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
(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) Another pedestrian has been killed on Route 50 (Arlington Blvd).
Tomas Escudero Machado, 76, of Falls Church died at the Westmoreland Blvd intersection in West Falls Church around 5:54 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) after he was struck by a driver who may have been speeding, the Fairfax County Police Department said today.
According to police, Machado was crossing the eastbound lanes of Arlington Blvd, heading toward Westmoreland Blvd, when a 2003 Honda Accord headed east on Route 50 hit him.
“The driver struck Machado in the roadway and continued eastbound on Arlington Boulevard, traveling over two medians and striking multiple street signs as well as a pole before coming to a stop,” the FCPD said.
The Honda driver was transported to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
The vehicle crash prompted a closure of Route 50 between Annandale Road and Summerfield Road that was later extended further west to Graham Road. The closure lasted almost the entire morning, beginning around 6:50 a.m. and ending shortly before noon.
Police say alcohol doesn’t appear to have been a factor for the driver, but detectives are still investigating whether their speed may have been an issue.
The press release notes that there is no crosswalk at the intersection where the crash occurred.
Arlington Blvd has two travel lanes in each direction at the intersection, along with two dedicated turn lanes on the westbound side. There are also service roads on both sides of the boulevard, separated by grass medians, with no sidewalk on the eastbound side.
Fairfax County’s pedestrian death toll for 2022 has soared past previous heights since at least 2010. State data shows that there have been 26 fatalities so far, but the report doesn’t yet include at least one death in November or any of the four deaths that have occurred so far in December.
This is the second time this month that a pedestrian has been killed on Arlington Blvd in the West Falls Church area, following a crash at the Allen Street intersection near Graham Park Plaza on Dec. 4.
Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives continue to investigate. Rt. 50 will be closed between Graham Rd. and Annadale Rd. for an extended period. Please avoid the area. #FCPD
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 18, 2022
A 70-year-old woman died last week from injuries dealt by an SUV that hit her outside the Kings Park neighborhood in West Springfield half a month earlier.
On Nov. 15, Springfield resident Ly Tran was using the Braddock Road crosswalk to go from Kings Park Drive to the north side, which is the entrance to the Parkwood Baptist Church, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a news release today.
The crossing requires passing six lanes of traffic, plus three turn lanes with a crosswalk marked only by two parallel lines and a narrow grass median.
While Tran was crossing, the driver of a 2012 Toyota Rav4 turning right from Kings Park Drive onto eastbound Braddock Road struck her.
Tran was transported to a hospital with injuries that were not initially considered life-threatening, but she then died on Sunday, Dec. 4, according to police.
The driver, Willy Vaca Cardozo, 33, of Fairfax, was charged on Nov. 15 with failure to yield to pedestrians with the right of way.
“Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash,” the FCPD said.
By FFXnow’s count, Tran is now the 30th pedestrian to be killed in a vehicle crash in Fairfax County this year. Virginia data shows 26 fatalities in 2022, but at least one death in November and the three deaths reported in December, including Tran’s, haven’t been counted yet.
In comparison, a total of 14 pedestrian fatalities were reported in 2021. No other year since the database begins in 2010 recorded more than 17 such deaths in the county.
Image via Google Maps
Updated at 11:40 a.m. on 12/9/2022 — The Virginia State Police says it located the Chevrolet Malibu involved in the I-66 hit-and-run in a local public parking garage after receiving a phone tip last night (Thursday).
“The Malibu has been seized as evidence and is being processed,” police said. “The temporary tags displayed on the vehicle do not belong to the vehicle. The investigation into identifying and locating the driver of the Malibu remains ongoing at this time.”
Earlier: A construction worker was killed on I-66 early this morning after a passing vehicle hit him while he was checking on drivers involved in a separate, two-vehicle crash, Virginia State Police said.
Police are currently asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a maroon vehicle that drove through an I-66 work zone just east of the Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) exit in Oakton around 1 a.m.
The vehicle was traveling “at a high rate of speed” when it hit the construction worker, who has been identified as 32-year-old Culpeper resident Jonathan W. Franzell, the VSP said.
According to police, the fatal crash was preceded by a collision between two other vehicles at approximately 12:58 a.m.
At approximately 12:58 a.m., a Honda Accord and Ford Taurus collided in the eastbound lanes of I-66 near Exit 60. The driver of the Ford Taurus fled the scene on foot. State police is investigating that crash and working to locate the driver. The driver of the Honda Accord suffered minor injuries and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
This crash occurred in an active highway work zone and was witnessed by one of the workers. The worker reported to his supervisor that he was going to check on the drivers, exited his work vehicle and ran over to the crash scene.
While checking on the driver of the Honda, a maroon vehicle came through the work zone at a high rate of speed and struck the worker. The vehicle then fled the scene.
Franzell died from his injuries at the crash scene.
. @ffxnow https://t.co/5l3TmjgEOT pic.twitter.com/53lYE0IqH4
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) December 8, 2022
The VSP says debris from the maroon vehicle collected at the scene suggests it was a 2013-2015 maroon or burgundy Chevrolet Malibu.
“The Malibu will be missing its driver’s side mirror and have substantial damage to the front driver’s side,” police said.
VSP advises anyone who may have witnessed the crash or have other information about the Chevrolet to call 703-803-0026 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Franzell is the 28th pedestrian killed by a vehicle crash in Fairfax County this year, by FFXnow’s count. Virginia crash data shows 25 fatalities for this year, but it has recorded only one so far in November, when there were at least three fatal pedestrian crashes, and none yet for December.
This is the second fatal pedestrian crash in the county this week, following the death of 66-year-old Falls Church resident Kamrul Hassan on Route 50 on Sunday (Dec. 4).
(Updated at 1:15 p.m.) A man died last night after being hit by a vehicle in the Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) intersection with Allen Street in West Falls Church.
The Fairfax County Police Department reported that officers were at the scene of the crash shortly before 8:30 p.m. The pedestrian was transported to a hospital, where he died, police said.
Based on a preliminary investigation, police say 66-year-old Kamrul Hassan from Falls Church was crossing from the north side of Arlington Blvd to the south when a 2010 Toyota Prius going east struck him in the Allen Street intersection.
The driver had a green light, according to the FCPD.
“Preliminarily, speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver in the crash,” police said.
The driver remained on site when police arrived. The crash triggered a closure of eastbound Route 50 as detectives with the FCPD’s Crash Reconstruction Unit began an investigation.
Officers are on scene of a fatal pedestrian crash at Arlington Blvd/Allen St. Pedestrian, adult man, taken to hospital & pronounced deceased. Driver remained on scene. EB 50 closed as Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives respond. Please use another route. pic.twitter.com/Xueta1SqwE
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 5, 2022
Hassan is the 20th pedestrian to die on Fairfax County’s roads this year, according to the FCPD, nearly doubling the 11 pedestrian fatalities recorded at this point in 2021. However, the department only reports crashes it investigated.
The Virginia State Police responds to crashes on major highways like the Beltway or I-95, while the Dulles Toll Road is in the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police’s jurisdiction.
By FFXnow’s count, this is the 27th fatal pedestrian crash in Fairfax County this year. Virginia crash data shows 23 fatalities through October, but November saw pedestrians die on Columbia Pike, Route 29, and I-495.
It has been the deadliest year for pedestrians in the county since at least 2010.
Map via Google Maps
(Updated at 11:35 a.m. on 12/5/2022) A tractor-trailer driver died tonight after being hit by an SUV on the Capital Beltway (I-495) near Braddock Road.
According to Virginia State Police, the tractor-trailer driver had exited his vehicle after he collided with a sedan on northbound I-495 approaching the Braddock Road exit in North Springfield, sending the sedan into the left shoulder of the toll lanes.
“The driver of the tractor-trailer exited his vehicle and was running across the Express Lanes towards the sedan when he was struck by an SUV traveling north in the Express Lanes,” VSP said in a news release.
Troopers responded to the crash at 7:53 p.m., and the tractor-trailer driver was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he ultimately died. Police have identified him as Richard F. Alburger, Jr., 41, of Summit Hill, Pennsylvania.
Alburger was attempting to change lanes when his 2019 Freightliner tractor-trailer struck a 1985 Buick Century, according to police.
“Due to the impact of the crash, the Buick spun and struck the bollards and jersey wall on the left side of the road,” VSP said, noting that the drivers of the Buick and the SUV weren’t injured.
All northbound I-495 lanes were closed to traffic, as police investigate the crash. A Fairfax Alert said to expect extended delays.
CRITICAL INJURY PEDESTRIAN STRUCK: I-495 North (Beltway Inner Loop) just past Braddock Road (Exit 54). ~7:45PM Wednesday, pedestrian struck at the scene of a previous minor crash. Pedestrian transported to an area Trauma Center in critical condition. #VATraffic #DCTraffic
— Cordell (@CordellTraffic) December 1, 2022
(Updated at 10:25 a.m. on 12/5/2022) A pedestrian died last night after a vehicle hit them on Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Centreville.
The crash occurred at 9:03 p.m. in the Trinity Parkway/Centrewood Drive intersection, which is outside the Centrewood Plaza and Centreville Square shopping centers.
Officers arrived at the scene before 10 p.m., shutting down southbound Lee Highway until around 1:20 a.m., according to Fairfax County Police Department tweets.
The pedestrian, 29-year-old Jacinto Chavez Ramos from Centreville, was using a crosswalk from Trinity Parkway when the driver of a 2021 Toyota Corolla going south on Lee Highway struck him, police say.
“The driver of the Toyota remained at the scene. Rescue personnel responded and pronounced Chavez Ramos deceased,” the FCPD said this afternoon. “Preliminarily, speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors for the driver in the crash. The investigation remains active.”
Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives continue to investigate this crash. Lee Hwy is now open. Follow our blog, https://t.co/lhGv3NDvYs, for updates when available. #FCPD
https://t.co/jGV4Sl90pV— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 29, 2022
At Trinity Parkway, Route 29 has three travel lanes in each direction, plus right and left turn lanes. The intersection has a traffic signal, but there is only a narrow median, and the crosswalks aren’t striped.
Virginia crash data indicates there have been at least three crashes involving pedestrians at that intersection since 2010: one in 2019 and two in 2020, all resulting in injuries but none fatal. The database doesn’t include a crash on Sept. 8, 2016 where a woman suffered critical injuries, according to an NBC4 report at the time.
Nearby, a 25-year-old man died in December 2018 after being hit by a sedan while crossing Centrewood Drive near Centrewood Plaza.
After last night’s crash, Fairfax County’s pedestrian death toll for 2022 has risen to 24 people — the highest it has been in over a decade. That includes 19 deaths on county roads, almost doubling the 11 fatalities recorded by FCPD at this point in 2021.
Photo via VDOT Northern Virginia/Twitter
