Virginia State Police spent hours scouring a storm drain in the Rose Hill area for a driver who allegedly fled the scene of a crash on I-495 this afternoon (Monday).
Troopers were responding to eastbound I-495 near Eisenhower Avenue around 2:35 p.m. for two vehicle crashes when a third crash occurred, according to state police.
“The trooper investigating the third crash directed the two vehicles involved to move from the left shoulder to the right shoulder to consolidate all the crash scenes,” the VSP said in an update around 9 p.m. “Both drivers complied and were instructed to remain in their vehicles as the investigation continued.”
However, while the trooper was investigating, one of the drivers took off “at a high rate of speed,” leading to a police pursuit that ended when the driver crashed again less than a mile away on I-495, police say.
Traffic camera video shared by public safety watcher Dave Statter shows the driver then fleeing on foot, crossing all east and westbound lanes of I-495 before entering a wooded area. According to the VSP, the driver went into a storm drain under the interstate, bringing him back to the eastbound side.
Police later spotted the driver crawling through a smaller drainpipe.
“The suspect refused State Police commands in both English and Spanish to stop,” the VSP said. “The pipe narrowed to an 18-inch diameter, making pursuit difficult.”
With the assistance of the Fairfax County Police Department and the county’s Fire and Rescue Department, the state police stationed troopers at nearby drain covers to watch potential exits. The FCPD deployed a drone to search the drainpipe, but it encountered “signal interference,” the VSP says.
After a three-hour search, troopers located a pipe opening nearly three blocks, or a quarter-mile, away from where the driver entered, according to police.
“A local resident reported seeing an individual exit the manhole 30 minutes earlier,” the VSP said, identifying the driver as 38-year-old Victor A. Caneza.
While the search continues, the VSP says it’s obtaining warrants that will charge Caneza with felonies for a hit-and-run and eluding the police.
NEW: Video shows a driver who appears to be fleeing from @VSPPIO at one of numerous crash scenes on I-95N between Van Dorn & Eisenhower. The person crashed again moments later and ran on foot along the Beltway. Police believe the person went into a large storm sewer in the Rose… https://t.co/FrBBvx1shB pic.twitter.com/c9WNCSHSTt
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) January 6, 2025
