(Updated at 11 p.m.) Two vehicles careened off the GW Parkway and into the Potomac River near I-395 earlier tonight.
The incident happened shortly before 8:30 p.m. First responders on the ground and in boats rushed to the scene and rescued at least of the victims. Two men were brought to local hospitals in stable condition, according to the Arlington and D.C. fire departments.
U.S. Park Police is investigating the incident; so far there’s no word as to how it happened.
Both vehicles — one of which is fully submerged while the other is partially submerged on the riverbank — are expected to be pulled out of the water overnight.
#Update Photos from the scene at NB GW Parkway. 2 patients have been transported to local hospitals by @dcfireems in stable condition. One vehicle remains fully submerged and another partially submerged on riverbank. Both vehicles will be recovered overnight. pic.twitter.com/gK2TnhFr2R
Single-vehicle crash in the snow in front of Washington Golf and Country Club
Arlington County salt truck on N. Glebe Road
Cars slowly go down a hill in the snow on Yorktown Blvd
A number of crashes have been reported around Arlington as snow and sleet cause slick conditions on local roads.
Arlington Transit has suspended at least one route, and reported major delays on others, due to the conditions. VDOT, meanwhile, is calling for people to avoid driving until conditions improve.
“VDOT asks that drivers continue to avoid nonessential travel in Northern Virginia during rush hour and overnight, as weather transitions between snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain,” the agency said around 1:30 p.m. “Crews will be working around the clock to plow snow, treat for icy conditions, remove downed trees and monitor for flooding.”
Arlington and VDOT crews are continuing to treat local roads, with county crews primarily using salt and VDOT using plows and salt. The county’s hills have proven particularly problematic, with at least one dangerous stretch — on Carlin Springs Road around Route 50 — partially closed by police, per scanner traffic.
Steady snow started the transition to sleet in Arlington around 1 p.m. The sleet is expected to become rain later today, before perhaps transitioning back to snow. Both a Winter Weather Advisory and a Flood Watch are in effect this evening, with 1-2 inches of rain expected to fall.
The National Weather Service is reporting snow accumulation of 0.5 to 1 inch in Arlington, as of 1:30 p.m., though it may be higher or lower in parts of the county.
More via social media:
County crews continue to use salt along primary routes and trouble spots. Treatment is generally weakened by rain at or near freezing. Exercise extreme caution when attempting to drive during a winter storm. #ArlWXhttps://t.co/JnvPU3bK6Uhttps://t.co/1YeaJ5VJ9j
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) December 16, 2020
Very active day today and tonight across our region. Depending on your location, you could see flooding, ice or heavy snow. pic.twitter.com/jLOzZBFpA7
We're closing at 2 pm today and delaying opening tomorrow until 10 am. If you're out and about, Saints, be safe and enjoy the snowfall ❄️☃️ pic.twitter.com/6V2tGK7Qhk
(Updated at 11:15 p.m.) A multi-vehicle crash has temporarily blocked all lanes of the GW Parkway in Arlington.
The crash happened near the scenic overlooks on the parkway. Initial reports suggest that one of the vehicles involved crashed into a tree in the median, and that firefighters had to extricate an occupant of the vehicle who was trapped inside.
One patient is being transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital, according to scanner traffic.
The parkway is expected to remain at least partially blocked for much of the evening due to due downed trees.
INCIDENT: Tree Down LOCATION: NB/SB GW Parkway at 2nd Scenic Overlook IMPACT: All NB and SB lanes closed for tree down and traffic collision. Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/c7dZO6uoKS
INCIDENT: Trees Down LOCATION: NB GW Parkway (2nd Scenic Overlook) IMPACT: With regard to the earlier incident, NB and SB GW Pkwy will experience periodic closures at the 2nd scenic overlook. Traffic delays expected throughout the evening. Seek alternate pic.twitter.com/vMBBeGiLPb
A Virginia State Police trooper was seriously injured after a driver plowed into the back of her cruiser on I-66 in Arlington.
The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. Friday, on eastbound I-66 near East Falls Church and the Sycamore Street exit, in a work zone.
“A 2014 Volkswagen traveling east on I-66 through a mobile Work Zone changed lanes and crashed into the rear of a Virginia State Police patrol car,” VSP said in a press release. “Both the female driver and the male passenger fled the scene on foot.”
Arlington County police assisted VSP in apprehending the passenger, who’s being charged with being drunk in public and obstructing justice. The driver remains at large.
VSP said the trooper was seriously injured but after a hospital stay she is now at home recovering.
Late last year six highway workers were injured after being struck by an alleged DUI driver along I-66 in Arlington. In June a man was struck and killed while reportedly walking in an eastbound lane of I-66 after midnight.
More from a press release:
Virginia State Police is reminding motorists to make safety a priority when traveling through active Highway Work Zones after a trooper was struck in Northern Virginia Friday night (Nov. 6). Trooper M. Hart was seated inside her patrol car when it was struck. Trooper Hart was transported to Fairfax Inova Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. She was released later Saturday morning and is recovering at home.
At approximately 11:27 p.m. Friday, a 2014 Volkswagen traveling east on I-66 through a mobile Work Zone changed lanes and crashed into the rear of a Virginia State Police patrol car. The crash occurred just prior to Exit 69 in Arlington County. Both the female driver and the male passenger fled the scene on foot.
With the assistance of Arlington County Police, state police located and apprehended the passenger, Christopher G. Rush, 37, of Woodbridge, Va. Rush refused to assist state police with identifying the driver. Rush was arrested for being drunk in public and obstruction of justice. He was transported to Arlington County Detention Center.
The female driver was not located and state police is still investigating to identify her. The crash remains under investigation.
Rush hour isn’t what it used to be, but a crash has caused a big backup on southbound I-395 in Arlington.
A vehicle flipped on its side in the main outbound lanes of I-395 between Washington Blvd and S. Glebe Road around 4:15 p.m. The driver suffered minor injuries and is out of the vehicle, according to scanner traffic.
Police and firefighters are on the scene. Traffic cameras currently show 1-2 lanes of traffic getting by the crash scene.
Drivers should try to avoid southbound I-395 until the crash is cleared.
One person was injured after a moped and an SUV collided near the Lee Heights Shops this afternoon.
The crash happened shortly after noon at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and N. Wakefield Street. The moped’s driver appears to have slammed into the front driver’s side corner of the SUV, though the exact circumstances leading to the crash are unclear.
A video posted to social media shows the aftermath of the crash as firefighters arrive on scene; the moped driver can be seen lying in the middle of the roadway, attended to by passersby.
The moped driver was injured and transported to a local hospital, according to an Arlington County Fire Department spokesman, who described the injuries as “minor” and “non-life threatening.”
The same intersection was the scene of a two-car crash on Friday, Aug. 28.
Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Overturned vehicle in CVS parking lot at 2601 Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A single-vehicle crash involving a small SUV and a large rock prompted a sizable emergency response on Columbia Pike this afternoon.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m., in the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy at 2601 Columbia Pike, near Penrose Square.
The car flipped onto its side as a result of the collision with the boulder, in the back of the parking lot. A large crowd gathered as firefighters and police arrived on scene.
A witness tells ARLnow that the driver, a senior citizen, appears to have mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal. She was helped out of the overturned vehicle and evaluated for injuries by medics.
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Another crash at the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Friday
Crash at or near the intersection of Little Falls and Old Dominion, on Monday
“We’ve seen too many accidents here. Think [before] you cross!”
So reads signs recently placed on Little Falls Road, at the crash-prone intersection with Old Dominion Drive, below signs restricting traffic to right turns only during rush hour. A few yards from the signs, around lunchtime Friday, was yet another crash.
The two-vehicle, T-bone crash involving an SUV and a minivan resulted in at least one vehicle occupant, a young woman who was visibly shaken, being evaluated by medics. A young girl appeared to have been riding in a car seat in the minivan at the time but was uninjured.
“It’s always this intersection here,” a police officer directing traffic could be heard saying to a passerby.
Friday’s crash was the eleventh so far this year at Old Dominion and Little Falls, according to Arlington County Police Department data. By comparison, there were 14 crashes there during all of 2019 and 13 throughout 2018.
Locals have long known the intersection — with no stop for Old Dominion traffic and limited sightlines for Little Falls traffic — to be dangerous, so much so that three years ago a 13-year-old took it upon himself to start a petition for safety changes, ultimately leading to the rush hour restrictions. Though the restrictions have been in place for a year, the crashes have not slowed down.
A wreck in May sent an SUV careening over the sidewalk and into the front yard of a home in the corner. No injuries were reported. A subsequent ARLnow morning poll found that more than 70% of respondents think a four-way stop or a traffic signal should be installed at the intersection.
There was another two-vehicle crash at the intersection on Monday, though it’s not clear whether it actually occurred in the intersection.
No additional changes are currently planned for the intersection, though some may be forthcoming — eventually.
Arlington County officials tell ARLnow that VDOT has applied for grant funding for the intersection on the county’s behalf, a process that might take some time.
“This intersection continues to pose safety challenges, and has been investigated by our Transportation Engineering and Operations (TE&O) staff,” said Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “As the intersection is under VDOT control, we’ve applied to the VDOT STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) program for grant funding.”
Hui Wang, Arlington’s Transportation Engineering and Operations Bureau Chief, said the state grant would help fund a study that will then provide recommendations for safety changes.
“If approved, VDOT has a group conducting comprehensive review of all aspects with community engagement included,” Wang said.
Garvey said she has also asked about “interim solutions.”
“I’ve asked our staff for a briefing to better understand the situation and, if there are any further interim solutions to pursue, I’m hopeful we can advanced them,” she said.
AIM to Spotlight Arlington’s Black Community — “In 2018, Arlington native Wilma Jones published a book about the neighborhood she grew up in. My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood details the evolution of a community of freed slaves, which was founded after the Civil War… Jones and Arlington Independent Media (AIM), a nonprofit organization, are launching a multi-part series called UNTOLD: Stories of Black Arlington.” [WDVM]
Interview with Interim Police Chief — “After 29 years with Arlington County, Virginia, Police, Deputy Chief Andy Penn knows a concerning trend when he sees one. Just weeks before moving into the role of interim chief, Penn said addressing an uptick in deadly overdoses was an immediate focus. As of Aug. 18, the county had lost 16 people to overdose deaths, according to Arlington County police data.” [WTOP]
Flu Vaccines Now Available at Giant — “Giant Food announced Monday flu shots are available at in-store pharmacies, including locations in the Arlington area. The flu vaccines are administered by Giant pharmacists and do not require an appointment. A copayment is usually not required through most insurance plans.” [Patch]
Here’s Why Glebe Road Was Closed — “For those wondering, Glebe was blocked just north of Ballston [Sunday] night due to a vehicle that rammed a house’s gas meter, causing a leak. No injuries were reported, some nearby homes were briefly evacuated, per ACFD spokesman.” [Twitter]
Storms Possible This Evening — “[Monday was] the beginning of a several-day stretch of storm threats. [Today] the Storm Prediction Center has the region under an ‘enhanced risk,’ or Level 3 out of 5. On Wednesday, it’s a slight risk at Level 2. As with tomorrow, damaging winds will be the main threat.” [Capital Weather Gang]
Local Real Estate Market Rebounds — “After an uncharacteristically slow spring, thanks to stay-at-home orders and economic uncertainty stemming from Covid-19, Washington’s residential real estate market had a record-breaking July. According to the latest local data, the median home sale price in the DC metro area hit a 10-year high last month.” The median days on the market for Arlington, meanwhile, is seven. [Washingtonian, InsideNova, Twitter]
I-395 Wrong-Way Driver Arrested — “A woman driving the wrong way on northbound Interstate 395 Tuesday morning struck two vehicles before taking off, Virginia State Police said. The crash at 4:49 a.m. sent debris across the interstate and shut down all northbound lanes before Washington Boulevard in Arlington for roughly an hour.” [WTOP]
Long Bridge Project May Be Delayed — “The good news is that the coronavirus pandemic has not derailed one of the region’s most important transit projects: the construction of a second Long Bridge over the Potomac River reserved exclusively for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express passenger trains. The bad news is that due to revenue shortfalls directly related to the pandemic, the $3.7 billion, 10-year project may be significantly delayed.” [Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, Twitter]
W-L Student Dies Unexpectedly — “Generals, it is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of one of our own. Adrian Vega-Alcantara, a student in the 11th grade, passed away suddenly of heart failure on August 10.” [Washington-Liberty High School]
Local Reaction to Veep Pick — “Amid a strong field of highly qualified women, Senator Harris stands out as a powerful and historic choice,” said Rep. Don Beyer. ” I know from our time together in the Senate that she’ll be great for the ticket and more importantly, great for our country,” said Sen. Tim Kaine. [Press Release, Twitter]
Meteor Shower This Week — “Make sure you stay up late one evening (or wake up early) to see the annual Perseid meteor shower! It will peak this week on the mornings of Wed, Thu, and Fri.” [Twitter, EarthSky]
Southbound I-395 is down to one lane near the Pentagon during this evening’s rush hour due to a crash.
Initial reports suggest a vehicle flipped on its roof just past the exit ramp to Route 1. The occupants of the vehicle were able to get out and no serious injuries have been reported.
Those heading from D.C. to Virginia via the 14th Street Bridge should expect major traffic impacts in the area. The HOV lanes, however, are not affected by the crash.
