The driver of a vehicle reported as stolen was arrested this morning (Monday) following a brief police pursuit on Richmond Highway in the Huntington area.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers tried to stop the driver of a vehicle that turned out to be stolen at the intersection of Richmond Highway (Route 1) and Quander Road around 3 a.m. Instead of stopping, the driver fled north in Route 1’s southbound lanes.
“The suspect vehicle did make an attempt to get into northbound lanes, but in the process, struck the raised concrete median,” the VSP said in a news release. “Three suspects then ran on foot from the vehicle.”
State troopers ultimately found the driver “nearby” with help from a Fairfax County Police Department helicopter and K9 unit as well as Alexandria City police officers. The exact locations of the crash into the median and the arrest weren’t immediately available.
“I do not have that information at this time,” a VSP spokesperson said.
Traffic camera video shared by public safety watcher Dave Statter indicates that the crash occurred around Franklin Street in Alexandria.
Wrong way chase: This is what turned out to be a stolen car with the driver going the wrong way trying to elude @VSPPIO early today. The car crashed and three people inside bailed out, prompting an extensive search in the City of Alexandria.
The first shot is from Route 1 at… pic.twitter.com/TtI66Rlfaq
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) December 9, 2024
The driver will face charges of auto theft, eluding, wearing a mask and driving without a license, the state police said. He is also wanted for a vehicle theft charge in Maryland.
The VSP said it hasn’t located the other two people who were in the vehicle.
