A teen died after they were hit by a driver while crossing Old Keene Mill Road in Burke on Wednesday (Dec. 4).
While crossing at the Sydenstricker Road intersection near Pohick Regional Library, the 14-year-old pedestrian apparently walked into the westbound lanes on Old Keene Mill Road and was struck by the driver of a Ford Fusion, the Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday (Thursday), citing a preliminary investigation by detectives.
Police officers and emergency responders dispatched to the scene at 6:15 p.m. reported that they found the pedestrian unconscious and bleeding, according to scanner traffic.
The teen was taken to a hospital, where they died from their injuries later that day. The driver remained at the site of the crash, police said.
“Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors for the driver,” the FCPD said in a news release. “The circumstances surrounding the crash are still being investigated.”
Police didn’t identify the pedestrian in accordance with the department’s policy for minors, and an Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson told FFXnow they’re unable to confirm that the person killed was an FCPS student.
However, they appear to have been a student at Lake Braddock Secondary School, according to a message that principal Lindsey Kearns sent to the community last night.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for our community,” Kearns wrote. “Out of respect for the family, I will not be sharing any additional information.”
The school’s counselors will be joined on Friday by a “crisis team” of psychologists and social workers to provide support to middle and high school students and parents, she said.
“The death of a young person is difficult for all of us,” Kearns said. “If your student is affected by the news, it is essential that they share their feelings, and reach out to others for support.”
This is the fourth fatal crash on Old Keene Mill Road in 2024 and the second one involving a pedestrian. On Sept. 19, Oscar Daniel Martinez Granados, 24, of Woodbridge was killed by a driver while he was walking near Irving Middle School in Springfield.
The other two fatal crashes involved motorcyclists. Burke resident Mohab Helmy died in a crash outside the Rolling Valley mall in Burke on April 24, and 72-year-old Springfield resident Mohammed Rastegar died after a crash with a Honda Civic on Oct. 30 at Field Master Drive.
Since 2010, when the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles launched its online crash report database, 11 people have been killed in vehicle crashes on Old Keene Mill Road, including this year’s fatalities.
Road image via Google Maps
