One man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash this afternoon (Friday) after striking a police cruiser stopped at a traffic light in Braddock.
The 57-year-old man was driving east in a Toyota Camry when he struck the Fairfax County Police Department vehicle around 1:09 p.m. at the intersection of Braddock Road and Prestwick Drive, police said.
At least one witness reported that the 57-year-old had been driving erratically and at a high rate of speed before striking the back of the police cruiser, FCPD Capt. Jesse Katzman said based on a preliminary investigation.
The officer’s cruiser then struck the vehicle in front of it, which in turn rear-ended the next vehicle in line. In total, four vehicles were involved in the crash. Aside from the original striking vehicle, all of the other drivers were waiting at a stoplight.
The Toyota Camry driver — later identified as Dariush Bakhtiani of Centreville — was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The officer involved and solo drivers of the other two vehicles sustained non-life threatening injuries, police said. Everyone involved is an adult.
Eastbound Braddock Road was closed at Campus Drive, as Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives investigated the crash.
“We’re continuing to track down leads, gather evidence and check for video footage,” Katzman said. “We also believe that there are community members that may have some dashcam footage for that, so we’re asking for anybody who has information on either the accident or the driving behavior of anybody involved, please come forward and share that video with us. It would be greatly helpful.”
As of Saturday (Feb. 7), the FCPD was still investigating the crash, including whether alcohol might’ve been a factor in addition to speed.
East bound Braddock Rd is closed. Crash Reconstruction detectives are on scene investigating. Please use an alternate route. (2/2)
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 6, 2026
Watch as Captain Katzman provides updates on a fatal multi-vehicle crash involving an FCPD officer that occurred this afternoon in Braddock. pic.twitter.com/pwjuDedxgX
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 6, 2026
Screenshot via Google Maps
