An SUV ran into a building on Columbia Pike early Saturday morning (photo courtesy anonymous)
An SUV ran into a building on Columbia Pike early Saturday morning (photo courtesy anonymous)
The driver of an SUV slammed into a building along Columbia Pike early Saturday morning.
It happened around 1:40 a.m. on the western end of the Pike in Arlington, near the massive “Pike” sculpture.
Video of the incident, posted by local public safety watcher Dave Statter, shows the SUV driving at a high speed down S. Jefferson Street before crashing into a commercial building at 5555 Columbia Pike.
No serious injuries were reported. So far, there’s no word on any charges against the driver.
Watch this: An SUV driver coming down the hill on S. Jefferson around 1:40 this morning went straight on Columbia Pike instead of turning. In its path was the two-story commercial building at 5555 Columbia Pike built in 1962. Despite ending up partially inside the building there… pic.twitter.com/LigwkPDwmu
Just before the crash at 10th Street N. and N. Highland Street (video via Safetyvid)
The traffic signal at the intersection of 10th Street N. and N. Highland Street in Clarendon is out after a crash.
The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. and was caught on camera.
The video, above, appears to show a driver on 10th Street running the red light and getting t-boned by a driver on Highland. So far, there’s no word on injuries, though firefighters and medics quickly arrived on scene from nearby Fire Station No. 4.
N. Highland Street is closed and the traffic light is out, according to an Arlington Alert message. The video shows the light staying on red while flashing yellow after the crash, potentially as the result of ground-level signal equipment being damaged.
LOCATION: N Highland St./10th St. N INCIDENT: Traffic Collision IMPACT: N Highland St. (southbound) between 10th St. N and 9th St. N is closed in both directions. The light at the intersection of N Highland St. and 10th St. N is currently out. Expect dela pic.twitter.com/AKamrdjZDT
An SUV crashed into a bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
The man driving the Jeep that seriously injured a pedestrian before slamming into a Pentagon City bank is likely to face charges, police say.
The driver, who has not yet been identified, “was attempting to turn from S. Hayes Street onto 12th Street S. when he exited the roadway onto the sidewalk, struck a pedestrian and crashed into a closed bank,” an Arlington County police spokesman says.
The crash, which happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday, heavily damaged the front of the Chase bank branch at 710 12th Street S., next to the Metro station.
The man struck by the Jeep was seriously injured but is expected to survive. Charges are expected to be filed soon against the driver.
“The pedestrian, an adult male, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and is currently in stable condition,” ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The driver of the striking vehicle, an adult male, was not injured and remained on scene. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing and charges are pending.”
The crash was witnessed by New York Times reporter Ken Vogel, who posted on social media this morning that the injured man was bleeding from the head and fading in and out of consciousness.
The pedestrian was sprawled on his back on the sidewalk, blood coming from his head.
As he faded in & out, I urged him not to try to move, told him help was coming (someone had called 911) & that he would be ok.
I hope he was.
(I took the above photo after police/EMTs arrived)
Traffic fatalities, including pedestrian deaths, are up sharply nationwide compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Times recently published an investigation (and a podcast) looking into U.S. pedestrian deaths, which are on the rise — especially in nighttime crashes.
Police cruiser rear-ended in Courthouse (photo courtesy Megan J.)
A driver ran into the back of a stopped Arlington police cruiser in Courthouse yesterday afternoon.
The crash, which happened two blocks from police headquarters — next to the construction site that was formerly a Wendy’s — happened around 2:30 p.m.
It’s unclear what led to the crash. Video posted by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter shows a car approaching the cruiser, which was stopped at a light, and simply plowing into it. The cruiser is pushed into the intersection before the driver apparently stops accelerating.
Watch: Wilson Boulevard is getting to be a hazardous place for @ArlingtonVaPD. Just after 2:30 p.m., someone rear-ended a police SUV stopped at the light at Wilson and N. Courthouse. No injuries were reported but it appears the airbag went off on the passenger side of the car.… pic.twitter.com/5u3Fg7a9ln
Immediately after, the driver and other occupants of the vehicle get out and talk to the officer. The cruiser’s rear bumper and window were both damaged in the crash.
Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow that the driver received a traffic citation for “Failure to Pay Full Time and Attention.”
This is at least the second ACPD cruiser damaged in a crash in the past week. On Friday, Dec. 29 a driver in Clarendon allegedly pulled in front of an officer speeding toward an incident, resulting in a wreck that nearly sent the civilian vehicle into a nearby storefront.
That driver was cited for “Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way,” Savage said.
SUV crashes into bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
SUV crashes into bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
SUV crashes into bank in Pentagon City (photo courtesy Steve Brusk)
SUV crashes into bank in Pentagon City (screenshot via @ogiuzi/Twitter)
The driver of a Jeep careened into a bank in Pentagon City Wednesday night, injuring a pedestrian.
The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. at 710 12th Street S., directly adjacent to the Pentagon City Metro station entrance.
The SUV went through the front of the Chase bank branch, potentially causing structural damage, according to initial reports. One pedestrian was struck and injured; they were treated on scene by medics and taken via ambulance to a local trauma center.
It’s unclear what led to the crash. The driver was still in the vehicle when police arrived, according to scanner traffic.
Car crashed into the store next to @ChickfilA right across from Pentagon City Mall. The car can't be that fast on that road to crash into the store. pic.twitter.com/bEwTtrkfCL
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
Crash involving police vehicle in Clarendon (photo courtesy anonymous)
(Updated at 7 p.m.) A two-vehicle crash in Clarendon damaged an Arlington County police cruiser this afternoon.
The crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Danville Street. The second vehicle involved, a red hatchback, came to rest on the sidewalk, steps away from the entrance to the Beyond/Hello cannabis dispensary.
Officers were responding to an incident in the Ballston area at the time of the crash.
“At approximately 2:45 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person with a knife in the area of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard,” said ACPD spokeswoman Alli Shorb. “An officer responding to the scene was travelling westbound on Wilson Boulevard when a vehicle travelling northbound on N. Danville Street collided with them. The driver of the vehicle was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”
“The preliminary investigation into the suspicious person determined the victim was stopped in her vehicle on Fairfax Drive when the male suspect approached and displayed a knife,” Shorb said late Friday afternoon, of the Ballston incident. “The victim fled the area in her vehicle and called police. Responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody. Charges are pending for the suspect and officers remain on scene investigating.”
Police detouring drivers prior to crash on I-66 (staff photo)
Emergency vehicles responding to I-66 crash
(Updated at 3:50 p.m.) A multi-vehicle crash with injuries and at least one person reported to be trapped blocked all westbound lanes of I-66 in Arlington this afternoon.
The crash happened around 2:15 p.m. near the exit to Langston Blvd and Spout Run. The person trapped has since been freed by firefighters, according to scanner traffic.
At least four vehicles, including one that overturned, appear to be involved.
Backups on westbound I-66 extended to Rosslyn, while eastbound traffic was also backed up at the crash scene. Police detoured westbound drivers onto Langston Blvd. At least one eastbound lane remained blocked as of 3 p.m.
Shortly before 4 p.m., VDOT said that all lanes were back open.
Before and after the Green Valley alley received county improvements (via Arlington County, with text added by ARLnow)
Two years ago, a motorcyclist died in a crash involving a school bus near Drew Elementary School in Green Valley.
A week later later, a car seriously injured a toddler who was playing in the sidewalk intersecting with an alley in Westover.
Following those two crashes, Arlington County embarked on a county-wide look at alleys to identify possible problems, from insufficient signage or markings to degraded road conditions. This year, it made upgrades to around a dozen of the 100 alleys it reviewed.
The 23rd Street S. alley in Green Valley, where witnesses say the motorcyclist exited at a high speed and died trying to avoid hitting a school bus, had parking spaces removed to improve sight distances, Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien said.
Meanwhile, the Westover alley at N. Longfellow Street and 15th Road N., near where the toddler was seriously injured, had a “watch for pedestrians” sign added, according to a county map.
Neighbors previously said this alley was frequented by cyclists and pedestrians, including students from nearby schools, but had dangerous blind spots. This included untrimmed hedges, which were cut around the time the toddler returned home from the hospital.
After evaluating sight line obstructions such as foliage, barriers and parked vehicles, and checking for unclear or worn signage and pavement markings, the county made changes to several other alleys.
Alleys in East Falls Church, Ballston and Alcova Heights had pedestrian warning signs added, while faded signage was replaced at a second alley in Alcova Heights.
Parking was repurposed to improve sight lines at an alley in Bluemont while a “no parking” sign was added to a second Green Valley alley where neighbors said parked cars blocked visibility.
Changes were made through general funding since they were small in scale, O’Brien said.
Crash involving overturned vehicle on S. Glebe Road at 15th Street S.
Crash involving overturned vehicle on S. Glebe Road at 15th Street S.
(Updated at 10:10 p.m.) All lanes of S. Glebe Road were blocked between Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike this afternoon due to a crash.
Initial reports suggest that two vehicles collided near the intersection of Glebe and 15th Street S. around 1:45 p.m. One vehicle flipped on its side and at least one vehicle occupant was reported to be trapped and injured.
Numerous fire department and police vehicles were on scene as the person was extricated from their vehicle by firefighters and transported to a local hospital via ambulance.
Glebe Road was back open as of 3:15 p.m., according to Arlington County.
Traffic camera video of the crash posted Monday night by local public safety watcher Dave Statter shows some questionable driving decisions by a trio of drivers. One driver sideswipes the second — whose car overturned — while simultaneously trying to pass the third, who just turned onto the northbound lanes at the last second ahead of oncoming traffic.
Car overturned: This is today's crash on S. Glebe Road & S. 15th Street in Arlington. Despite one car rolling over, there was no initial report of life-threatening injuries. @ArlingtonVaFD & @ArlingtonVaPD handled. Video from Arlington traffic camera recorded by @SafetyVid.… pic.twitter.com/qQP5sFKBGd
Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is working on an expedited design and construction timeline to install a traffic signal at the intersection of N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive, near Barrett Elementary School, by the end of 2024.
Last month, the county told ARLnow it was working to get a signal installed within the next three years. The decision to shorten the timeline responds to an uptick in crashes there this year, DES told the Arlington Forest Civic Association in a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).
“The signal project is on target for completion by the end of next year,” Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker tells ARLnow. “We must procure all materials and finalize construction plans.”
With the installation date a year away, the county evaluated a trio of interim solutions while removing and trimming overgrown trees and shrubs in the median to improve sight distances.
At this troubled intersection, drivers on N. Park Drive have a two-way stop sign before traversing the four lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.
Left turns and through traffic on N. Park Drive are the primary causes of crashes, says Baker.
After evaluating temporary stop signs, traffic signals or barriers to restrict certain traffic patterns, DES decided to keep exploring how to add barriers.
“We are also assessing the potential impacts to nearby intersections, such as Henderson, to ensure safe alternative routing,” Baker said.
Potential turn restrictions on N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (courtesy Arlington County)
In its presentation last night, DES said turn restrictions are easy to install and effective. Crashes dropped at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road when similar turn restrictions were introduced there.
The restrictions on turning and going straight on N. Park Drive are set to be installed before the end of 2023. They will be removed when the traffic signals go in at the end of next year.
Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road turn restriction impacts (courtesy Arlington County)
The updates are good news for residents, who have been asking for a solution soon, predicting pedestrians could get hurt. So far this year, the county has lowered speeds on the road near Barrett, repaved and restriped intersection — adding a “SLOW SCHOOL XING” message.
“Arlington Forest residents have been very concerned about safety at the intersection of George Mason Drive and North Park Drive for several years,” Arlington Forest Citizens Association President Esther Bowring said in a statement.
“That is why we are appreciative that Arlington County has now committed to not only expediting installation of a traffic signal at that location, but also to installing interim measures to improve pedestrian and traffic safety until the signal is installed,” she continued.
A traffic signal was recommended back in 2017, when traffic near the site was studied as part of plans for the new Lubber Run Community Center. Ultimately, the county moved forward with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon and pedestrian refuge.
Staff did pledge to conduct a traffic signal analysis after the community center was finished and new travel patterns settled.
County pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
County pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Redman tow truck arriving at Lubber Run Park (staff photo)
An Arlington County-owned pickup truck was driven off the side of a small concrete bridge in Lubber Run Park this afternoon.
The low, narrow bridge over Lubber Run is located just to the north of the park’s amphitheater, in the Arlington Forest neighborhood.
Initially, the incident drew a large rescue response to the park, but arriving firefighters quickly determined that no one was injured nor trapped by the crash. They secured the truck in place ahead of the arrival of tow crews.
Police and county personnel remain on scene as crews work to pull the truck back onto the trail.
