(Updated at 12:20 a.m. on 7/19/2023) One teen has died and three others have been hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash in Burke.
Officers were called to the scene outside the Burke Centre Shopping Center in the 5700 block of Burke Center Parkway, the Fairfax County Police Department tweeted at 9:42 p.m.
“Detectives do believe that speed was likely a factor in this crash,” FCPD Lt. James Curry said in an update at midnight, asking anyone who may have been in the area around 9 p.m. to call the department’s non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.
Burke Centre Parkway was closed for the police investigation. The FCPD advised everyone to avoid the area.
This is Fairfax County’s second fatal crash in as many days. A driver was killed last night (Monday) after a two-vehicle crash on Jeff Todd Way in Fort Belvoir.
UPDATE: Three of the passengers are believed to be teenagers. Please avoid the area while our Crash Reconstruction Unit investigates.
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) July 19, 2023
Updated at 8:50 p.m. — Franconia-Springfield Parkway has reopened after a driver hit a pedestrian earlier this evening.
Earlier: A pedestrian has been hospitalized after a vehicle crash on Franconia-Springfield Parkway in Springfield.
All westbound lanes have been closed to traffic at Spring Village Drive, according to police.
“The adult man was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition,” the Fairfax County Police Department said shortly after 6 p.m.
According to scanner traffic, medics were dispatched to the scene around 5:29 p.m. A dispatcher reported at 5:30 p.m. reported that “someone hit a pedestrian that was crossing the road.”
Update: Our Crash Reconstruction Unit detectives are on scene to investigate the crash. The road remains closed while the investigation continues. pic.twitter.com/C1EHfSgxv6
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) July 12, 2023
(Updated at 3 p.m.) A child was taken to the hospital last night (Tuesday) after a car crash on Richmond Highway in the Groveton area.
Police and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched to the intersection of Richmond Highway (Route 1) and Holly Hill Road around 8:53 p.m., according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
According to police, Jermaine Ridgely, 45, of Alexandria was driving north on Route 1 in a 2003 Infiniti when he hit a southbound 2010 Nissan Altima that was turning left into a parking lot in the 7100 block of Richmond Highway.
“A juvenile passenger in the Nissan Altima was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to an area hospital in life-threatening condition,” the Fairfax County Police Department said, noting that a medic with the fire department “witnessed the crash and immediately rendered medical aid.”
The child remains hospitalized, police said in an update today.
Scanner traffic suggested one other person was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but no other injuries were mentioned in the police news release.
Ridgely was arrested and faces a charge for driving under the influence, along with a citation for failing to obey a highway sign.
“Preliminarily, detectives believe speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the crash,” the FCPD said.
Ridgely is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Road Closure: Officers are on scene of a serious car crash at Rt.1 and Holly Hill Rd in the Groveton area. A juvenile passenger was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Crash reconstruction detectives are enroute to the scene to continue the investigation. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/BL73ULalkh
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) July 12, 2023
Photo via FCPD/Twitter
(Updated at 2 p.m. on 5/12/2023) A man from Newport News was killed during a struggle with police in Penn Daw where two officers fired their guns.
No officers were injured in the gunfire, which occured outside a McDonalds (6239 Richmond Highway), but one officer was hospitalized with head injuries from a fight with 38-year-old Brandon Lemagne prior to the shooting, the Fairfax County Police Department said.
“He was fighting for his life, literally,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said of the injured officer in a media briefing.
According to the FCPD, the encounter began when that officer got a license plate alert at 4:06 p.m. for a U-Haul truck that had been reported stolen in Richmond on May 3. The officer pulled into the Citgo gas station adjacent to McDonalds when Lemagne stopped the truck at the station and got out.
“He made contact with driver outside the vehicle,” Davis said. “Very shortly thereafter, the assailant — and that’s what I’m calling him — shoved our police officer into the open front driver’s door of the marked police car and was attacking him, was on top of him and was violently assaulting our uniformed Fairfax County police officer.”
At some point during the struggle, the police cruiser was put in reverse and drove backwards until it hit two vehicles parked at McDonalds.
Scanner traffic on Open MHz captured an officer yelling, “He’s got my gun” at 4:07 p.m., followed about 20 seconds later by shouts of “shots fired.”
According to police, two officers — a 24-year veteran and an 8-year veteran from the Mount Vernon District station — responded to the dispatch. The 8-year veteran fired “several rounds,” while the other pulled Lemagne off of the police officer, Davis said.
The 24-year veteran then fired his gun, hitting and killing Lemagne.
“Several shots fired. We got the guy,” an officer told the dispatcher.
The officer’s gun was recovered from the scene, and he was discharged from the hospital a day later.
Describing the incident as “pretty dramatic” and unlike anything he’s seen before, Davis noted that there was body-worn camera and surveillance footage of the incident. A video from what appears to be a cell phone has already been circulated on social media.
This is the second fatal shooting by Fairfax County police this year, after D.C. resident Timothy Johnson was killed outside Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22.
“All officer involved shootings receive the utmost investigative attention from our internal affairs bureau and major crimes,” Davis said, later adding that “we certainly take the loss of any life very seriously.”
No officers were injured from the gunfire. Updates to follow.
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 11, 2023
— Romeo (@RVANOVA01) May 11, 2023
Tysons Blvd was shut down in front of the Ritz-Carlton this afternoon by demonstrators protesting a visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Police closed the road between Galleria Drive and Park Run Drive starting around 3:50 p.m., according to a Fairfax Alert.
“A large group has gathered for a demonstration,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “Officers are in the area to ensure public safety. Please use an alternate route.”
Tysons Blvd is currently closed between Galleria Drive and Park Run Drive. A large group has gathered for a demonstration. Officers are in the area to ensure public safety. Please use an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/l0SMPF0vVr
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 2, 2023
According to a flyer posted to Facebook, the D.C., Virginia and Maryland chapters of the Bangladeshi National Party (BNP) organized the demonstration to protest Hasina’s arrival on Saturday (April 29) for a week-long visit to D.C.
The group also held a protest yesterday (Monday) outside the World Bank in D.C.
A video of the protest shows people chanting and holding posters calling for democracy and free elections in Bangladesh.
The daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who helped found Bangladesh when it separated from Pakistan in 1971, Hasina has become the country’s longest-serving prime minister since assuming the position in 2009.
Her government has been accused of suppressing political opponents with election rigging, torture, arbitrary arrests and violent crackdowns on protestors. The BNP, an opposition party to Hasina’s ruling Awami League, has been mobilizing in recent months both within Bangladesh and globally to protest rising fuel prices and arrests of its leaders.
Updated at 11:25 a.m. — All lanes on John Marr Drive and Little River Turnpike have now reopened to traffic, police say.
Earlier: A crash on John Marr Drive in Annandale took down power lines and sent three people to the hospital this morning (Tuesday).
John Marr and Little River Turnpike are closed in both directions at the intersection for an indefinite period of time, as Dominion Energy addresses the downed wires in the street, the Fairfax County Police Department says.
Scanner traffic on Open MHz from around 8:30 a.m. indicates that a vehicle crashed into a pole. A responder from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department observed one victim on the street median.
“We do have one of the transmission lines from the power pole that’s down, that’s hanging. Two poles in both directions will be compromised,” the responder said.
Three people have been transported to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to the police.
“Expect delays and avoid the area if possible,” the FCPD said.
As of 9:40 a.m., no power outages in the area had been reported to Dominion Energy.
TRAFFIC ALERT: John Marr Drive at Little River Turnpike is shut down due to a crash. Wires are in the roadway and Virginia Power is responding. Three people were taken to the hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening. Expect delays and avoid the area if possible. pic.twitter.com/Zvpv6SCPqw
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 25, 2023
Image via Google Maps
For the next few months, drivers will have just one road to reach Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) from Wolf Trap.
The access point at Trap Road is scheduled to close at 7 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) and will remain blocked to traffic until 9 a.m. Saturday (April 22), the Virginia Department of Transportation announced last week.
Drivers will be required to use Towlston Road in order to travel between Route 7 and Trap Road.
“By Saturday, April 22 at 9 a.m., the eastbound lanes of Route 7 will shift to the south, and Trap Road will reopen at Route 7 to incoming traffic,” VDOT said. “Drivers on eastbound Route 7 will be able to turn right onto Trap Road.”
However, Trap Road will remain closed to outgoing traffic, which will still need to use Towlston through this summer. A full reopening is currently anticipated in August, according to VDOT.
The closure is part of the ongoing project to widen Route 7 from four to six lanes along a nearly 7-mile stretch from Reston Avenue to Jarrett Valley Drive. Under construction since 2019, the project is also adding 10-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides of the roadway and redesigning key intersections.
New traffic patterns necessitated by a reconstruction of the Baron Cameron Avenue intersection will be in place until 5 a.m. Thursday (April 20). The new Lewinsville Road intersection is on track to open in May.
The overall Route 7 widening is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024, according to the project website. It costs an estimated $313.9 million.
Updated at 5:50 p.m. — Georgetown Pike has now reopened, Fairfax County police say.
Earlier: Georgetown Pike has been closed in both directions near Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls in the wake of a vehicle crash.
“Wires are in the roadway and Virginia Power Company is on the scene,” the Fairfax County Police Department said at 9:07 a.m. “Avoid the area if possible.”
The closure extends to the River Bend Road intersection, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s traffic camera site, which advises that drivers should expect delays
The impact of the downed wires appears to be relatively limited, causing a power outage for just 39 customers, according to Dominion Energy’s outage map.
“A truck hit a utility pole bringing wires down,” Dominion Energy spokesperson Peggy Fox said. “We were able to restore power to most customers with switching, but 21 customers will remain without power while repairs are done.”
The utility company’s estimated time of restoration for those remaining customers is 1 p.m., Fox said.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Northbound and southbound Georgetown Pike closed due to an accident. Wires are in the roadway and Virginia Power Company is on the scene. Avoid the area if possible. Follow police Directions and expect delays. pic.twitter.com/H2S0kIGUYq
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) April 17, 2023
For the next six months, anyone who wants to visit Turkey Run Park in McLean will have to get there on foot.
All parking lots and the Turkey Run Loop Road that leads into the park from the George Washington Memorial Parkway will close today (Monday) for repair and repaving work, the National Park Service (NPS) announced this morning.
The park and its trails will still be open, but the only way to access them will be by walking on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
“The NPS will mill and resurface Turkey Run Loop Road and the parking lots within the park,” the park service said in a news release. “The NPS will complete full depth repairs for some road surfaces. All repaired pavement surfaces will also receive new pavement markings.”
The road and parking lot closures will remain in place through construction, which is expected to finish by Sept. 30.
According to the NPS, the road project is being funded by park entrance fees, which can be used “for construction projects that directly enhance visitors’ enjoyment and access.”
The scope of the closures is necessary for “safety and security protections” during construction, a record of determination approved by GW Parkway Superintendent Charles Cuvelier on March 23 says.
“The project will improve the driving experience and safety while retaining the beauty of the park,” the NPS said. “…The closures will not adversely affect the park’s natural, aesthetic, or cultural values. The closures do not require significant modification to the resource management objectives and are not of a highly controversial nature since this is similar to closures that have occurred in the past.”
Photo via Google Maps
(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
