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BREAKING: Arlington schools will be closed Tuesday, too

By ARLnow.com
Snow in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Students at Arlington public schools will have another snow day on Tuesday.

School was also cancelled today, which would have been the first day back from the winter break, due to the winter storm. Unlike students in Alexandria, Arlington students are so far not being required to attend virtual classes.

More from Arlington Public Schools:

All APS schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Both in-person and Virtual Learning Program classes are canceled. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

An expected refreeze overnight could make for hazardous driving conditions. Plow crews in Arlington continue to work to clear snow from local roads, focusing for now on primary and secondary roads while neighborhood streets remain snow-covered.

APS joins Fairfax County, Prince William County and a number of other major D.C. public school systems in announcing Tuesday closures this afternoon. In Alexandria, schools will be closed but the district will again be providing virtual classes.

BREAKING: Arlington Public Schools closed Monday due to winter storm

By ARLnow.com
Yorktown High School in the snow (file photo)

(Updated at 6 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will be closed Monday, the school system announced Sunday evening.

The closure decision was made as Arlington is under a Winter Storm Warning, with heavy snow expected to start falling early Monday morning. Some 3-7 inches of accumulation is possible, according to the National Weather Service

More from an APS email to families:

Due to the Winter Weather Warning and based on the anticipated snowfall beginning in the early morning hours through midday, all APS schools and offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. Unless otherwise directed by their supervisors, custodial and maintenance staff should report to work at their scheduled time, and all custodians should report to work at 6 a.m. Extracurricular activities, games, team practices, field trips, adult education classes, and programs in schools and on school grounds are canceled. For updates about Pool Operations, go to www.apsva.us/aquatics. For information about Arlington County programs and operations go to www.arlingtonva.us.

Among other major D.C. area school systems, Fairfax County, Prince William County and Alexandria also announced this evening that they would be closed tomorrow for in-person classes, though Alexandria public schools will be open for virtual classes.

Forecasters say travel will be especially tricky around the time when students would have been going to school on Monday morning.

UPDATED: Crash in Clarendon critically injures pedestrian near Whole Foods

By ARLnow.com
1/10

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) A woman suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash in front of the Clarendon Whole Foods on Wednesday.

Initial reports suggest that the woman was walking in the area when the crash occurred on Clarendon Blvd and the force of the collision sent two vehicles careening onto the sidewalk, knocking down a light pole.

Details surrounding what exactly happened were fuzzy at the time. A police spokeswoman said it is too early in the investigation to determine a cause of the crash or a sequence of events.

The woman was rushed to a local hospital via ambulance after the crash. Arlington County police set up a command post as detectives conducted a full investigation.

A lone shoe could be seen on the sidewalk as police cordoned off the area and onlookers watched from behind the wall of the Whole Foods parking lot.

Clarendon Blvd was blocked near the crash for an extended period of time.

On Thursday, the Arlington County Police Department released more information about the crash, which detectives say was caused by a driver who struck a parked car. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a critical crash which occurred on the afternoon of December 22 in the Clarendon neighborhood.

At approximately 1:44 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2700 block of Wilson Boulevard for the report of a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the striking vehicle was turning from N. Edgewood Street onto Clarendon Boulevard when he struck a parked vehicle. The impact of the crash resulted in the pedestrian being struck and damage to an additional parked vehicle and a light pole.

The pedestrian, an adult female, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and remains hospitalized in critical condition. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene.

The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective K. Stahl at [email protected] at 703-228-7145. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

UPDATED: Police investigating after two people found dead in apartment

By ARLnow.com
1/9

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Arlington County police are investigating after two people were found dead in an apartment near Ballston on Wednesday.

The investigation is taking place at the Clarendon Court Apartments complex, located on the 3800 block of 6th Street N. in the Ashton Heights neighborhood, about two blocks from the Gold’s Gym. Detectives could be seen using a ladder to take photos of the apartment, which is on the second floor of a two-story garden-style building.

“ACPD is conducting a death investigation in the 3800 block of 6th Street N.,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage confirms to ARLnow. “Police were dispatched at 12:01 p.m. to the report of a cardiac arrest and located two adults deceased inside a residence. The investigation into the circumstances of the deaths are ongoing and cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”

Numerous police and fire department were on the scene. The parking lot of the building was cordoned off with crime scene tape while the investigation continues.

On Thursday morning, police said preliminary information suggests that “there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community.” From ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is conducting a death investigation in the Ashton Heights neighborhood.

At approximately 12:01 p.m. on December 22, police were dispatched to the 3800 block of 6th Street N. for the report of cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, an adult male and female were located deceased inside a residence. This investigation into the circumstances of the deaths is ongoing. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause of death. Based on the preliminary investigation, there is no apparent ongoing threat to the community.

Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

UPDATED: Massive fire at former Va. governor’s Chain Bridge Road mansion

By ARLnow.com
Massive house fire on Chain Bridge Road, as seen from D.C. (via @jlilley626/Twitter)

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) The long-time mansion of former Virginia Senator Chuck Robb is ablaze just over the Arlington border.

Firefighters from Arlington and Fairfax counties were dispatched to the home on the 600 block of Chain Bridge Road just after 11:30 p.m. Arriving firefighters reported fire throughout the first floor of the home, which quickly spread to upper floors and the roof.

The massive blaze could be seen from across the Potomac in both D.C. and Maryland, while a haze and the smell of smoke wafted over Arlington neighborhoods more than a mile away.

Chain Bridge Road is closed in both directions due to the emergency activity, which now also involves units from the Montgomery County, Maryland fire department.

According to scanner traffic, both occupants of the house made it out, but may have suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. They were taken to a local hospital via ambulance.

Due to heavy fire, firefighters were only able to battle the blaze from outside the home. Around midnight, units on the scene reported that trees near the house were starting to catch fire.

The mansion has been owned by Sen. Robb and his wife Lynda, daughter of former president Lyndon B. Johnson, since the 1970s, property records show. In the 1990s a large addition brought the brick home overlooking the Potomac to nearly 20,000 square feet and 19 bedrooms, according to a newspaper report at the time.

The home is likely to be a total or near-total loss.

Robb, 82, published a memoir earlier this year. He also served as governor of Virginia from 1982-1986.

The stretch of Chain Bridge Road around the fire includes some of the priciest homes in the D.C. area. On either side of the Robb property is a sprawling estate owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The Falls, an estate on the Arlington side of the border that sold for $45 million in 2020. Arlington fire units were dispatched to that heavily-guarded property, which features a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed guest house and whose buyer was never publicly revealed, for a report of smoke alarms going off during the firefighting effort next door.

More via social media:

On Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam said he was “saddened” by the fire, a sentiment echoed by other Virginia elected leaders.

The governor’s office also released the following statement from the Robb family.

The residence of former Governor Chuck Robb and former Virginia First Lady Lynda Robb sustained major damage Tuesday evening as fire engulfed their home of nearly 50 years.

The Robb family confirmed their parents had no life-threatening injuries and had been transported by ambulance to the hospital. They were the only occupants at the time of the fire.

“Our entire family is deeply grateful to the firefighters for their rapid response and the medical professionals who are taking care of them,” said the three daughters of Charles and Lynda Robb. “We have what is most important to us — our mom and dad.”

Hat tip to Alan Henney

BREAKING: Covid cases rocket upward, shattering record, with hospitalizations low but growing

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington on 12/20/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

(Updated at noon) It’s a tale of two Covids: the rate of new cases has shattered the previous record in Arlington, but so far there has been no significant increase in reported hospitalizations.

The Virginia Dept. of Health reported 286, 193, and 232 new daily cases over the past three days, respectively. Arlington’s previous single-day case record was 193 on Jan. 9.

The seven-day moving average of new daily cases currently stands at 172, well above the previous high point of just over 120 cases per day in January. The average was below 100 cases per day just three days ago.

Covid cases in Arlington on 12/20/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Arlington’s test positivity rate, meanwhile, is rapidly increasing and currently stands at 6.5%, more than triple the positivity rate at the beginning of November, though lower than the current 9.3% rate statewide.

Long line outside a private Covid testing location in Ballston on Sunday morning (staff photo)

Testing shortages and long lines at testing sites are being reported in Arlington and around the region. Only one county-sponsored testing kiosk is open today “due to unexpected shipping delays of COVID-19 test kits,” Arlington County said today. A huge line could be seen this morning outside the lone county test site that remains open, in Courthouse.

Arlington Public Library, meanwhile, says it is out of at-home tests and has not received new shipments from the state.

“When VDH makes a delivery, we will update the status on our web site and post to our social media channels,” a library spokesperson told ARLnow this morning. “Please check back tomorrow.”

Similar testing shortages and lines have been reported in D.C. and in Alexandria.

The World Health Organization said over the weekend that it’s seeing rapid growth in cases due to the new, more contagious Omicron variant.

“COVID-19 cases detected with the newest variant are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in areas where there is community spread, WHO said,” according to Axios. “Coronavirus cases are surging across Europe, largely driven by the Omicron variant… Cases in the U.S. are rising rapidly, with both New York and Washington, D.C., reporting record daily numbers Friday — and there’s no reason to think they’ve peaked yet.”

Arlington Public Schools, meanwhile, is reporting 105 positive tests among public schools countywide over the past seven days, according to its online Covid dashboard. The school with the most positive cases during that time period is Washington-Liberty High School, with 19.

On Saturday, the school sent an email to families saying that 15 new cases had been reported.

“Three Grade 9 students, five Grade 10 students, and two Grade 11 students, and five Grade 12 students at Washington-Liberty have tested positive for COVID-19,” said the email, obtained by ARLnow. The email added that close contacts of each of those students may need to quarantine, depending on several factors including mask usage.

“We want to assure you that the health and safety of our students, staff and families is a top priority for APS,” the email said.

Late last week, Northern Virginia health districts urged “vigilance” in the face of a “surge” of cases. From a press release:

As disease transmission increases, Public Health leaders in the Northern Virginia region (Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Arlington Counties, including all towns and municipalities- and the City of Alexandria) are encouraging residents to maintain their vigilance in curbing the spread of COVID-19 to minimize hospitalizations and deaths during this winter surge.

Since the start of this pandemic almost two years ago, there have been more than 2,600 COVID-19 deaths, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 230,000 cases in northern Virginia. Many of the hospitalizations and deaths occurred during last winter’s surge.

Hospitalizations in Arlington have risen modestly over the past week, but remain relatively low. Two additional hospitalizations were reported today, bringing the seven-day moving average to just over one per day for the first time since the start of October.

At the height of the initial pandemic wave, in the spring of 2020, reported Covid hospitalizations peaked at more than a dozen per day.

The last reported Covid-related death in Arlington was on Dec. 3, more than two weeks ago.

Covid hospitalizations in Arlington on 12/20/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

One expert said over the weekend that Omicron does not appear to cause more serious illness, despite its greater transmissibility.

“What we’ve seen in South Africa in particular, is a decoupling between the cases and hospitalizations,” former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on CBS’s Face the Nation. High levels of vaccination and immunity from prior infection may be helping to tamp down on serious illness from Covid, he added.

Mike Silverman, chief of the emergency department at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, wrote in his weekly public Facebook post on Friday that the hospital is seeing more people falling ill from Covid.

(more…)

BREAKING: Covid case count in Arlington spikes amid Omicron worries

By ARLnow.com
Covid cases in Arlington as of 12/17/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Arlington County just recorded the second- and third-highest single-day Covid case totals of the pandemic.

The 168 cases reported on Thursday was the county’s second-highest daily case total for 24 hours, before being supplanted by the 185 cases reported today. The local single-day record remains the 193 cases recorded on Jan. 9, 2021, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data.

Arlington’s seven-day moving average of new coronavirus cases spiked this week after a brief plateau, reaching an average of 98.4 cases per day today.

Hospitalizations — which typically lag reports of new cases by a week or more — are also on the rise, with six new hospitalizations between Monday and Thursday. Prior to this week, Arlington had not seen a day with a reported hospitalization since Nov. 29.

The county’s test positivity rate continues to increase as well, and currently stands at 4.7%. That doesn’t incorporate data from the past couple of days, however — preliminary numbers from VDH suggest a 9.3% positivity rate for lab reports on Wednesday, when 1,931 PCR tests were performed in Arlington.

This morning, a long line could be seen outside the county’s Covid testing booth in Courthouse.

Line for Covid testing in Courthouse on Dec. 17, 2021

The rise in cases in Arlington comes as the nation appears to be on the verge of a significant wave of cases fueled by the new, more infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“It’s here now and it’s spreading and it’s gonna increase,” President Biden said today of Omicron case, as quoted by Axios. “We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated — for themselves, their families and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.”

On CNN, one infectious disease expert described what’s coming as a “viral blizzard.”

In the New York City area, which is seeing a big increase in cases, the test positivity rate doubled over the course of three days last week. Closer to home, D.C. yesterday reported just over 500 cases, its highest single-day case total of the pandemic. Today’s D.C. case count was even higher.

While Arlington’s vaccination rate — more than 90% of the adult population has received at least one jab — makes the county less susceptible to the worst health outcomes from a large Covid wave, there could still be a sizable influx to local hospitals.

Statewide, hospitalizations are increasing, though Virginia still currently has 2,420 available hospital beds, including 383 ICU beds which typically used by Covid patients who need help breathing when the virus causes severe respiratory problems.

Hospitalizations in Virginia as of 12/17/21 (via Virginia Dept. of Health)

Even if Arlington is fortunate enough to avoid a significant increase in serious illness from Covid this winter, a large wave would have other deleterious effects. Masking requirements may become stricter in some places and temporary closures of certain venues are possible. Daycare centers, pre-schools and K-12 schools could have outbreaks that send many students home to quarantine.

Arlington Public Schools has seen a more than 60% rise in cases over the past week, compared to the prior seven day period — 103 cases this past week compared to 64 cases the previous week.

The Biden administration today announced a new “test to stay” strategy that could keep students who were in close contact with those who test positive in schools, rather than quarantining at home for 1-2 weeks.

CNBC, meanwhile, reported today that Omicron is likely to further delay plans to return to bring workers back to office buildings. Others that have brought workers back may temporarily go back to remote-only, as the company behind ARLnow announced today for its in-person employees.

Expect more closure announcements and testing shortages in the coming weeks, experts caution. Just this afternoon, Arlington County said it was having issues with limited supplies of testing kits.

On the bright side, if Omicron infection patterns from South Africa hold, it’s possible that the current wave may be relatively short-lived and result in milder cases than the waning (but still present) wave of Delta variant cases.

More via social media:

BREAKING: Fire on Crystal City’s 23rd Street restaurant row

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated on 12/5/21) Firefighters battled a significant fire Saturday night on the 23rd Street S. restaurant row in Crystal City.

The fire was reportedly in the building that houses Andalusia Hookah Bar and Top Thai restaurant on the 500 block of 23rd Street. Those businesses are immediately adjacent to Crystal City Sports Pub and Federico Ristorante Italiano.

Firefighters from several local jurisdictions helped to finally extinguish the smoky, two-alarm blaze. The fire has caused unsafe conditions for firefighters inside the building and flames can now be seen coming from the roof, according to scanner traffic.

Smoke from the fire could be seen rising into the air throughout the Crystal City area.

The Crystal City Sports Pub was evacuated during the fire as smoke started to fill the building. But co-owner Billy Bayne said the fire department’s quick work and coordination saved his business and others on the row.

“To our knowledge there’s no major damage to the Sports Pub,” Bayne said, while noting that there may be smoke and other damage that needs to be repaired. “Thank God for the fire department and police department… they all are heroes, they did a great job.”

Shortly before midnight the Arlington County Fire Department reported that all fire had been extinguished. So far there have been no reports of significant injuries.

On Sunday afternoon, the fire department returned to the scene after a small fire flared back up.

On Sunday night, the fire department said in a press release that the fire caused nearly $1.8 million in damages. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Shortly after 10pm on Saturday December 4th, units were dispatched for a reported fire in a commercial building in the 500 block of 23rd St S. Units quickly arrived on scene and began working to extinguish the fire. Crews began operating in extremely challenging conditions with thick smoke causing zero visibility inside the structure, as well as obscuring views for crews operating on the exterior. A second alarm was requested to bringing nearly 30 fire apparatus and 100 firefighters to the scene.

As interior conditions deteriorated rapidly, crews were forced to evacuate the building and begin using ladder trucks to flow large volumes of water from an elevated position on the exterior. With the bulk of the fire extinguished crews were able to re-enter the structure to knock down any remaining fire. Just before midnight the fire was deemed extinguished, and crews began the long process of checking for fire extension and overhaul operations.

Fire Marshals remained on scene to conduct a cause and origin investigation. The preliminary findings from their investigation list the fire cause as undetermined, and cite damages as being nearly $1.8 million dollars.

More from social media:

Photo (2) via Google Maps

UPDATED: Police pursue fleeing suspects in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com
1/4

(Updated at 6:15 p.m.) Four people have been taken into custody after a police pursuit through Pentagon City.

Initial reports suggested that police were trying to pull over two suspects in a white SUV near the Fashion Centre mall. The SUV had at least one flat tire, possibly flattened by officers using “stop sticks,” but refused to stop.

The driver, struggling to control the SUV due to the flat tire or tires, reportedly took a sudden detour through the Harris Teeter parking lot with police trailing behind.

A traffic camera showed the SUV exiting the parking lot onto Army Navy Drive, near the mall garage entrance, followed by multiple police cruisers. Arlington County police have a policy against giving chase except in certain circumstances, but officers radioed to the dispatch center that they were merely following the swerving SUV at a rate of speed below the speed limit.

The SUV could be seen turning onto S. Hayes Street, and shortly thereafter its occupants fled on foot. One person ran through the mall, with officers in pursuit, before being taken into custody in the parking garage on the food court level, according to scanner traffic. Officers told dispatchers that they subsequently recovered two guns.

Many of those details were confirmed in an account of the incident provided to ARLnow. From Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage:

At approximately 3:41 p.m. on November 23, police were alerted to a possibly stolen vehicle in the area of the 800 block of Army Navy Drive. Officers located the parked, unoccupied vehicle and confirmed its status as stolen. Five subjects subsequently returned to the vehicle and police attempted to stop them. Two subjects were detained without incident, one subject fled on foot, and two subjects fled in the vehicle. Officers deployed stop sticks, causing the rear tires of the vehicle to deflate, however the driver continued to travel at a low rate of speed around the area. Arlington County Police did not pursue the vehicle. With the assistance of Virginia State Police, the vehicle was stopped at 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street and the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody without incident. The passenger fled on foot and officers initiated a brief foot pursuit before taking the subject into custody without further incident. One subject remains outstanding. During the investigation, two firearms were recovered. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.

At least one vehicle was reported to have been struck while the suspects made their attempted getaway, though at this point it’s unclear where.

Southbound S. Hayes Street in front of the mall was partially blocked by the police activity after the incident.

BREAKING: Motorcyclist killed in school bus crash in front of Drew Elementary

By ARLnow.com
1/10

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington police and firefighters are on scene of a fatal crash involving a motorcyclist and a school bus with children on board.

The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. on S. Kenmore Street in front of Drew Elementary, in the Green Valley neighborhood.

A school bus with 14 students on board struck a man who was riding a motorcycle, according to police. The man, who was reportedly wearing a helmet, was found lying unresponsive in the roadway.

Police have closed S. Kenmore Street, likely for an extended period of time while detectives investigate the crash. The victim remains in the roadway, covered in a white sheet, while police tape has been placed around the crash site.

School counselors are being requested to the scene for the children who were on board the bus at the time of the crash. No physical injuries were reported among the students, who have since been taken off the bus.

Despite the location of the crash, we’re told that that bus came from a school other than Drew.

Witnesses, some of whom were sobbing as they spoke to ARLnow, said the motorcyclist was someone they saw often in the neighborhood. They said he had just driven out of an alley at a high rate of speed and tried to lay down his motorcycle when he saw the bus coming. He “went flying” and was run over by the bus, witnesses said.

The man’s injuries were such that first responders immediately radioed that he was deceased after arriving at the scene and failing to find a pulse.

Neighbors said that numerous kids and adults witnessed the crash, which happened in a busy area next to a park on a sunny, warm autumn day.

The neighbors who spoke to ARLnow said that the deceased man was in his early 20s and worked at a nearby auto rental and repair shop.

“They are good guys,” a neighbor said of the workers at the family-owned shop.

Update on 11/11/21: Arlington County police just issued the following press release about the fatal crash.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred on the afternoon of November 10, 2021.

At approximately 2:49 p.m., police were dispatched to the 3500 block of 23rd Street S. for the report of a vehicle crash with injuries involving a school bus and motorcycle. Upon arrival, officers located the unresponsive motorcyclist partially under the school bus. He had succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene. The school bus had fourteen students onboard at the time of the crash. The students safely exited the bus, were evaluated by medics and no additional injuries were reported.

The preliminary investigation indicates the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed from an alley on 23rd Street S. onto S. Kenmore Street. He tried to avoid the oncoming school bus by laying down the motorcycle and ultimately ended up partially under the bus. The deceased has been identified as Stevan Zikic, 26, of Alexandria, VA.

This crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective L. Lugasi at [email protected] or 703-228-4054. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Matt Blitz contributed to this report.

BREAKING: Driver killed in crash near East Falls Church Metro

By ARLnow.com
1/10

Update at 5:05 p.m. — The driver who was critically injured has died, police confirmed Wednesday evening. From a press release:

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on the morning of November 3, 2021.

At approximately 8:29 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries at Washington Boulevard and N. Sycamore Street. The preliminary investigation indicates that as a result of the crash, the driver of a van was ejected from the vehicle and became partially trapped underneath. Upon arrival, medics extricated the driver from under the vehicle and transported him to an area hospital in critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The four occupants of the other vehicle were transported to area hospitals with injuries considered non-life threatening.

The deceased has been identified as Mauricio Campos Gomez, 49, of Manassas, Virginia.

This crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected] or 703-228-4172. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-8477.

Earlier: A person was taken to the hospital in grave condition after a serious two-vehicle crash near the East Falls Church Metro station.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. on N. Sycamore Street, at the intersection with Washington Blvd, and injured a total of five people.

The force of the collision ejected one of the drivers and they ended up trapped under a vehicle, said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. Firefighters worked to free the driver and rush them to a local trauma center.

The crash left one of the vehicles, an orange FreshDirect grocery delivery box truck, on its side in the intersection. The other vehicle involved was a white work van. A van for a local barbecue restaurant could be seen parked nearby but it did not appear to be damaged nor involved.

Four people — three occupants of the vehicle that the injured driver was in, and one in the other vehicle — were transported by ambulance for injuries that are “considered non-life threatening,” police say.

Police remain on scene investigating the crash. The crash response and investigation has closed N. Sycamore Street at the intersection. The ramp from eastbound I-66 to Sycamore is also closed.

The closures are expected to remain in place for at least the next few hours, Savage said. Various Metrobus lines are being redirected around the crash site.

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