Fairfax County police are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found this morning (Tuesday) in the median of Fairfax County Parkway.
The adult man was discovered lying in the median near Old Plains Road just northwest of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital by a community member who spotted the body while driving and called 911, Fairfax County Police Department Capt. Jesse Katzman said in a briefing.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to the call and declared the man deceased at the scene.
As of 12:30 p.m., Fairfax County Parkway remained closed in both directions between Rugby Road and Stringfellow Road so detectives could conduct a death investigation. Traffic is being diverted onto Rolling Road or north towards Reston.
“Please seek an alternate route,” the FCPD said.
Fairfax County Pkwy at Old Plains Rd is closed in both directions. Please seek an alternate route. (2/2)
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 23, 2025
According to Katzman, the man hasn’t been identified yet, but he’s believed to be around 50 years old, and police found “visible trauma to his body.”
“We’re not sure how that trauma occurred or how that individual ended up in that location he is,” Katzman said. “… That grassy median has two high points and one low point. The body was discovered in one of those low points, so it was very difficult to see. We’re not sure how that community member would’ve seen the body, but we’re very thankful that they did pull over and call for rescue.”
While the death investigation is still in its very early stages, the FCPD’s initial “working theory” is that the man may have been struck by a passing driver. Police believe the body has been in the median for a short period of time, but the cause and time of death need to be confirmed by a medical examiner.
The body was found in a stretch of road with no properties or intersections with stoplights and traffic cameras in the immediate vicinity, so video footage of the incident might not be available.
However, detectives are canvassing the surrounding area to see if any residents in nearby neighborhoods connected by a walking path might have surveillance cameras or might’ve witnessed something.
“Anybody who lives in this area or travels this area frequently, if you know anything about what may have occurred, please contact us, and hopefully we’ll have some updates soon that we can share with the community,” Katzman said.
