An 18-year-old man from Alexandria has been charged with reckless driving after allegedly crashing into a pedestrian on Richmond Highway in March, killing her.
Shortly before 9:30 p.m. on March 30, Luis Merino Berrios was driving south on Richmond Highway in a 2007 Mercedes C230 when he lost control near Groveton Street, a change from the originally reported location of Clayborne Avenue.
From the Fairfax County Police Department:
The driver of a 2017 Jeep Wrangler attempted to make a left turn from northbound Richmond Highway onto Groveton Street. Detectives determined Berrios was traveling at an excessive speed. He attempted avoidance maneuvers, lost control of his Mercedes, and struck the Jeep Wrangler. Berrios’s vehicle spun several times before leaving the roadway striking Samantha Jennings-Jones who was walking on the sidewalk.
Jennings-Jones was declared dead at the scene. She was 36.
Berrios was charged today (Thursday) and released on a summons, which means he’s still legally allowed to drive, the FCPD said.
Police said they didn’t have the exact speed Berrios was driving, but it was “excessive” for that section of Richmond Highway, which had a 45 mph speed limit.
Starting on Tuesday (May 23), the speed limit will be dropped to 35 mph in response to years of concerns about the roadway’s safety. Another pedestrian was killed on Route 1 just a week after Jennings-Jones died, and earlier this month, a motorcyclist was killed in the Lorton area.
According to her obituary, Jennings-Jones was working in the White House Office of the National Cyber Directorate when she died. She had a husband and two cats.
“Sam was a firm believer that friends are the family you choose, and she will be missed by the many friends and colleagues whose lives she touched and was such a big part of,” the obituary said.
Photo via Google Maps
The driver of a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue engine who struck and killed a woman on Glade Drive in Reston did not see the woman lying in the roadway, police say.
Preliminarily, investigators believe that speed was not a factor in the crash, which happened shortly after 2:18 am yesterday (Monday), the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release.
According to the FCPD, the police and fire departments received a call that a woman who appeared to be intoxicated was lying on the ground west of Laurel Glade Court. The officer who arrived first at the scene did not see the woman lying in the roadway, passing her to talk to the person who made the 911 call.
The driver of the fire engine followed the officer. The captain saw the woman and “immediately” called on the engine to stop and turn, but the driver was unable to avoid the crash, police said.
“Fire and rescue personnel immediately began to provide advanced medical care,” the FCPD said.
The woman was identified as Ashley Boardman, 23, of Middleburg. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police say they are still investigating “if drugs or alcohol were factors for Boardman,” who had reportedly been found unconscious by the caller, according to the initial police dispatch.
Boardman is now the fourth pedestrian to be killed on Fairfax County roads this year. At this time in 2022, there had been six fatal pedestrian crashes, per the FCPD.
As @FairfaxCountyPD releases more information about this morning fatal pedestrian event, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Boardman. https://t.co/x7A38IAmc5 pic.twitter.com/mxLSZmD2Pf
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) May 8, 2023
A pedestrian was killed after being run over by a fire engine near the Reston Glade Apartments early this morning (Monday).
A medical unit with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department was dispatched to Glade Drive at Dosnia Court near Dogwood Elementary School for a medical emergency around 2:19 a.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
Around the same time, Fairfax County police officers were dispatched to Dogwood Elementary School for a “suspicious person” after a caller reported an apparently unconscious woman on the ground.
At 2:24 a.m., a fire department responder told the dispatcher that the “patient’s in the road, run over by engine 31. Appears to be DOA.”
A police officer said at 2:30 a.m. that the road would need to be shut down.
“The fire truck actually struck this individual,” the officer said.
Detectives with the FCPD’s Crash Reconstruction Unit were sent to the scene of what it described as a “fatal pedestrian crash involving @ffxfirerescue,” the department tweeted shortly after 4 a.m.
Glade Drive was closed for over an hour between Laurel Glade Drive and Rosedown Drive.
The roadway is open. Follow our blog for future updates. https://t.co/YUigMm3yDx
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 8, 2023
(Updated at 7:55 p.m.) A pedestrian was killed this morning (Friday) in a crash on Richmond Highway (Route 1) near Fairfax County Parkway in the Fort Belvoir area.
Phillip Hester, 62, was walking on Richmond Highway at Anderson Lane when the driver of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala headed south hit him at 5:57 a.m., the Fairfax County Police Department reported.
Hester was then struck a second time by a 2014 Nissan Altima that was also southbound on Route 1, according to police.
“Both drivers remained at the scene,” the FCPD said. “Hester was declared deceased at the scene. Preliminary, speed and alcohol do not appear to be a factor for the drivers in the crash.”
Police say Hester was not in a crosswalk when the Impala hit him.
The crash prompted a closure of southbound Richmond Highway to the northbound lanes on Fairfax County Parkway. The highway reopened shortly before 10 a.m.
This is the third pedestrian fatality reported in Fairfax County this year and the second on Richmond Highway. At this point in 2022, the FCPD had recorded five pedestrian deaths.
The county has been studying options for improving Fairfax County Parkway down to the Route 1 intersection, finding that pedestrian and bicyclist facilities along the corridor are inadequate. The Board of Supervisors approved changes to the comprehensive plan for the roadway on March 21.
Southbound Richmond Hwy to northbound Fairfax County Pkwy is closed. Expect traffic delays. Please use an alternate route. #FCPD
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 7, 2023
(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) A 36-year-old Alexandria woman was killed last night (Thursday) after a driver who may have been speeding down Richmond Highway (Route 1) careened into her.
Samantha Jennings-Jones was walking on the sidewalk when a 2007 Mercedes C230 sedan hit her at 9:22 p.m. near the Clayborne Avenue intersection in Groveton, Fairfax County police said in a news release published today (Friday).
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say the Mercedes driver was headed south on Richmond Highway when they collided with a northbound 2017 Jeep Wrangler that was “attempting to make a left onto Clayborne Avenue.”
“The driver of the Mercedes struck the Jeep, left the roadway and spun around before striking Samantha Jennings-Jones,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.
Jennings-Jones died at the scene. She is the second pedestrian to be killed in a vehicle crash within the past seven days after Falls Church resident Ana Julia Acosta De Ostorga was hit while crossing Wilson Blvd in Seven Corners last Friday (March 24).
Prior to that crash, Fairfax County hadn’t seen any pedestrian fatalities in 2023. By this time last year, the FCPD had recorded five pedestrian-related fatal crashes.
“Preliminarily, speed appears to be a factor for the driver of the Mercedes in the crash. Detectives do not believe alcohol to be a factor,” the police department said regarding yesterday’s crash.
As they prepare to present details of the investigation to prosecutors for potential charges, police are still seeking additional information about the crash from community members.
Anyone with information about this crash is asked to contact our Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), and by web – Click HERE. Download the ‘P3 Tips’ App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards. Please leave contact information if you wish for a detective to follow up with you.
According to state data, there have now been 10 fatal crashes involving pedestrians on Richmond Highway since 2020.
Photo via Google Maps
(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is investigating a crash in Seven Corners where they say a pedestrian was killed.
Police said a driver struck an adult woman at 6:18 a.m. in the intersection of Wilson Blvd and John Marshall Drive in Seven Corners. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
The driver remained on scene, according to FCPD, and the scene is being investigated by the Crash Reconstruction Unit.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say that the pedestrian — identified as Ana Julia Acosta De Ostorga, 58, of Falls Church — was crossing Wilson Blvd “in an unknown direction, in or near the pedestrian crossing” when she was hit by a 2003 Honda Accord driver traveling west.
The FCPD hasn’t identified the driver but says “speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver in the crash.”
Westbound Wilson Blvd reopened around noon after being shut down between John Marshall Drive and Peyton Randolph Drive.
This appears to be the first pedestrian fatality in Fairfax County this year. According to the FCPD, four pedestrians had been killed on county roads by this time in 2022, which saw 32 pedestrian deaths by the end of the year — the highest number since at least 2010.
Officers are on scene of a fatal pedestrian crash at Wilson Blvd & John Marshall Dr in Seven Corners. Adult female taken to hospital & pronounced deceased. Driver remained on scene. Detectives from our Crash Reconstruction Unit are responding. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/iJBzLH3YNM
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 24, 2023
Image via Google Maps
A pedestrian has been taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle, the Herndon Police Department says.
The crash has prompted a full closure of Van Buren Street between Spring Street and Aspen Drive “for accident reconstruction,” according to police.
This is the first crash involving a pedestrian reported in the Fairfax County area this year. Northern Virginia saw a sharp uptick in pedestrian fatalities in 2022, led by 32 in Fairfax County — the most recorded in the county since at least 2010.
INCIDENT ALERT: Van Buren is shut down in both directions between Spring St and Aspen Dr for accident reconstruction. A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and has been transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Updates as available. #HerndonPD pic.twitter.com/6KrISzW51o
— Herndon Police (@HerndonPolice) January 25, 2023
(Updated at 9 a.m.) Metro Rides Free for New Year’s Eve — “Take the train, bus or paratransit service starting at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31, and #YourMetro ride will be free of charge. As a bonus, service is being extended. Metrorail will run until 2 a.m. and late-night Metrobus service on selected routes will operate until 3 a.m. for customers connecting from train to bus.” [WMATA]
Pedestrian Hospitalized by Annandale Crash — “Officers are on scene of a crash involving a pedestrian at Little River Tpke & Medford Dr, Annandale. Pedestrian was taken to hospital w/injuries considered life-threatening. Driver remained on scene.” [FCPD/Twitter]
McLean Company Faces Bankruptcy and Lawsuit — McLean cybersecurity company IronNet Inc. is struggling with a plethora of crises as a loss of $77 million and 35% of its staff pushes it toward potential bankruptcy. The public company also may be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after failing to file a required financial report, and a class action lawsuit alleging executives misled investors is pending in federal court in Alexandria. [Washington Business Journal]
Pizza Restaurant Opens in Fairfax City — Marco’s Pizza had a soft launch yesterday (Thursday) that will continue from noon to 8 p.m. today. Located at 10160 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 100, the franchise is is the second that owner Niten Sabharwal and his wife Sonia have opened in Northern Virginia, joining a location in Fairfax Station. The chain is also planning an expansion to the Reston area next year. [Patch]
Get Ready for More Express Lanes Work in 2023 — Work will continue next year on the I-495 widening and the I-66 Trail, which the Virginia Department of Transportation hopes to complete by Bike-to-Work Day on May 19. VDOT is also studying whether to allow two-way travel on the I-95 Express Lanes from Springfield to Dale City and whether to extend toll lanes on the south side of I-495 to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. [The Washington Post]
County’s Sewage Plant Helped Preserve Electrical Grid — “During the generational Christmas Eve Cold Snap, the PJM electrical grid that serves the District of Columbia and 13 Mid-Atlantic states, which includes Northern Virginia, became severely overloaded…So, when PJM called Noman Cole at 4:20 a.m., staff answered.” [DPWES]
State Laws to Take Effect With New Year — “The minimum wage in Virginia will bump up to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, up from $11. The increase is dictated by legislation passed by Democrats in 2020 that pushes the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.” Other scheduled changes include a decrease in Virginia’s grocery tax rate and the addition of a 5-cent plastic bag tax in Fairfax City. [DCist]
American Legion Bridge Traffic Headaches Persist — “The American Legion Bridge, a chronic source of misery for thousands of D.C.-area drivers, marks its 60th anniversary Saturday, highlighting the aging span’s pivotal role in the region’s crushing traffic congestion…Mounting maintenance needs have forced a debate about when the Beltway bottleneck should be rebuilt and how any expansion should jibe with broader traffic-relief efforts.” [The Washington Post]
McLean HS Student Chosen for Senate Leadership Program — “Only two students from each state are selected each year for the United States Senate Youth Program. This year, one of the Virginia delegates is from McLean High School. Congrats, Saehee Perez!” [FCPS/Facebook]
It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 54 and low of 34. Sunrise at 7:28 am and sunset at 4:56 pm. [Weather.gov]
(Updated at 7 p.m. on 12/22/2022) A pedestrian involved in a crash on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in Groveton on Wednesday (Dec. 21) has died, police announced today (Thursday).
Around 6:40 p.m., the driver of a 2014 Nissan Altima going south on Richmond Highway hit 72-year-old Kim Hampton, who was crossing the southbound travel lanes from Beacon Center to Beacon Hill Road, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Hampton was transported to a hospital and ultimately succumbed to life-threatening injuries.
Police said that, based on a preliminary investigation, alcohol and speed don’t appear to be factors, and Hampton wasn’t in a crosswalk, though Richmond Highway has a crosswalk on only one side of that intersection.
The FCPD says Hampton is the 23rd pedestrian killed in a crash on county roads this year, surpassing the 13 such fatalities seen at this point in 2021.
Virginia crash data, which includes crashes on interstates and other roads not policed by FCPD, shows 27 pedestrian fatalities for this year, exceeding every other year since the interactive reports began in 2010.
However, by FFXnow’s count, Hampton would be the 32nd pedestrian to die in a crash this year and the second just this week. The state report only shows one death so far for December, when there have now been at least five.
This is the fourth fatal pedestrian crash on Route 1 this year, following two in July — including a hit-and-run — and one at Backlick Road in Fort Belvoir on Oct. 6.
Officers are on scene of a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian in the 6600 blk of Richmond Highway in Memorial Heights. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with injuries considered to be life-threatening. Southbound Rt1 closed at South Gate. Please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/qqzddRJbfO
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 22, 2022
(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) A man was struck by a bus and killed on Fairfax County Parkway this afternoon, Fairfax County police say.
Police say a preliminary investigation indicates that the man “intentionally jumped in front of a vehicle” at the Old Keene Mill Road intersection in Burke. The call for service went out at 1:48 p.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The road has been closed from Old Keene Mill to Burke Lake Road to the north. Traffic backups extend for approximately 1 mile, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s traffic information site.
The FCPD confirmed to FFXnow that the vehicle was a bus, but not a school bus.
Crash Reconstruction Unit is on scene at Fairfax County Pkwy & Old Keene Mill Rd for a fatal pedestrian crash. Preliminarily, it appears a man intentionally jumped in front of a vehicle. Vehicle stayed on scene. Fairfax County Pkwy closed btwn Burke Lake Rd & Old Keene Mill Rd. pic.twitter.com/Ln4FA8HGJz
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 19, 2022
DEATH INVESTIGATION/ TRAFFIC ADVISORY — Fairfax Co Pky at Old Keene Mill in Burke. Person possibly struck and killed by bus. Dispatched as a cardiac arrest at 1:52 p.m., then updated to shooting and now person hit (& killed) by bus. H/T @JohnGaskinsCW62 cc @ffxnow #VATraffic pic.twitter.com/TywscQxabt
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) December 19, 2022
