A teen was hospitalized this morning (Monday) after she was struck by a driver while riding an electric bicycle near McLean High School.
Initial details about the crash are limited, but the Fairfax County Police Department says the 15-year-old girl appears to have been riding in a crosswalk at Westmoreland Street and Clearview Drive when she was struck.
“The teen was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the FCPD said on social media. “The adult male driver remained on scene and was cited for reckless driving.”
According to the FCPD, officers received a call for the crash at 7:44 a.m. An investigation into the circumstances remains underway.
Reckless driving in Virginia is generally designated a class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a maximum fine of $2,500.
The teen was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The adult male driver remained on scene and was cited for reckless driving. The scene has since cleared and officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. (2/2)
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 19, 2026
Students’ ability to get to and from school safely, particularly if they’re walking or on a bicycle, has come under heightened scrutiny since the current school year began in August after Fairfax County eliminated funding for crossing guards at high schools.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted on Sept. 15 to restore funding for the remainder of the 2026-2027 school year after multiple crashes were reported in the preceding weeks involving Fairfax County Public Schools students, including one fatality involving a 13-year-old from Frost Middle School who was biking near Fair City Mall in Fairfax City.
The garbage truck driver allegedly behind that crash was subsequently charged with careless driving and inflicting death on a vulnerable road user.
McLean High School was among the schools where a crossing guard was removed and then restored.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, who represents McLean, confirmed to FFXnow that an FCPD officer was present and working as a crossing guard at the intersection when this morning’s crash occurred.
“The officer had not yet directed the student to cross when the accident occurred,” Bierman said. “As always, we ask that drivers slow down — please slow down! — in school zones and that those walking or biking also stop before crossing, which did not occur here … There is a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at that crosswalk, but it had not been pushed.”
Video of the crash shared by a nearby resident with FFXnow showed that the teen had attempted to cross Westmoreland from the eastern side of the road, where there is currently an orange traffic cone covering the hole where a rapid flashing beacon once stood. That means there was no button for the rider to push, though the beacon on the west side remains in place.
The beacon was taken out of commission by a vehicle crash on Aug. 25, just one day into the current school year, Bierman’s office confirmed.
“Our office immediately submitted a request to the Virigina Department of Transportation (VDOT) to replace the downed RRFB and flagged the work request to VDOT leadership,” the Dranesville District supervisor’s office said. “The responsibility for RRFBs is shared between VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT). We requested that both agencies expedite its replacement.”
VDOT’s contractor is scheduled to finish replacing the missing beacon by Nov. 13, Bierman’s office says.
Bierman noted that a joint pedestrian safety task force formed by the Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County School Board will meet this week.
“It is clear that we have work to do both on infrastructure and public education,” Bierman added.
A study of potential intersection improvements on Westmoreland Street conducted in 2020 recommended extending the curb and relocating bus stops at Clearview Drive.
The McLean resident who captured video of the crash says the intersection remains “incredibly dangerous,” noting that he sees near-misses “every single day.”
