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DEVELOPING: SUV crashes into gas line on Ox Road, prompting evacuations

By Angela Woolsey and Mary Stachyra Lopez
SUV perched on a street curb/green post with a group of rescue workers around it
Emergency responders in yellow vests inspect a car crash on the highway shoulder near a grass verge beneath a clear sky.
Fire truck with a tall ladder labeled 'Tower 403' occupying a sunny two-lane road by green grass and trees on the left.
Fire truck with an extended ladder blocking a road; emergency lights on, a car off the roadway to the left, and a worker in a reflective vest nearby.
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An SUV driving the wrong way crashed into a Washington gas regulation station on Ox Road, near Burke Centre Parkway in Fairfax Station this morning (Wednesday), resulting in a gas leak that forced evacuations of a nearby school, day care, and church.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) responded at around 10:57 a.m. to the intersection, where it was immediately clear that there was a leak, said Deputy Chief Dave Barlow.

“It was very loud, and it was very clear when units arrived on scene that there was a gas line,” Barlow said. 

A section of northbound Route 123 was temporarily shut down as Washington Gas worked to repair the 12-inch gas line. The Fairfax County Department of Emergency Management and Security, police department, and City of Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department also responded to the scene.

Traffic camera footage of the crash, shared by public safety watcher Dave Statter, suggests the driver was on the wrong side of the road when they crashed. An SUV is seen squeezing past another vehicle waiting in a left-turn lane on Ox Road and crossing to the other side of the road in the Burke Centre Parkway intersection before veering off the street after crossing Burke Centre Parkway and crashing.

The driver has been transported to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening, Barlow said. Police are still investigating whether factors such as a medical emergency played a part in the crash.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident.

Per scanner traffic, a “significant odor” of gas was reportedly detected in Fairview Elementary School, which was evacuated, as were businesses at Burke Centre Shopping Center. According to Barlow, the area evacuated was about 500 feet; occupants have been allowed back in the buildings.

“Anytime you’re dealing with natural gas, obviously we’ve had some experiences with that in the county, but given the weather, conditions were in our favor,” Barlow said.

“We weren’t getting readings in any of the buildings,” he added.

About the Authors

  • Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

  • Mary Stachyra Lopez is a staff reporter covering business, public safety, education, and other community issues for Local News Now. She has previously worked at Patch.com, the Arlington Catholic Herald, and The Atlantic.