Multiple people were taken to the hospital early yesterday morning (Sunday) after an attempted drag race on I-395 turned into a police pursuit, resulting in a crash.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers responded to southbound I-395 around 12:16 a.m. in response to an alert that two drivers were trying to race each other along the interstate in the Springfield area.
When police attempted to make a traffic stop, one of the drivers took the exit at Edsall Road, and the other — the driver of a Toyota Camry — “sped away in the southbound lanes of I-395,” the VSP said.
“As the Camry attempted to get away, it ‘split the lane’ and tried to drive between two other southbound vehicles,” police said in a news release. “The Camry collided with both causing them to both lose control and crash near Exit 2 for Edsall Rd. Meanwhile, the Camry continued on a short distance before finally coming to a stop.”
The Camry driver — identified as a 19-year-old man from Silver Spring, Maryland — and a passenger in the sedan were both transported to a local hospital, as were individuals in the two other vehicles involved in the crash. The injuries in all cases were deemed non-life-threatening.
The Camry driver has been charged with eluding police, racing that results in an injury, damage to property and tail-light violations.
“The incident remains under investigation,” the VSP said.
Separately, state police are investigating two crashes that occurred in the I-66 West Express Lanes near the Fairfax County Parkway exit in Fair Lakes around 3:43 a.m. yesterday — an incident that coincidentally also involved a Toyota Camry.
A westbound Toyota Camry lost control, hit the right jersey wall, and then came to rest in the left travel lane. The crash caused the vehicle to lose power and go dark. Moments later, a Range Rover traveling in the left travel lane was unable to avoid striking the Camry.
Two passengers in the Range Rover were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle. Both of them were transported to area hospitals for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The driver and a third passenger refused medical treatment at the scene.
The driver of the Camry was transported to an area hospital.
Image via Google Maps
Two Reston men are facing multiple charges — including attempted murder in one case — after allegedly getting involved in police pursuits on the Capital Beltway last Thursday (March 7).
The first chase began around 9:54 p.m. when a Virginia State Police trooper moved to stop a Jeep Cherokee SRT for reckless driving on I-495 near S. Van Dorn Street in Rose Hill, according to the VSP.
“The Cherokee refused to stop for the trooper and a pursuit was initiated,” state police said. “During the course of the pursuit, the driver of the Jeep threw a firearm out the window. The firearm struck the ground and then the trooper’s vehicle.”
After the chase got off the Beltway, the driver hit the trooper’s vehicle with the Jeep at the Braddock Road and Twinbrook Road intersection in the Kings Park West area, the VSP said. The Jeep ultimately came to a stop on Twinbrook Road.
The driver — identified by police as Jevon T. Mark, 23, of Reston — was taken into custody and charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, eluding police, throwing missiles, reckless driving and one felony count of hit and run.
Police also detained and released two passengers in the vehicle, and the gun reportedly thrown out of the Jeep was found.
“The incident remains under investigation,” the VSP said.
The second high-speed chase of the night came less than an hour later. At 10:45 p.m., the VSP were alerted by a Maryland law enforcement agency to a stolen 2015 Chevrolet traveling across the American Legion Bridge into Virginia.
When a state trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop on I-495 near Braddock Road, the driver refused and sped away at a high rate of speed, the VSP said. State police attempted to bring the vehicle to a stop near the Glebe Road exit in Arlington using a “pursuit intervention technique.”
Though fuzzy, a traffic camera video captured by public safety watcher Dave Statter shows the vehicle careening into a ditch by the exit ramp.
According to the VSP, the driver crawled into the trunk of the vehicle to try and hide from the troopers, who took him into custody without incident.
During the pursuit, the car rammed into one of the trooper’s cars. The trooper suffered minor injuries.
Abiselome Belachew, a 21-year-old Reston resident, has been charged with attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer, one felony count of hit-and-run for hitting the trooper’s vehicle, one felony count of eluding police, auto theft and driving on a suspended license.
(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) A boy was taken to the hospital yesterday (Sunday) after a crash near Inova Fairfax Hospital.
The Fairfax County Police Department reported at 6:32 p.m. that officers were on scene of a crash involving a sedan and a bus on Gallows Road at Anderson Road in Merrifield.
A passenger in the sedan, the boy was hospitalized with injuries initially considered life-threatening. His condition is no longer believed to be critical.
“The juvenile remains hospitalized, and his condition has been upgraded to non-life-threatening injuries,” the FCPD said this morning (Monday).
According to police, the bus in the crash was a Metrobus.
“There were passengers on the bus but there were no reported injuries to passengers on the Metrobus,” an FCPD spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority suggested FFXnow reach out to the FCPD when contacted for comment, noting that the police department is the lead in traffic investigations.
One lane of Gallows Road was closed last night while Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives investigated, but it reopened around 9:18 p.m.
Officers are on scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a bus and a sedan at Gallows Rd & Anderson Dr in Merrifield. A juvenile occupant in the sedan was taken to hospital w/injuries considered life threatening. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/knTR2v1biO
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 3, 2024
Image via Google Maps
A man who allegedly stole a medical transport vehicle from Inova Fairfax Hospital last week has been located and arrested, Fairfax County police announced over the weekend.
Rickey Lowe, 32, of Manassas was arrested on Friday (Feb. 23) by Fugitive Tracking and Apprehension Unit detectives who found him “near a hotel in Manassas,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release on Saturday (Feb. 24).
According to police, Lowe was a passenger in a 2015 Toyota Corolla that was reported stolen from Prince William County on Feb. 14. When officers spotted the sedan near Fair Oaks Mall at around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, the driver took off, reportedly speeding out of the mall parking lot and onto eastbound Route 50.
“The driver quickly changed directions and drove towards the westbound I-66 ramp,” the FCPD said in an earlier news release. “The driver lost control of the Corolla, entered the embankment, and struck a small hill sending it airborne. The vehicle landed against a concrete wall on the exit ramp of westbound I-66 toward Route 50 eastbound.”
All five occupants of the Corolla were hospitalized with injuries, but while receiving treatment, Lowe allegedly left the emergency room at Inova Fairfax Hospital “in his medical gown with an IV still in his arm and then stole an ‘MMT’ Medical Transport vehicle,” police said.
The vehicle was later found in the 4200 block of Annandale Road in Annandale, but officers didn’t locate Lowe.
Upon his arrest on Friday, Lowe was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he was held on a $2,000 bond. He has been charged with grand larceny.
The driver of the Corolla — identified by police as Xxeavius Romoance Marlow, 29, of Manassas — has also been charged with grand larceny. After getting treated for injuries from the crash, he was taken to the county jail, where he’s currently in custody without bond.
Fairfax County General District Court records indicate that Lowe remains in custody after an arraignment this morning. He faces a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 29, while Marlow’s preliminary hearing will be held on June 12.
(Updated at 8:15 p.m.) Fairfax County police combed Annandale last night for a man who reportedly stole an ambulance while getting treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital after a vehicle crash off I-66 near Fair Oaks.
The crash occurred at the eastbound Route 50 ramp to westbound I-66 around 12:30 p.m. yesterday (Monday) when officers attempted to stop a 2015 Toyota Corolla that was identified as stolen from another jurisdiction, according to the Fairfax County Police Department and scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The officers saw the driver pulling out of a Fair Oaks Mall parking lot when he spotted them and “accelerated at a high rate of speed,” the FCPD said in an update.
“The driver quickly changed directions and drove towards the westbound I-66 ramp,” the police department said. “The driver lost control of the Corolla, entered the embankment, and struck a small hill sending it airborne. The vehicle landed against a concrete wall on the exit ramp of westbound I-66 toward Route 50 eastbound.”
The crash was captured on traffic camera video shared by public safety watcher Dave Statter.
NEW: According to police, the person who stole the ambulance at Inova Fairfax is one of the five people injured in this crash of a stolen car today at Route 50 and I-66 in Fair Oaks. @FairfaxCountyPD handling. More to come. Video of the crash from @safetyvid. @ffxnow… pic.twitter.com/F3RuaZYT5v
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) February 20, 2024
According to the FCPD, all five of the vehicle’s occupants received first aid, and four of them were taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, one with injuries initially considered life-threatening.
However, while getting treated at the hospital, one of the passengers left and took off in a private ambulance.
“While not yet discharged, he walked away from treatment with an IV in arm, jumped in a private transport ambulance and stole it,” the FCPD said in a tweet at 10:29 p.m.
The ambulance was located in the 4200 block of Annandale Road in Annandale that evening, but the man who allegedly stole it still hasn’t been found, despite “an extensive search” by Fairfax and Prince William County police officers, according to the FCPD.
Identified by police as Rickey Lowe, 32, of Manassas, the man is now wanted for grand larceny in connection to the ambulance’s theft.
The FCPD says that two guns, a bag of “unknown white powder” and drug paraphernalia were found in the Corolla that crashed at the I-66 and Route 50 interchange. The driver remains hospitalized and has been charged with grand larceny.
Preliminarily, the vehicle returned as stolen from another jurisdiction & a firearm has been recovered. Rt. 50 eastbound and Rt. 50 westbound ramps to I66 are closed as the investigation continues. Please use an alternate route. (2/2) #FCPD
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 19, 2024
Suspect was a passenger in the crash earlier on I66 and receiving treatment at Fairfax Hospital. While not yet discharged, he walked away from treatment with an IV in arm, jumped in a private transport ambulance and stole it. (1/2)
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 20, 2024
Columbia Pike has been closed for more than 12 hours near Bailey’s Crossroads after a vehicle crashed into a house and utility pole last night (Sunday), taking out the pole and, with it, the area’s electricity.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue investigators were dispatched to Columbia Pike at Powell Lane around 7:16 p.m. for the single-vehicle crash, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
Upon arriving at the scene, a responder reported to the dispatcher that one vehicle drove into a house, but there didn’t appear to be any structural damage.
“I do have a major power line blocking Columbia Pike in both directions,” he said.
No injuries were reported in the crash, but the downed utility pole resulted in power outages for 1,893 Dominion Energy customers, Dominion spokesperson Peggy Fox said shortly before 10 p.m.
The Fairfax County Police Department warned that the road closure would extend through the morning commute due to “extensive damage” at the Blair Road intersection.
As of 10:20 a.m., Columbia Pike remains closed in both directions, prompting the FCPD to advise drivers to find “an alternate route.” Dominion Energy still has 365 customers in Bailey’s Crossroads without power, according to the utility company’s outage map.
“We expect to bring power back by noon,” Fox said in a tweet. “Thanks for your patience. Avoid the area if possible.”
⚠ ROAD CLOSURE ⚠ Columbia Pike at Blair Rd in Baileys Crossroads is closed in both directions. A single vehicle crashed into a utility pole & house causing minor damage. No injuries to anyone involved. Downed powerlines expected to cause delays. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/LUAugSpWOM
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 12, 2024
Work repairing downed lines from vehicle crash into pole continues on Columbia Pike.
365 customer outages. We expect to bring power back by noon.
Thanks for your patience. 🙏🏻
Avoid the area if possible.https://t.co/jJaJ68yyu0— Peggy Fox (@PeggyDomEnergy) February 12, 2024
Updated at 6:55 p.m. — All lanes on Elden and Monroe streets have reopened after this morning’s crash, Herndon police said shortly after 11 a.m.
Earlier: Local police are investigating a crash at Elden and Monroe Street in Herndon involving a school bus and delivery truck this morning (Monday).
No injuries were reported in the crash, and there were no children on the bus, according to a Herndon Police Department spokesperson.
However, traffic is currently being blocked from turning onto Monroe Street from Elden Street, the police department tweeted shortly before 9:15 a.m.
Commuters are encouraged to find an alternate route.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Officers are working an crash at Elden and Monroe involving a school bus and delivery truck. Traffic cannot turn onto Monroe from Elden. Find an alternate route. Updates as available. #HerndonPD pic.twitter.com/pxrAKXice0
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) February 12, 2024
(Updated at 7:50 p.m.) A teenage pedestrian was injured in a vehicle crash in Pimmit Hills this evening, police say.
The crash occurred around 6:50 p.m. at the intersection of Pimmit Drive and Storm Drive, which was closed while Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives investigated, the Fairfax County Police Department said at 7:20 p.m.
A 13-year-old boy was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital with injuries initially considered life-threatening based on their location and the damage to the vehicle, according to scanner traffic on OpenMHz.
The intersection reopened around 7:40 p.m., the FCPD said in a 7:44 p.m. update.
“The juvenile pedestrian’s injuries are no longer considered to be life-threatening,” the department said.
The intersection remains closed as Crash Reconstruction unit detectives investigate. Please use alternate route. [2/2]
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) January 29, 2024
A local family is seeking financial support after a late December pedestrian crash critically injured a mother and her son on Elden Street in Herndon.
“We were simply walked home after grocery shopping when a driver ran off the road and hit my five year old son, my wife and me,” Armando Verduo wrote in a message for a GoFundMe campaign.
As of today (Tuesday), the campaign has raised nearly $17,500 of a $50,000 goal. The funds will be used to pay for medical bills and other expenses, Verduo said.
A driver hit the family on Herndon Parkway near the Elden Street intersection on Dec. 28. The boy was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, and the woman was taken to Reston Hospital. The driver remained at the scene.
Verduo, who suffered minor injuries, said public safety personnel extricated his wife from underneath a car that was pinned on top of her.
“Neither of us can work and the medical bills and expenses are adding to the catastrophe we are now living,” he wrote in the campaign.
The Herndon Police Department has not publicly released any additional information related to the crash.
“The case is still under investigation,” HPD spokesperson Lisa Herndon said.
(Updated at 6:35 p.m.) A driver hit three pedestrians on Herndon Parkway near the Elden Street intersection, police say.
Herndon Parkway’s outer loop is currently closed from Elden Street outside H-Mart to Summerfield Drive in response to the crash, according to the Herndon Police Department.
“One victim transported to an area hospital, 1 victim minor injuries, and 1 pedestrian victim still being tended to on scene,” Herndon police said.
Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of Herndon Parkway around 5:03 p.m. after an SUV driver reportedly went onto the sidewalk and struck a male pedestrian in a gravel parking lot, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The three pedestrian victims included a boy who was found unconscious, a man and a woman estimated to be in her mid-20s who got pinned under the vehicle, according to police and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department scanner traffic.
The boy was transported to the emergency room at Inova Fairfax Hospital, an FCFRD responder said on the scanner at 5:13 p.m. A police officer said at 5:25 p.m. that the female pedestrian who had to be extricated from under the vehicle was transported to Reston Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver remained at the scene.
The Herndon Police Department said just before 6:30 p.m. that two pedestrians were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, but the circumstances of the crash and the ages of the victims haven’t been confirmed.
INCIDENT ALERT: Herndon Parkway outer loop from Summerfield to H Mart completely closed for a crash involving pedestrians. One victim transported to an area hospital, 1 victim minor injuries, and 1 pedestrian victim still being tended to on scene. Updates as available. pic.twitter.com/sZJ1D9MKXF
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) December 28, 2023
