Two people have been hospitalized following a crash this morning (Tuesday) on Baron Cameron Avenue in Reston that resulted in an ambulance getting entangled in electrical wires.
Fairfax County police officers and firefighters responded at 11:31 a.m. to the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Bracknell Drive near the Spectrum at Reston Town Center for a two-vehicle crash that sent one car into a utility pole.
One of the drivers had to be extricated from their vehicle, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
The utility pole initially remained upright, but electrical wires hanging low over Baron Cameron Avenue ensnared another passing vehicle at around 11:41 a.m., per scanner traffic.
“While crews were operating on the scene, a passing truck caught hanging electrical wires from the pole causing the pole to collapse onto an FCFRD ambulance and medical equipment,” the fire department said in a Facebook post on the incident.
FCFRD says one firefighter was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries after getting hit by the falling utility pole, as seen in video footage shared by public safety watcher Dave Statter. But the “secondary incident” didn’t distract the remaining firefighters, who were able to “successfully” extricate the trapped driver from their vehicle.
Both drivers in the original crash were also transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
As of press time, Baron Cameron Avenue remains closed to traffic in both directions at Bracknell Drive, as crews work to clear the electrical wires from the road, according to both the FCFRD and police.
The road closure is expected to extend into the afternoon rush hour “for signal pole repairs,” the Virginia Department of Transportation said, advising drivers to “seek alternate routes.”
Baron Cameron Avenue ultimately reopened to traffic at around 7:30 p.m.
Reston: Baron Cameron Ave at Bracknell Dr is expected to be blocked through the PM rush for signal pole repairs. Pls seek alternate routes. #VaTraffic https://t.co/DNWOsoxMfj
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) August 25, 2026
Extremely close call for firefighters: (Warning: Video shows a firefighter sustaining injuries.)
In Fairfax County, VA, a utility pole collapsed onto an area where firefighters were working. It happened at a crash scene yesterday in Reston. This important safety footage is being… pic.twitter.com/FjOd2t9SgS
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) August 26, 2026
This story was updated to note that a firefighter was injured when the utility pole fell.
