The man who struck a woman with his SUV before running over another on a Clarendon sidewalk is facing criminal charges.

Arlington County Police say they’ve charged Arlington resident Shahed Quayum, 49, with DUI maiming. The crime is a Class 6 felony in Virginia, punishable by 1-5 years in prison and revocation of one’s driver’s license.

A restaurant manager who witnessed the aftermath of yesterday’s crash in front of Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) told ARLnow.com that Quayum was very intoxicated and could barely stand after getting out of the vehicle. Photos from the scene show him being tended to by passersby while firefighters worked to free one of the victims, a Mad Rose Tavern employee, from underneath the SUV.

The employee, a woman, suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries but is expected to survive. The other victim, who was struck in a crosswalk at the nearby intersection of Washington Blvd and Clarendon Blvd, suffered only minor injuries.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department has taken into custody Shahed Quayum, 49, of Arlington VA, following yesterday afternoon’s pedestrian collision in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. Quayum has been arrested and charged with DUI Maiming.

On October 4, 2016, at approximately 2:52 p.m., officers were dispatched to an accident with injuries in the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard. An investigation by the Critical Accident Team determined that a vehicle traveling eastbound on Clarendon Boulevard drove on the sidewalk as it crossed Washington Boulevard, striking a pedestrian in the crosswalk and knocking down a light pole. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center. The vehicle continued on the sidewalk, striking a second pedestrian and trapping her under the vehicle. The Arlington County Fire Department extricated the victim from under the vehicle and transported her to George Washington University Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.


A car overturned on Lee Highway near Rosslyn during this evening’s rush hour.

The crash was reported just past 4 p.m. in the northbound lanes of Lee Highway, approaching Rosslyn, between N. Quinn and Rhodes streets. Traffic was down to one lane on Lee Highway, we’re told.

It’s unclear what caused the crash. No serious injuries were reported. A tow truck is currently on scene.

Photo (top) courtesy Eric LeKuch


(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) An SUV has crashed into the side of Mad Rose Tavern in Clarendon, trapping one person underneath the vehicle.

Police and fire department rescue units responded to the scene and within a half hour was able to free the person from under the SUV.

Witnesses tell ARLnow.com that an older man in an SUV drove through the intersection of Washington Blvd and Clarendon Blvd, struck a woman in the crosswalk, knocked down a light pole and drove down the sidewalk before the vehicle finally came to a stop next to Mad Rose.

A woman was trapped underneath the SUV and could be heard screaming for help, a witness said. She was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University hospital but is expected to survive, police say.

The woman was an employee of Mad Rose Tavern, a restaurant manager said. The restaurant’s popular sidewalk cafe along Clarendon Blvd was destroyed by the SUV, but was not open at the time of the crash.

Investigators have secured surveillance footage of the crash from the restaurant, we’re told. The driver had bloodshot eyes and appeared to be intoxicated, said the restaurant manager.

The woman struck in the crosswalk was spun around by the collision but did not appear to be seriously hurt, a witness said. She was transported to Virginia Hospital Center, according to a police department spokeswoman. A third person was being evaluated by paramedics on scene.

Another witness said he spoke with the driver, who appeared dazed and disoriented, immediately after the crash. The witness asked what happened and, according to him, the man said he had just picked up medication from a local pharmacy.

The driver was led in handcuffs to a police cruiser. So far there’s no word on any charges filed.

Washington Blvd is currently closed between Highland and Clarendon, while Clarendon is closed between Washington and Highland. A large number of emergency responders are on scene but are beginning to pick up and go back in service.

Police are currently expected to remain on scene for an extended period of time due to traffic impacts from the traffic lights at the intersection of Washington and Clarendon being knocked out by the crash. Drivers in the Clarendon area should expect heavy traffic during the evening rush hour.

Update on 10/5/16 — The driver has been charged with DUI.


Update at 10:35 p.m. — The westbound lanes of Lee Highway are being reopened, according to scanner traffic.

(Updated at 11 p.m.) Lee Highway was blocked in the area of N. Highland Street in Lyon Village tonight due to a crash following a police chase.

The chase started in Montgomery County and made its way through D.C. before ending with the suspect vehicle crashing into another vehicle on Lee Highway around 9:45 p.m. NBC 4 reported that the chase started following a carjacking in Silver Spring.

An occupant from each vehicle was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage. Arlington police did not give chase, Savage noted.

A police helicopter circled overhead as the chase ended. Dozens of officers from Arlington County, U.S. Police Park and Montgomery County were on the scene.

Photos (top) courtesy Justin Funkhouser


Police car lights(Updated at 11 p.m.) One person is fighting for their life and another suffered significant injuries in a series of two crashes on the George Washington Parkway this morning.

The crash, involving an overturned vehicle, was reported shortly after 11 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the Parkway, near Spout Run. The northbound lanes were closed for about an hour and a half as medics treated the injured and as crews worked to clean up a large amount of debris from the roadway.

Around the same time as the first crash, a second, apparently unrelated crash involving an overturned vehicle was reported on the GW Parkway near Key Bridge.

Two people were transported via ambulance to the hospital, one with critical injuries. Initially the U.S. Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter was requested to medevac that person, but was later called off.

As of 12:40 p.m., one northbound lane had reopened, according to WTOP.


Aerial view of Arlington (photo courtesy of James Mahony)

Permanent Bathrooms Coming to Iwo Jima Memorial — Congress has approved a bill to add permanent bathrooms to the Marine Corps War Memorial near Rosslyn. The bathrooms will replace the current porta-potties and will be accessible to those with disabilities, including wounded veterans. The cost of the project will be paid for by philanthropist David Rubenstein. [WUSA 9]

Arlington 9/11 5K Registration Closing — Online registration for the 15th annual Arlington Police, Fire and Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K is closing at 10 a.m. this morning. The race will take place Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. [Zippyreg]

Remembering 9/11 in Arlington — Arlington County is holding events in remembrance of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. Tomorrow, Sept. 8, the county’s Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission is holding a public event reflecting on the response to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, moderated by NBC 4’s Doug Kammerer. On Sept. 11 this year, the county will hold its annual wreath-laying ceremony at Courthouse Plaza. [Arlington County]

Police Car Involved in Crash — An Arlington County Police cruiser and an SUV collided yesterday afternoon while the police officer was responding to a call. The crash happened near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and S. Arlington Mill Drive, roughly between Shirlington and Wakefield High School. No injuries were reported. [Twitter]

Arlington Not a ‘Sanctuary City’ — Does GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump’s pledge to crack down on “sanctuary cities” put Arlington in danger? Probably not, county officials say, because Arlington is not a sanctuary city. “It is, and has always been, Arlington County’s policy to comply with requests from all other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies including detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the county said. [NBC 4]

Photo courtesy James Mahony


ACFD Arlington County ambulance (file photo)(Updated at 8:25 a.m.) Arlington County police and medics are on the scene of a crash involving a motorcycle on Army Navy Drive.

Initial reports suggest a motorcycle and a car collided near the entrance to Army Navy Country Club around 5:15 p.m.

One person was evaluated for a possible back injury, according to scanner traffic.

File photo


Deer on 41st Street N. (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)

Crash Closes 395 Ramp — A multi-vehicle crash closed the ramp from northbound I-395 to northbound Washington Blvd during this morning’s rush hour. The ramp reopened just after 9 a.m. [Arlington County, Twitter]

Metro Delays This Morning — There were delays on the Yellow, Orange and Silver lines this morning due to “unscheduled track repairs.” [Washington Post]

Jefferson Davis Highway Name Change? — The Virginia attorney general’s office has determined that Alexandria can legally change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in the city, while Arlington cannot remove the Confederate leader’s name from Route 1. One local lawmaker says he wants the name to change, for various reasons, but adds that he doesn’t have a problem with routes named after Robert E. Lee. [InsideNova, InsideNova]

ACFD Fights Two Two-Alarm Blazes — Arlington County firefighters helped to battle a pair of two-alarm blazes in Fairfax County and Alexandria on Monday. [Twitter, Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok


Police car lightsA car has crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and Washington Blvd, just down the road from Virginia Hospital Center.

The pole is down and George Mason Drive is blocked, according to scanner traffic. The driver of the car reportedly suffered facial injuries and is being treated by paramedics.

Drivers should expect traffic impacts in the area.


A woman in brand new Mercedes-Benz SUV somehow managed to run into several parked cars and flip the SUV just seconds into a test drive.

The incident happened just before 11:30 a.m., at the Mercedes dealership on N. Glebe Road in Ballston.

We’re told that the driver was just beginning a test drive, in the dealership parking lot, and might have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake. She crashed into four vehicles before the SUV rolled onto its side.

Four people who were in the SUV at the time managed to get out before police and firefighters arrived, we’re told. One dealership worker was evaluated by medics for a possible back injury. No one was seriously hurt.


Arlington County police and medics were called to a two-vehicle collision on the ramp from Arlington Blvd (Route 50) to Washington Blvd.

The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. Thursday and closed the ramp for at least half an hour. Three people were evaluated for possible injuries but there were no reports of anyone being seriously hurt.

Two witnesses told ARLnow.com that the driver of a Ford sedan plowed into the side of an SUV while trying to turn onto the ramp.


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