A Maryland man who fled police in a reportedly stolen vehicle is facing multiple charges of assault against Virginia state troopers.
According to the Virginia State Police, troopers received an alert around 3:41 a.m. yesterday (Sunday) that a gray sedan reported to have been stolen might be traveling on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Huntington area.
The vehicle was spotted by a trooper who turned on his lights and siren for a traffic stop, but the driver instead “sped away and initiated a pursuit,” police said.
As the chase moved onto the Capital Beltway (I-495) and then onto southbound I-95, the driver rammed a state police patrol vehicle four different times, according to the VSP:
As the pursuit approached Route 1 and Interstate 495, the suspect vehicle twice rammed a State Police patrol vehicle. The pursuit then continued onto Interstate 495 westbound, where the suspect struck the same trooper’s vehicle a third time, and then onto Interstate 95 southbound, where the trooper’s vehicle was struck a fourth time.
Police ultimately used a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver to turn and halt the vehicle on I-95 near the Backlick Road exit, the VSP said.
“The driver then fled the vehicle on foot, but was taken into custody a few minutes later without further incident,” police said.
The driver — described as a 24-year-old man from College Park, Maryland — faces four charges each of assault on law enforcement, felony hit-and-run, misdemeanor hit-and-run and destruction of state property. He has also been charged with eluding law enforcement, grand larceny, driving without a license, not wearing a seatbelt and “being a pedestrian on the interstate.”
The last charge stems from the brief foot pursuit, a VSP spokesperson confirmed.
Police also arrested two adults who were passengers in the sedan on outstanding warrants.
The Fairfax County Police Department said in its year-end crime report for 2023 that it saw an uptick in assaults against police officers compared to 2022.
Image via Google Maps
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
(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
Public art and social spaces will be key to transforming southern Richmond Highway into a community, a panel of local land use experts says.
Last week, the consulting nonprofit Urban Land Institute (ULI) presented recommendations at the Hybla Valley Community Center for how to foster economic growth in the corridor, while preserving its cultural identity through “placemaking.”
Placemaking highlights the unique aspects of a community, including its people and history, which encourages activity and “helps to make the space vibrant,” Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC) Executive Director Evan Kaufman told FFXnow in an interview.
“Obviously, you can go to any corporate strip mall across the country, and you’re not really going to find a sense of place,” Kaufman said. “You’ll probably find an Applebee’s, Wendy’s, and Home Depot, which are great. Those provide services, but they’re not really telling a story of the community.”
After spending two days studying four miles of the corridor from Jeff Todd Way to Lockheed Blvd, the assembled panelists proposed creating community spaces for socializing — like parks and event venues — and enhancing the area with public art and more greenery.
The full findings will be detailed in a report that’s expected in the next six to eight weeks, according to the SFDC, which worked with the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development to finance the study.
ULI will also conduct follow-up surveys to track the implementation of the panel’s recommendations.
Designated as a focus area for commercial revitalization since 1986, the Richmond Highway corridor has seen those efforts intensify in recent years, as the county and Virginia Department of Transportation prepare to widen the road and add bus rapid transit service.
With some community members fearing negative impacts from the road widening project in particular on traffic, pedestrian safety and local businesses, the ULI study aims to identify strategies that can stimulate economic growth and improve the area’s quality of life.
In the short term, the consultant’s panelists recommended establishing a visitors center and using signage to guide visitors and residents to businesses affected by construction. Panelists also proposed using landscaping, pop-up activities and murals to beautify shopping plazas and make commercial areas more inviting. Read More
A driver was killed and a motorcyclist seriously injured in two separate crashes in Fairfax County this morning (Thursday).
The fatal crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. on the Capital Beltway (I-495) near Eisenhower Avenue in the Rose Hill area, according to Virginia State Police.
“A tractor-trailer and a Honda sedan collided in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 near Eisenhower Ave,” the VSP said in a brief news release. “Both vehicles came to a stop on the left shoulder.”
The sedan wound up “under the front of the tractor-trailer,” trapping the car’s driver, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The sedan driver, an adult woman, died at the scene, police said. As of 6:37 a.m., police were still in the process of notifying the woman’s family.
“The crash remains under investigation,” a VSP spokesperson said. “The Virginia State Police Fairfax Division Crash Reconstruction Team and Motor Carrier Safety Team responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.”
Auto-vs-Truck crash on innerloop Beltway with probable fatality, southbound I-95 prior to Eisenhower Ave in Alexandria area. #VATraffic @AlexandriaNow @ffxnow pic.twitter.com/O1NlZRHilm
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) November 9, 2023
Just a few hours later, around 4:25 a.m., Fairfax County police and emergency medical services responded to a reported hit-and-run that critically injured a motorcyclist on Richmond Highway at Fairfax County Parkway in Fort Belvoir.
“Male motorcyclist hit by a red sedan. Driver of sedan fled the scene,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a tweet at 5:32 a.m. “Motorcyclist was taken to hospital w/ injuries considered life-threatening.”
According to the police scanner, a dispatcher reported that the motorcyclist “was down” in the roadway and said “their leg is gone.” The responsible vehicle reportedly sustained “heavy front-end damage.”
“It’s going to look like fleeing vehicle shouldn’t have any headlights at the moment,” an officer said at 4:34 a.m. “They’re all on the ground here.”
Southbound Richmond Highway at the intersection was closed for the police investigation. The roadway has now reopened after the vehicle and driver responsible for the crash were located, the FCPD said at 9:12 a.m.
The motorcyclist remains hospitalized, according to police.
Officers on scene of a hit & run crash at Rt.1 & Rt. 286 in Ft. Belvior. Male motorcyclist hit by a red sedan. Driver of sedan fled the scene. Motorcyclist was taken to hospital w/ injuries considered life-threatening. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/70qU9eSRRv
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 9, 2023
A Lorton man was arrested earlier this week for shaking a dog, threatening its owner with a knife and driving wildly down Richmond Highway with police in pursuit.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Franconia District officers were called to the 9600 block of Eaton Woods Place in Lorton at 4:03 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 24) by a man who said he’d been threatened while walking his dog.
“The victim stated he was walking his dog when he was approached by the suspect,” the FCPD said in a news release published yesterday (Thursday). “The suspect then, without provocation, picked up and shook his dog. The suspect initially fled the area but later returned with a knife and threatened to stab the victim.”
Police say investigating officers were then “flagged down” by community members who reported that “someone was ramming vehicles and driving recklessly on the roadway.”
An officer encountered the suspect — identified as Daniel John Sol, 30, of Lorton — in a 2017 Black Toyota Yaris at the intersection of Richmond Highway (Route 1) and Telegraph Road, according to the police scanner traffic on Open MHz.
The officer told a dispatcher that the Toyota was “doing donuts” in the middle of the intersection and “facing the wrong way in traffic,” hitting multiple vehicles in the process.
“He flipped me off and is taking off,” the officer said, noting that the driver was “doing the speed limit” and suggesting that the people at the intersection get checked for possible injuries..
Per the scanner, the chase proceeded north on Route 1 for several miles with the Toyota driver “swerving in front of traffic, trying to cause an accident,” an officer said. Sol then turned onto Old Mount Vernon Road and crashed into a tree at the Ferry Landing Road intersection.
The chase covered 12.5 miles, and no injuries were reported, though several vehicles “sustained minor damage” before police arrived, according to the FCPD.
Currently held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, Sol has been charged with “Cruelty to Animals, Attempted Malicious Wounding, three counts of Assault on Law Enforcement/Fire/Medical Services, four counts of Felony Hit and Run, two counts of Reckless Driving, Felony Eluding, and Driving Under the Influence,” police said.
(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) A pedestrian died last night (Friday) after a hit-and-run crash on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Woodlawn area of Mount Vernon.
Police officers were called to Richmond Highway near Brevard Court at 10:10 p.m., followed by emergency medical services with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department around 10:12 p.m.
“Vehicle struck a pedestrian. Pedestrian’s face is bloody and shoes were knocked off,” a dispatcher told police, according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
Eder Machado Aleman, 36, of Fairfax was hit by a driver while attempting to cross Richmond Highway “outside of the crosswalk,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in an update released shortly after noon today (Saturday).
Aleman was transported to a hospital, where he died. There are no crosswalks at Brevard Court or Buckman Road, the closest signalized intersection. The closest crosswalk to the crash site appears to be on the west side of Richmond Highway at Frye Road.
The driver fled the scene, possibly in a white SUV that a witness reported seeing before the crash, the FCPD said. The vehicle was last seen headed south on Richmond Highway, police said on the scanner.
The crash shut down Richmond Highway in both directions from shortly before 10:30 p.m. until around 1:30 a.m. today (Saturday).
“Detectives continue to work to identify the vehicle involved as well as the driver,” the FCPD said. “Speed and alcohol as factors in this crash are still under investigation.”
Based on state data, this is the seventh pedestrian fatality in Fairfax County this year and the third on Richmond Highway, where a motorcyclist was also killed in May. At this time last year, the county had recorded 14 pedestrian deaths.
In total, there were 32 pedestrians killed in the county in 2022, more than any other year since at least 2010.
All lanes of Rt.1 are now open. Follow our blog for available updates. https://t.co/QsTzdpgf0U
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 7, 2023
CRITICAL, PROBABLE FATAL, PEDESTRIAN STRUCK, HIT+RUN — Richmond Hwy at Brevard Ct in Woodlawn area of Fairfax Co. Police are looking for either a white pickup or SUV that fled. h/t @RVANOVA01 + @HCBright10 #VATraffic @ffxnow pic.twitter.com/onT5c0DFpS
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) October 7, 2023
The owner of a local “exotic” snack shop has been arrested as part of a drug ring investigation by county police.
Last week, the Fairfax County Police Department announced it had arrested four individuals related to an investigation into an “extensive drug ring” in the Mount Vernon District.
One of those arrested was Matthew Powers, owner of the snack and collectible shop “Highs & Lows” which has locations on Richmond Highway and in Springfield Town Center. There’s also a shop inside the mall in Pentagon City.
Highs and Lows is advertised as having the “biggest selection of exotic sodas and snacks” in Virginia, with snacks “from all seven continents.”
Powers, who goes by the moniker “Fresh” and calls himself the shop’s “CE-BRO,” appeared over the summer on Fox5DC to promote the shops.
After a months-long investigation, FCPD says it arrested Powers and charged him with six counts of distributing narcotics and two counts of money laundering.
“During the operation, the detectives successfully confiscated a range of illicit substances, including Psilocybin and LSD, along with two firearms,” police said in the Sept. 18 press release. “Additionally, they seized over $138k in cash, discovered several bank accounts, valuable jewelry, and even a Porsche SUV – all believed to be connected to the illegal operations.”
The release notes that the seized narcotics have an estimated “street value” of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Powers is being held on a $10,000 bond.
FFXnow has reached out to FCPD for more details and to see if the stores were involved in any of the alleged illegal activity but didn’t hear back by publication.
As of yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, Highs & Lows on Richmond Highway was closed, and its phone number was disconnected. FFXnow emailed the business for comment but has not heard back either as of publication.
Three others were also arrested along with Powers, all charged with similar crimes. Those three men are in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.