crash.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers responded to southbound I-395 around 12:16 a.m. in response to an alert that two drivers were trying to race each other along the interstate in the Springfield area.
When police attempted to make a traffic stop, one of the drivers took the exit at Edsall Road, and the other — the driver of a Toyota Camry — “sped away in the southbound lanes of I-395,” the VSP said.
“As the Camry attempted to get away, it ‘split the lane’ and tried to drive between two other southbound vehicles,” police said in a news release. “The Camry collided with both causing them to both lose control and crash near Exit 2 for Edsall Rd. Meanwhile, the Camry continued on a short distance before finally coming to a stop.”
The Camry driver — identified as a 19-year-old man from Silver Spring, Maryland — and a passenger in the sedan were both transported to a local hospital, as were individuals in the two other vehicles involved in the crash. The injuries in all cases were deemed non-life-threatening.
The Camry driver has been charged with eluding police, racing that results in an injury, damage to property and tail-light violations.
“The incident remains under investigation,” the VSP said.
Separately, state police are investigating two crashes that occurred in the I-66 West Express Lanes near the Fairfax County Parkway exit in Fair Lakes around 3:43 a.m. yesterday — an incident that coincidentally also involved a Toyota Camry.
A westbound Toyota Camry lost control, hit the right jersey wall, and then came to rest in the left travel lane. The crash caused the vehicle to lose power and go dark. Moments later, a Range Rover traveling in the left travel lane was unable to avoid striking the Camry.
Two passengers in the Range Rover were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle. Both of them were transported to area hospitals for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The driver and a third passenger refused medical treatment at the scene.
The driver of the Camry was transported to an area hospital.
Image via Google Maps
