breaking news

BREAKING NEWS — Multi-Vehicle Accident on I-66

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) A four-car accident with injuries has occurred on eastbound I-66 near the Roosevelt Bridge and the ramp to Route 110.

Initial reports suggested one vehicle flipped over — if so it has since been righted. We’re also hearing that CPR was performed on one victim, and that he was rushed to the hospital in full cardiac arrest. (See update here)

The vehicles involved in the accident include a Porsche, a Mercedes-Benz, an Acura and a minivan. Three other cars with no immediately visible signs of damage are also stopped at the accident scene.

Only one travel lane currently gets by at the accident scene.

Traffic on eastbound I-66 is being diverted onto Spout Run. Delays start at Sycamore Street/East Falls Church Metro.

Update at 10:05 a.m. — Traffic is back open on I-66 at Spout Run.

Update at 11:05 a.m. — Still just one lane getting by as flatbed trucks continue to take the damaged cars away.

Update at 1:30 p.m. — All lanes are back open.

Police Investigate Death at Kettler Capitals Iceplex

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a death that occurred at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston just before noon today.

A man in his 20s or 30s suffered some sort of a medical emergency in the complex. Paramedics performed CPR on the man, believed to be a youth hockey coach, and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The incident happened while the Washington Capitals were practicing in an adjacent rink. Police have confirmed that they’re investigating a death, but have not released any other details.

Detectives were on scene taking statements from witnesses earlier this afternoon.

Update at 5:30 p.m. — As first reported by DCist, the man who died has been identified as Kettler Capitals Iceplex hockey director Brian St. Louis.

St. Louis has also been serving as a youth hockey coach for the Washington Little Capitals.

The following has been posted on the Little Capitals web site:

The Washington Little Capitals, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex and the DC hockey community lost a great person today when Brian St. Louis passed away unexpectedly in Arlington, Va.

The Little Caps organization and the Kettler Capitals Iceplex extend their deepest sympathies to Brian’s wife, Emily, and his surrounding family and friends.

Coach St. Louis spent eight years with the Little Caps organization as a player, team captain, assistant coach, head coach and hockey director. Two years ago Coach St. Louis made a career transition when he became the hockey director at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Brian’s passion for the sport of hockey and the people involved will long be remembered in this area.

Funeral arrangements and other information will be passed along when finalized.

Major Police Presence at Courthouse Metro

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County and Metro police are looking for a man who may have brandished a weapon in the Courthouse Metro location. The man is believed to have already left the station.

This information comes from police radio traffic and the incident has not been confirmed.

Update at 3:15 p.m. — The information is a bit sketchy. Police are looking for a guy fitting a certain description in the area around the Courthouse Metro station, but neither the station manager nor Metro PD ever saw the alleged weapon. It was apparently reported by a bystander.

Streets Shut Down For Suspicious Package in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:55 p.m. — The package has been deemed “non-hazardous” and the scene is being cleared.

Update at 4:50 p.m. — Townhall tells us via Twitter that the suspicious package was not in their office.

Earlier: Police have shut down streets around 1901 North Moore Street in Rosslyn due to a suspicious package in the building. The package is reportedly being x-rayed at this time.

1901 North Moore houses several conservative media outlets, including Townhall.com, Salem Radio Network News and religious broadcaster WAVA-FM.

Workers standing outside the fire line tape set up outside said the suspicious package was located on the seventh floor, which houses the offices of Townhall.com, among other businesses. However, when reached on the phone after police were first dispatched to the scene, a Townhall.com employee said she was not aware of the situation.

The Rosslyn Circulator bus stop is located behind the fire tape. We’re trying to find out where the buses are being rerouted to.

Fisette: “Hopefully We Can Work Something Out” With TJ’s

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette says he’s hopeful the board will take some sort of action to satisfy Trader Joe’s parking prerequisites for coming to Clarendon.

Residents at a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night were told that Trader Joe’s will only move to the area if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage. The retailer is reportedly worried that there may not be enough parking for customers if all the garage’s spots are unrestricted, as the current site plan calls for.

Fisette says he can “fully appreciate the reason for their request.” He says county staff will study existing Trader Joe’s stores to determine parking requirements, and will also study the number of available parking spaces in the area near the Clarendon Center project.

“We’ll hopefully find a balance here… I’m hoping we find a way to get the ‘yes,’ whether it’s with the exact number of reserve spaces or some modification,” Fisette said. “They are a really desirable retailer… hopefully we can work something out.”

“We have goals of attracting grocery stores,” Fisette noted. “They’re an incredible amenity and asset for a neighborhood… Arlington residents have been chomping at the bit for a Trader Joe’s for ten years, so I’m excited about the possibility.”

Please go to our original Trader Joe’s post to discuss this story.

BREAKING NEWS — Break Out the Three Buck Chuck: Clarendon Trader Joe’s Close to a Reality

By ARLnow.com

It has been a persistent rumor, but now it’s close to coming true. Trader Joe’s is in the late stages of negotiations to come to a 10,000 square foot space in the nearly-completed Clarendon Center project, according to two people who attended a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night.

The store is nearly a done deal, we’re told, except for one big hurdle. Trader Joe’s has said it will only move to the space if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage.

As the site plan stands right now, the garage will be open to anybody who wants to park there, whether they’re going to a Clarendon Center store or to a restaurant across the street. It’s a provision that the county desired, but Trader Joe’s fears that there won’t be enough parking left for its customers.

A site plan amendment is expected to be filed on Friday. The matter would likely go before the county board in November. (Update: See county board chairman Jay Fisette’s comments about Trader Joe’s here.)

The 10,000 square foot Clarendon Trader Joe’s would be of average size for the chain. It would be nearly 2,000 square feet smaller than the Alexandria Trader Joe’s.

At last night’s meeting, some Lyon Village residents expressed concern that parking for Trader Joe’s will spill over into nearby neighborhoods. Most residents, however, were supportive of the long-awaited grocery store, we’re told.

Also at the meeting, Clarendon Center’s developer revealed that each building is on track to open on schedule, before the end of the year. The south building is expected to deliver in November and the north building — future home of a number of new restaurants — is expected to deliver a month later, in December.

Hat tip to J.B.

Man Falls Onto Track at Virginia Square Station

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters and paramedics responded to the Virginia Square Metro station this afternoon, after a Metro employee rider had an epileptic seizure and fell onto the trackbed.

Other customers immediately came to the man’s aid and helped him get back up to the platform according to WMATA spokesperson Ron Holzer. An Orange Line train was arriving at the station the time of the incident, but came to a stop before it reached the fallen man. Power to the third rail was turned off shortly after he fell, Holzer said.

The incident happened around 12:15 p.m. When paramedics arrived they applied a neck brace and loaded the victim onto a stretcher, according to scanner reports.

One witness shared this harrowing account of incident in the comments below:

The man was waiting for the Vienna train. He appeared to be mid-twenties, about 200 lbs, wearing a backpack. He appeared disoriented then started toward the tracks. Someone yelled “watch out watch out”. The lights were blinking because the Vienna train was coming. The man stepped out into thin air and fell forward onto the nearest of the two tracks. The track got him right in the ribs, and he lay there.

Some people started yelling “get up get up”, and others ran toward the tunnel exit, waving at the Vienna train to stop. A man in a blue dress shirt on the New Carrollton/Franconia side dropped his papers and jumped into the track bed. The victim was saying “I can’t move” but he slowly got up. Blue dress shirt hopped to the Vienna side just as the victim was getting to his feet. Blue dress shirt was standing behind the victim, bear-hugging him. He was maneuvering the victim toward the platform when the train emerged from the tunnel and came to a stop about 100′ from the where they were.

(The train peeked out of the tunnel by about 30′. I was surprised that the train was able to stop so quickly – apparently the driver responded to the people waving and/or saw the two people on the tracks. There was no screeching of brakes or anything that I noticed – the train appeared to stop pretty comfortably with room to spare.)

Two people who were working on the Vienna-side escalator grabbed an arm each and pulled the victim from the trackbed. Blue dress shirt pulled himself out onto the Vienna platform. The victim was laid down on his back with his head propped up. He was saying “my back my back”. A female metro employee with a walkie-talkie appeared and reported on the situation.

After multiple assurances, the victim stopped panicking and was able to relay a phone number to the metro employee. Blue dress shirt called across for somebody to grab his papers. The man nearest did so, and blue dress shirt crossed back to the New Carrollton/Franconia side. The Franconia train, which had stopped, emerged slowly from the tunnel, parked, and opened its doors to take on passengers. Blue dress shirt boarded the train. He had two knuckles on his right hand that were badly swollen. He guessed that he had accidentally punched the concrete when he grabbed the victim. He said that his plan had been to pull the man beneath the platform as the train pulled up. Luckily we never found out if this plan would have been successful.

Gas Fumes Prompt Hazmat Response at DARPA Building

By ARLnow.com

The fire department is on the scene at the headquarters of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in Virginia Square for a report of strong gas fumes in the parking garage.

Initial reports suggest two people who were in the garage are now being treated after feeling lightheaded.

Parts of North Nelson Street and Fairfax Drive are shut down due to the large Hazmat response.

Update at 11:25 a.m. — Firefighters are investigating the incident as a possible gasoline leak from a vehicle. Some of the units are now leaving the scene.

A Hazmat team from Alexandria was part of the response.

Falls Church School Locked Down After Man With Gun Spotted

By ARLnow.com

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Falls Church was locked down around 9:30 this morning after a jogger told police she saw a man with an assault weapon in the area.

The man was wearing camouflage, a utility belt and a helmet, the woman said.  Falls Church police officers searched the school and the neighborhood but did not find anyone matching the description. The scene has since been cleared, according to city spokesperson Hyun June.

About 124 summer school students, teachers and staff, along with a daycare program, were inside the school at the time.

Update at 12:15 p.m. — Police believe the man, who still hasn’t been located, was carrying an airsoft gun or a paintball gun. He’s described as a white male in his twenties.

BREAKING NEWS — Police Pursue Stolen Car into Old Town Alexandria Following Armed Robbery

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:50 p.m.) Two men in a stolen SUV led Arlington police on a rare car chase into the pedestrian-clogged streets of Old Town Alexandria.

The chase began after a lookout for a dark red SUV was broadcast from an apparent armed robbery that occurred at the Best Western on South Glebe Road around 8:00 p.m. The suspect “implied” a weapon during the robbery, according to Arlington Police spokesperson Crystal Nosal.

Officers spotted the vehicle on Route 50 then chased it from the George Washington Parkway, past National Airport and into Old Town Alexandria.

The driver of the stolen vehicle caused a Volvo to crash at Cameron and North Royal Streets, then slammed into a wall next to a parking lot, police said. The two passengers in the Volvo suffered minor injuries.

After the crash, one suspect fled into nearby Alexandria City Hall. A terrified cleaning crew ran out of the building as police surrounded the area and a U.S. Park Police helicopter hovered overhead.

“Alexandria police officers and police K-9s went inside and located him,” Nosal said. “He was injured by a K-9 bite and was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

The second suspect stayed in the vehicle and was taken into custody by Arlington police.

“The driver booked,” said Jack Coopersmith, a witness. “The guy in the back — they had shotguns on him and everything, and they took him down.”

The vehicle is believed to have been carjacked in Prince George’s County earlier this morning.

1/8

(more…)

BREAKING NEWS — Worker Falls To His Death At Courthouse Hotel

By ARLnow.com

A worker has fallen to his death at the Arlington Court Suites Hotel in Courthouse. The incident is being investigated as an “industrial accident,” according to Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal. It is the second death from a fall in Arlington in as many days.

The worker fell seven stories, through a glass atrium and into the hotel’s front lobby. No word yet on how the worker fell, but ironwork appears to have been underway on four balconies above the atrium.

A pickup truck from Newington, Va.-based Hallmark Iron Works was parked outside the hotel.

“Out of respect for the family, we will offer no comment,” said a woman who answered the phone at the company’s headquarters.

Police say the victim was a 35-year-old man. Co-workers told WUSA9 that he was a new father. They also said that the man’s safety harness had been bothering him today, and that he was apparently not tied in.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.

WARNING: Readers may find some photos (after the link) disturbing.

(more…)

View More Stories