Another person has been killed in a crash in the Richmond Highway corridor.
Police and emergency medical services were dispatched to Memorial Street at Richmond Highway for a single-vehicle crash around 9:24 a.m. today (Thursday), according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
An adult man was transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital, the Fairfax County Police Department said at 10:37 a.m.
“Memorial St is closed as our Crash Reconstruction Unit investigates,” the police department tweeted.
Officers are on scene of a single vehicle crash on Memorial St at Richmond Hwy in Hybla Valley. One adult man was taken to the hospital in life threatening condition and pronounced deceased. Memorial St is closed as our Crash Reconstruction Unit investigates. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/Y4LgKkLIUH
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 22, 2024
Just minutes earlier, around 9:21 a.m., Richmond Highway was shut down in both directions in the Lorton area after a multiple-vehicle crash at Hassett Street. Police said at 10:16 a.m. that an adult woman was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
“Please use an alternate route,” the FCPD said.
Both directions of Richmond Hwy closed for roadway clean up:
Officers on scene of a multiple vehicle crash at Richmond Hwy and Hassett St in Lorton. One adult woman taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Please use an alternate route. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/T4HyGmVAY9
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 22, 2024
There have now been four fatal crashes along Richmond Highway this month.
A man was arrested on Sunday (Feb. 18) after a reported hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian at the Brevard Court intersection in Woodlawn, and another pedestrian died in a crash at Belfield Road in Belle Haven on Feb. 15. In addition, a 19-year-old driver died after rear-ending a dump truck in Lorton on Feb. 14.
Map via Google Maps
Fairfax County police have made an arrest in one of two fatal pedestrian crashes that occured on Richmond Highway this past weekend.
Kelechi Uzodinma, 61, of Woodbridge was arrested on Sunday (Feb. 18) after allegedly hitting a pedestrian in the Richmond Highway and Brevard Court intersection in Mount Vernon’s Woodlawn neighborhood around 10:40 p.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported today.
According to police, Uzodinma was driving south on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in a 2015 Lexus GS 350 when he hit Alexandria resident Heliodoro Luna-Perez, who was crossing the roadway near Brevard Court “outside of a crosswalk.”
There are no crosswalks at that intersection, where Brevard Court leads into the Pinewood South condominiums. Google Maps indicates that the closest striped crosswalks are about 0.3 miles to the south at Frye Road and a half-mile to the north at Russell Road.
Luna-Perez was hit while in a southbound lane, the FCPD says. He was transported to a hospital, where he died early Monday (Feb. 19) morning at 51 years old.
According to the police, Uzodinma fled the scene before officers arrived. He was found less than an hour later “almost 2 miles away from the scene,” the police department said.
Uzodinma has been charged with a felony hit and run and is currently in custody at the Adult Detention Center on a $2,500 bond.
“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash,” the FCPD said. “Alcohol was deemed to not be a factor for Uzodinma in this crash and speed is still under investigation.”
According to Fairfax County General District Court records, Uzodinma is scheduled for an arraignment on Friday (Feb. 23) and a preliminary hearing on May 29.
Records indicate that he got cited for an infraction on Jan. 13 for driving 55 mph in a 35-mph zone. He was released on a summons in that case, where he will get an adjudicatory hearing on Feb. 27.
Luna-Perez was the second pedestrian to die in a traffic crash in Fairfax County this year after another man was killed on Thursday, Feb. 15 while crossing Richmond Highway before the Belfield Road intersection in Belle Haven.
Police haven’t publicly identified the victim in that crash yet, citing a need to inform his family.
There have been three fatal crashes on Richmond Highway this month, including one on Feb. 14 where a 19-year-old driver died after rear-ending a dump truck.
According to the FCPD, the county hadn’t had any fatal pedestrian crashes at this point in 2023.
Image via Google Maps
Another Pedestrian Killed in Richmond Highway Crash — “A man is dead after a hit-and-run crash Sunday night in Fairfax County, Virginia. Police said it happened just before 10:45 p.m. on Richmond Highway at Buckman Road in Woodlawn…Police told WTOP that witnesses described the striking vehicle as a white Lexus. Officers found the car and the man about two miles away from the scene and arrested him for felony hit-and-run.” [WTOP]
No Metro Funding in Senate’s Budget Proposal — “Democrats who control Virginia’s General Assembly set out battle lines with Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Sunday over the state budget and teed up their own conflict between the Senate, which did not include budget plans for the Metro transit system or a sports arena in Alexandria for the Capitals and Wizards, and the House of Delegates, which did.” [Washington Post]
Two Injured in Sunday House Fire — “#FCFRD is on scene of a house fire in the 6600 blk of Chestnut Ave in West Falls Church. The fire is under control. One civilian being transported with life-threatening injuries. One firefighter is being evaluated for a minor injury.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
Reston Man Dies From Bacterial Disease — “The statewide outbreak of meningococcal disease has claimed the life of a Reston man, his family says…In Virginia, that strain of meningococcal disease has been detected in 32 people in Virginia since June 2022. An outbreak was declared in September. Six people have died across the state.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Nearby: Firefighter Killed in Sterling House Explosion — “Authorities have identified the firefighter killed in Friday night’s ‘catastrophic’ house explosion in Sterling as 45-year-old Trevor Brown…Eleven other firefighters and two civilians were injured in the explosion, which one fire official called ‘total devastation.'” [Inside NoVA]
Scholarships Offered to People in Subsidized Housing — “People who live in affordable housing supported by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) will have the opportunity to apply for academic scholarships beginning March 1, 2024. Up to ten applicants will receive a $5,000 scholarship for postsecondary education including technical training.” [FCRHA]
Business Leaders Suggest Ways to Boost Development — “Executives representing five Northern Virginia construction and development companies offered suggestions to Fairfax County leaders on how to improve the development process. The suggestions came during a panel discussion about Reston and Herndon’s residential, office and retail markets that took place Thursday morning in Reston Station.” [Patch]
Reston Art Exhibit Explores Impact of A.I. — “Reston Art Gallery and Studios presents AI & Us, an exclusive pop-up art exhibit of works created by numerous artists exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence on our society. The concept for this special exhibit is the brainchild of Leah Zhang, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSS).” [Tysons Today]
It’s Tuesday — Expect mostly sunny conditions with temperatures reaching a high around 48 degrees, accompanied by a gentle east wind of 3 to 7 mph. As evening comes, the sky will turn partly cloudy, and the temperature will drop to around 28 degrees, with the east wind slightly decreasing to 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 2:15 p.m. on 2/21/2024) Richmond Highway has seen its second fatal crash in as many days.
A man died this morning (Thursday) after a car driver hit him while he was walking at the Richmond Highway (Route 1) near the Belfield Road intersection in Belle Haven.
Police and emergency medical services were called to the scene — which was initially reported as being at the Huntington Avenue intersection — around 4:21 a.m. The dispatcher described the vehicle as a red Toyota Camry, according to the police scanner on Open MHz.
“The pedestrian, an adult man, was declared deceased at scene,” the Fairfax County Police Department said on Twitter at 6:48 a.m. “Driver of striking vehicle remained at crash.”
Richmond Highway’s northbound lanes were closed at the intersection while Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives investigated, but the road reopened around 9:30 a.m.
In an update released on Tuesday, Feb. 20, the FCPD said the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. The victim’s name hasn’t been publicly released yet “pending next of kin notification.”
“The driver of a 2006 Toyota Camry was traveling north on Richmond Highway before Belfield Road and struck the man,” the FCPD said. “…The driver and passenger of the vehicle remained at the scene of the crash.”
The pedestrian fatality came a day after a man died in a crash further south on Richmond Highway. In that crash, a dump truck and van collided near the Giles Run Road intersection in Lorton, killing one of the drivers.
There have now been seven people killed in traffic crashes on Fairfax County roads this year.
Officers are on scene of a fatal pedestrian crash at Rt 1 and Huntington Ave in Belle Haven. The pedestrian, an adult man, was declared deceased at scene. Driver of striking vehicle remained at crash. [1/2] pic.twitter.com/gSLVXFpOCh
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 15, 2024
(Updated at 2:25 p.m. on 2/15/2024) A 19-year-old driver was killed Wednesday (Feb. 14) when he crashed into a dump truck on Richmond Highway, police say.
Police and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units were called to the intersection of Richmond Highway (Route 1) and Giles Run Road around 6:25 a.m. for the crash, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
“Caller’s advising he’s in a dump truck,” the dispatcher said, noting that at least one of the vehicles was reportedly overturned. “…The whole intersection is blocked.”
One of the drivers, an adult man, was declared dead at the scene, the Fairfax County Police Department said on Twitter at 7:14 a.m.
Richmond Highway was closed in both directions from Gunston Road to the exit ramp off I-95 while police investigated.
In an update released today (Thursday), the FCPD identified the man who died as Occoquan resident Jason Emeric Brunsman.
A preliminary investigation found that Brunsman was driving south on Richmond Highway in a Ford Transit van when he rear-ended a roll-back dumpster truck that was waiting to turn left onto Giles Run Road. The dump truck driver wasn’t injured in the crash, according to police.
“Preliminarily, detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and are investigating to determine if speed was a factor,” the FCPD said.
Brunsman was the sixth person to be killed in a traffic crash in Fairfax County this year, the police department says. At this time in 2023, there had been three fatalities.
Officers are on scene of a fatal vehicle crash involving a dump truck and a van at the intersection of Rt. 1 & Giles Run in Lorton. Rt. 1 closed in both directions for the investigation. One adult male driver declared deceased at the scene. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/jlgyZmLjpF
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 14, 2024
Image via VDOT
Updated at 8 p.m. on 2/7/2024 — A third person — Yan Zhou, 68, of Burke — has died as a result of Sunday’s crash at the Braddock Road and Bradfield Drive intersection in Burke, police said. There have now been five deaths from vehicle crashes in Fairfax County this year.
Updated at 4:55 p.m. on 2/6/2024 — One of the two people hospitalized with serious injuries from Sunday’s crash on Braddock Road has died, bringing Fairfax County’s traffic death toll for the year up to four people, police announced today (Tuesday).
Hong Tang, 63, of Fairfax was a passenger in the 2006 Lexus RX330I that crashed into a BMW at the Bradfield Drive intersection. Another Lexus passenger is still in the hospital.
Earlier: Two people remain hospitalized in the wake of yesterday’s fatal crash on Braddock Road in Burke.
Fairfax County police officers were called to the intersection of Braddock Road and Bradfield Drive around 9:42 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 4) after the driver of an eastbound 2024 BMW X6 on Braddock Road crashed into a 2006 Lexus RX330I that was turning left into the westbound lanes.
Yun Hu, 72, of Annandale was one of five people in the Lexus. They were all taken to a hospital, where Hu died, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The BMW’s two occupants were also transported to a hospital.
“Two passengers remain hospitalized,” the FCPD said. “The other four passengers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from the hospital a short time later.”
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation, though police say speed and alcohol aren’t believed to have been factors.
Area residents told WUSA9 that speeding has long been an issue on Braddock Road, where there have now been 13 fatalities since 2011, according to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data.
Hu was the third person to die in a vehicle crash in Fairfax County this year. The FCPD also reported this afternoon that an 85-year-old man had died from the injuries he sustained in a Jan. 24 crash on Clifton Road, and on Jan. 3, a woman died after crashing into a tow truck on I-66 that was responding to an earlier multi-vehicle collision in the Centreville area.
Image via Google Maps
(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) An 85-year-old man who crashed head-on into a sedan on Clifton Road last month has died.
The crash may have been the result of a medical emergency suffered by 85-year-old Manassas resident Charles McCallister, who was driving north on Clifton Road during the afternoon rush hour on Jan. 24 when he veered over the center line and collided with a 2017 Honda Civic, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Officers were dispatched to the crash near Johnny Moore Lane around 6 p.m., according to the police.
McCallister and two young children who were also in his 2021 Ford Escape at the time of the crash were all transported to a hospital. The children’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, and they later got released, but McCallister died from his injuries on Jan. 28.
“Hospital physicians believed that the crash was caused by a medical emergency,” the FCPD said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to detectives on Saturday (Feb. 3) that McCallister died from the injuries he sustained in the crash, not “the underlying medical emergency” that led to the crash.
McCallister was the first person to be killed in a vehicle crash on Fairfax County roads this year, but the FCPD reported a second fatality yesterday (Sunday) after a two-vehicle crash in Burke sent seven people to the hospital. One passenger died, and two occupants had injuries considered life-threatening as a result of the crash at Braddock Road and Bradfield Drive, an area plagued by speeding.
(Correction: This story initially identified the location of Sunday’s crash as Annandale, but the intersection is located closer to Burke.)
There was also a fatal crash on I-66 in the Centreville area on Jan. 3.
At this time in 2023, there had been three fatal crashes, according to the police department.
Image via Google Maps
One Dead, Six Hospitalized After Annandale Crash — “Fairfax County Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash in Annandale, Virginia that sent seven people to the hospital Sunday morning, including one man who died en route…People who live in the area tell WUSA9 they’re shocked to see this happen but they said there’s been a long history of drivers speeding” on Braddock Road, where the crash occurred. [WUSA9]
Alleged Brothel Operators Indicted — “Three people arrested and charged in November 2023 in connection to brothels operating in Boston and Northern Virginia have been indicted by a federal grand jury…According to charging documents, the defendants operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, as well as in Fairfax and Tysons.” [WTOP]
Virginia Poised to Allow To-Go Cocktails — “Virginia lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favor of making cocktails to-go a permanent part of the restaurant industry across the state…The legislation, which was passed by both the House of Delegates and the Senate, would remove” the July “sunset” for a measure that allowed cocktail deliveries during the pandemic. [WTOP]
Park Authority Lines Up Black History Month Events — “Embark on a journey of cultural richness and historical significance this Black History Month with several programs in Fairfax County parks. Join us in honoring and exploring the vibrant tapestry of Black heritage though interactive events, programs, exhibits and offerings for all ages.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
FCPS Awarded Funding for New Teachers — “The Virginia Department of Education has announced funding for the current fiscal year for the Mentor Teacher Program, which provides resources for educators with zero previous experience entering the teaching ranks. Fairfax County will receive $137,782 under the program (highest statewide), with Arlington garnering $14,874.” [Gazette Leader]
Arts Advisory Committee Formed for Mason District — “Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez established a Mason Arts Advisory Committee to review Fairfax County’s Master Arts Plan and propose art-related activities in Mason District that align with that plan…The Mason Arts Advisory Committee, chaired by local artist James Albright, will hold four initial meetings to bring artists and groups in Mason District together to review the Master Arts Plan.” [Annandale Today]
Mount Vernon HS Dedicates Wing to Marine Training Program Alumni — “Dozens of Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) students and alumni, family members and community members converged on the school Jan. 31 for a special ceremony honoring the men who founded and led the school’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (MCJROTC) program for many years.” [On the MoVe]
Vienna Police Get First Female Motor Officer in Decades — “Officer Keyser just made history by becoming the first female motor officer in the Town of Vienna Police Department in a whopping 75 years! After acing the Fairfax County Motor Officer traffic school, she’s now out in the streets of Vienna, making sure that everyone follows the traffic laws and stays safe.” [Vienna Police/Facebook]
It’s Monday — Expect sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of around 50 degrees and a gentle northeast wind at approximately 6 mph. As night falls, the sky will remain mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a chilly low of around 28 degrees. The north wind will continue at a speed of 3 to 6 mph. [Weather.gov]
A woman hit by a vehicle in Springfield in late December has now died.
Fu-Tzu Wong, 63, was using a crosswalk to cross Huntsman Blvd at Bridle Wood Drive in the evening of Dec. 27 when “an unidentified vehicle” struck her, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Officers responded to the crash around 7:53 p.m., but the vehicle was gone when they arrived. Wong was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The FCPD says its detectives were informed yesterday (Monday) that Wong has died from her injuries.
“The investigation into the crash continues as detectives continue to locate both the vehicle and the driver involved,” the FCPD says.
The department advises anyone with information about the crash to contact its Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives at 703-280-0543. Anonymous tips can be shared via Crime Solvers by phone (703-246-4676) or online.
Wong’s death brings the county’s pedestrian death toll for 2023 up to 11, based on Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles crash data.
Image via Google Maps
Peter McCandless was living a full life of music, travel and work that he enjoyed when he was killed in a vehicle crash on Reston Parkway late last year.
Police reported that McCandless, 87, died on Dec. 26, 2023 after an SUV driver hit him while he was walking at the Market Street intersection. A preliminary investigation indicated that he was crossing from Reston Town Center to Stratford House, where he lived, according to his son, Kris McCandless.
“We’re hoping that it was quick, not a lot of pain,” Kris said, adding that he doesn’t blame the driver given the limited visibility when the crash occurred around 7 a.m. “…That was rough conditions. It was a true accident.”
The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which says anyone with information can contact its Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.
Described by his son as a “true people-person,” Peter Lee McCandless grew up in the Midwest but spent much of his life in Reston, where he kicked off a career in public relations in 1964 as an early employee of Reston founder Robert E. Simon’s Palindrome Corporation.
When McCandless moved to Herndon that year with his wife, Nan Muehl, and Kris, his only child, Simon’s vision of Reston as a planned, inclusive community developed around a central plaza was just starting to take shape.
As Palindrome’s 20th employee, McCandless was tasked with promoting the new town of Reston, and he continued that work throughout his career, which included the founding of his own Reston-based PR agency, The McCandless Company, in 1984.
His legacy in Reston also includes helping start the Reston Chorale in 1967.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1936 to Lee and Mary McCandless, McCandless graduated from Principia College in 1958. He then joined the U.S. Army and taught English in Turkey for three years before enrolling in Yale University’s School of Drama for a year.
He met and fell in love with Muehl after returning to St. Louis in 1962. The following year, they got married, and Muehl gave birth to Kris.
After Muehl died from cancer in 2010, McCandless met Susan Ehart, the woman who would become his second wife, in 2014. That October, he moved into Stratford House in Reston after living in Lovettsville for the preceding 16 years.
Eager to start a new chapter in his life, he frequently traveled on ocean cruises with Ehart, visiting Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, South America and Australia. The couple contemplated opening their own Great Harvest Bread franchise, but McCandless ultimately opted to work at the company’s existing store in Herndon instead.
According to his son, McCandless loved working at Great Harvest Bread, where he held nearly every position and was warmly embraced by regular customers. He was an employee at the bakery until his death.
After returning to Reston, McCandless also sang with the Reston Chorale and at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Reston. His other passions included traveling and being outdoors, art and photography.
McCandless is survived by Ehart, Kris and his stepdaughter, Sarah. A Celebration of Life will be held for him this Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon at Reston Community Center — Lake Anne (1609-A Washington Plaza).
