Does this scene look familiar? It’s a scene that seems to be repeating itself over and over again when it rains.
Today, around 10:00 a.m., a car spun out of control and hit a guardrail while heading around a bend on southbound I-395, just past Washington Boulevard. The driver was said to be conscious but groggy, and was evaluated by paramedics.
Last month, on a rainy day, an SUVcrashed into the same guardrail in the same location just minutes after police finished clearing a roll-over accident in (you guessed it) the same exact location.
Police are directing traffic at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Carlin Springs Road after a car crashed into a pole.
A black coupe suffered heavy front-end damage after slamming into the pole while heading eastbound on the Pike. Arlington firefighters were called in to help extricate the driver from the vehicle. The driver’s condition is not known at this time.
Stop lights are flashing at the intersection and Fairfax County police are directing traffic. Drivers should expect minor delays in the area.
Update at 4:15 p.m. — The gas leak has been stopped and all lanes of westbound Route 50 are now open.
Earlier: The westbound lanes of Route 50 have been shut down near Fairfax Drive in Courthouse due to a gas line rupture.
Firefighters are reporting that a 16-inch gas transmission line has been ruptured in the area of the 10th Street Bridge. The closure of westbound Route 50 is expected to last at least another hour while Washington Gas works to shut off the gas and repair the line.
The eastbound lanes of Route 50 were shut down for a short period of time, but have since reopened. Still, significant traffic issues are being reported in the area. In addition to cars, police are also turning pedestrians away from the area.
(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) President Obama chose Kenmore Middle School as the venue for a major speech on education and the future of the No Child Left Behind program this morning.
Speaking in the school’s gymnasium, Mr. Obama said No Child Left Behind must be “fixed” to improve the county’s education system. Certain parts of No Child Left Behind, the president said, are not working properly.
As evidence, Obama noted that No Child Left Behind had labeled Kenmore as “failing,” when in fact, he said, it’s “thriving.”
“We need to focus on the schools that need the most help,” Obama said.
“It’s not enough to leave no child behind,” the president added. “We need to help every child get ahead, we need to get every child on a path to academic excellence.”
Before his speech, Mr. Obama dropped by the school’s auditorium, where most of the student body had been brought to catch a glimpse of the commander-in-chief. (There was limited seating inside the gym.)
The room was buzzing with excitement as the president took the stage. After lauding the work of Kenmore’s principal and teachers, Obama told the kids about his own experience as a middle school student.
“I was at my worst, getting into trouble, visiting the Principal’s office,” he confessed. Obama explained, to scattered giggles, that boys at this age “start getting a little distracted.”
Mr. Obama then headed to a classroom, where a few lucky students shared presentations they had been working on. The presentations — which included Power Point slides, artwork and musical interludes — discussed topics from music to the Harlem Renaissance to Duke Ellington.
“That’s an excellent presentation,” Obama told one group of presenters. He told another group that their presentation was “beautiful,” and complimented the clothing choice of one boy who was wearing an “Obama” t-shirt with a peace sign inside the “O.”
Among those in attendance at the school this morning — who Mr. Obama publicly acknowledged before his speech — were Rep. Jim Moran, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy and members of the Arlington School Board.
Update at 10:40 a.m. — The accident has been cleared and traffic is moving smoothly.
Four people have been injured, two seriously, in a wreck in the northbound HOV lanes of the 14th Street Bridge.
Nearly a dozen police, fire and medic units from Arlington and the District have responded to the accident scene. Northbound HOV traffic on I-395 is backed up to Washington Boulevard.
Rainy conditions have claimed yet another car on southbound I-395 near Washington Boulevard.
An SUV apparently spun out of control and hit a guardrail on the right side of the highway. The accident happened just 15-30 minutes after a rollover accident involving a Mercedes was cleared in the same area.
Virginia State Police are on the scene. So far, no injuries have been reported.
We hear that there were two or three other accidents in the same spot earlier this morning. Word to the wise: be careful if you’re driving on southbound I-395 today!
The parade is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m., but motorists may want to make note of some road closures that will take effect before the parade.
Wilson Boulevard will be closed from Veitch Street to Barton Street starting at 6:45 p.m. to allow parade floats to line up. Adams Street and Wayne Street will both be closed between Clarendon Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard at 6:45 p.m., for the same reason.
At 7:30 p.m., Wilson will be blocked off along the parade route from Barton Street to Irving Street.
Adams and Wayne Streets will reopen at 8:00 p.m., while Wilson will reopen after the parade concludes, around 9:30 p.m.
In addition to the road closures, there will also be parking restrictions in the area, marked by temporary ‘no parking’ signs. County officials are encouraging parade-goers to take the Metro to Courthouse or Clarendon instead of driving.
Update at 9:35 a.m. — Power has been restored, Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson says. The outage was caused by a single, unlucky squirrel.
According to Anderson: “We had a squirrel get onto a piece of equipment which caused a power outage near Pershing Drive and Route 50 in Arlington. At 7:42 AM, 1,765 customers lost power as a result of the squirrel making contact with our equipment and becoming the path of least resistance for electricity to travel to ground.”
Earlier: Traffic lights are out at a number of busy Arlington intersections due to a widespread power outage.
Dominion reports that more than 1,800 customers are without power this morning. Power is expected to be restored between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
Traffic lights are reported to be dark at the following intersections:
Route 50 and Pershing Drive
Route 50 and Henderson Road
George Mason Drive and Pershing Drive
George Mason Drive and Henderson Road
Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike
Police are directing traffic at most, if not all, the above intersections.
Does this scene look familiar? It’s a scene that seems to be repeating itself over and over again when it rains.
