The family of an Alexandria man who was killed in a crash on Little River Turnpike earlier this month has launched an online fundraiser to help with the funeral costs.
Angel Benito Matom Velasco, 19, was walking in the road’s eastbound lanes past the Beauregard Street intersection in Lincolnia shortly after midnight on Aug. 1 when he was hit by the driver of a 2003 Lincoln Town Car, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Police officers and a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department engine with a medic responded to the crash at 12:06 a.m. Velasco was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and was pronounced deceased later that day, according to the FCPD.
The Lincoln driver didn’t experience any injuries and remained at the scene of the crash, police say.
“Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors for the driver,” the FCPD said in a press release published today (Thursday). “The circumstances surrounding the crash are still being investigated.”
Little River Turnpike has only a grass median along the eastbound lanes near Beauregard Street, but there’s a sidewalk on a parallel service road.
Velasco was the fifth pedestrian to be killed in a vehicle crash in Fairfax County this year, according to state data. Previous crashes occurred on Richmond Highway, Centreville Road near Herndon, Route 29 in Idylwood and on the Dulles Toll Road near the Herndon/Chantilly exit.
The state database also currently shows a sixth fatal pedestrian crash on Madrillon Road at Gallows Road in Dunn Loring at 1:08 p.m. on March 23, but an FCPD spokesperson says the responding officer had marked the incident as a fatal by mistake. The FCPD and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, which manages the database, are working to get the error corrected.
A GoFundMe organized by Velasco’s family is seeking to raise $10,000 to help cover the costs of a funeral for him.
“This is a very sad time for our family, and we are currently organizing the funeral costs,” the fundraiser says. “We want to provide Angel Benito Matom Velasco with a respectful service that celebrates who Angel Benito was: brother, son, and friend. We appreciate any donations you may have.”
Image via Google Maps
