crash

SUV Runs Into the Front of Bangkok 54

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 6:20 p.m.) An out-of-control SUV struck the front of Bangkok 54 restaurant (2919 Columbia Pike) this afternoon.

The crash happened around 3:45 p.m. Damage to the building appeared to be relatively minor and confined to the front facade of the eatery. The vehicle also nicked a street tree before coming to rest between Bangkok 54 and Maruko Japanese Restaurant. A box of beer could be seen in the back of the SUV.

The driver tried to run once police arrived on scene, we’re told. He hopped a fence behind the nearby McDonald’s restaurant but was tased by police and apprehended a block or two away.

The man, who was the only occupant of the vehicle, was evaluated for minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he will undergo drug and alcohol testing, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. No other injuries were reported.

Police are investigating whether the vehicle might have been stolen or used without authorization.

 

TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash Brings Down Utility Pole on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Glebe Road was blocked in both directions in the area of 8th Street S., just north of Columbia Pike, due to an single-vehicle accident around 3:45 this afternoon.

A green Honda sedan collided with a utility pole, knocking the pole and numerous utility lines to the ground. As of 4:15, police had reopened one northbound and one southbound lane of Glebe, but authorities are advising drivers to avoid the area “for the next few hours.”

Metro says buses that use that stretch of Glebe Road may be delayed up to 20 minutes.

Police and Dominion crews remain on the scene. No word on any injuries.

 

TRAFFIC ALERT: Accident on I-66 in Rosslyn Tunnel

By Katie Pyzyk

Update at 4:05 p.m. — All lanes of I-66 eastbound have been reopened.

An accident in the Rosslyn tunnel on eastbound I-66 is snarling traffic.

Police have re-opened eastbound I-66, after having shut it down at Spout Run for a while. Traffic is crawling past the accident via the left shoulder.

Initial reports suggest there are injuries, but so far there’s no word on how many people are involved or how severe the injuries.

Drivers are advised to avoid eastbound I-66 until the scene clears, which may take a while. There are also reports of traffic backups along Spout Run and Lee Highway, where traffic had been diverted earlier.

BREAKING NEWS — Major Accident on Washington Blvd in Ballston

By Katie Pyzyk

Update on 6/21/12 at 11:35 a.m. — Police report the driver of the SUV has been charged with reckless driving. They have also updated the number of vehicles involved to be 10. In addition to the woman who was trapped in her car, one other driver and one other passenger were also transported to Inova Fairfax hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

(Updated at 7:25 p.m.) A driver may be charged after a serious accident Wednesday evening on Washington Boulevard in Ballston.

Around 6:00 p.m. police received the call of an accident with injuries on Washington Boulevard between Glebe Road and Vernon Street. Nine vehicles were involved in the crash.

During their investigation, police say they discovered that the driver of an SUV was spotted driving recklessly. As he approached the red light, he allegedly made no effort to stop and rear-ended the driver of a convertible. The SUV ended up on top of the convertible, and the woman inside became trapped. The woman was extricated and transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are still speaking with the driver of the SUV. It’s likely that he will be charged with reckless driving, we’re told.

As of 7:25 p.m., traffic was getting by slowly on Glebe Road, but Washington Blvd was still shut down through Stafford Street.

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Photo: Weird Accident at Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd

By ARLnow.com

An accident at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Wilson Blvd had office workers and bystanders scratching their heads this afternoon.

The accident happened at the Ballston intersection just after 3:30 p.m. Somehow, a red sedan entered the left-hand travel lane of traffic heading in the opposite direction on Glebe Road. It appears that the sedan ran head-on into a taxi stopped just before the intersection.

A photo sent by a tipster shows police on the scene and minimal damage to the two vehicles.

Photo courtesy Alex O.

Safety Improvements Coming to GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com

 

(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) The National Park Service will be installing a series of safety improvements along the George Washington Parkway, intended to make Memorial Circle and several Mt. Vernon Trail crossings across the parkway less dangerous.

The improvements were announced this morning by Rep. Jim Moran (D). Work on the improvements will start next week and will wrap up by the fall. Among the planned changes, according to Moran’s office:

  • “Replacing many of the directional and regulatory signs in the Circle and on Memorial Bridge”
  • “Installing rumble strips bumps to alert drivers before each of several specific crosswalk areas”
  • “Painting directional arrows, information, and symbols directly onto the pavement to help drivers select proper lanes early”
  • “Moving one crosswalk area from where there are two lanes to where it is only one lane wide”

The announcement comes just three days after a cyclist was struck by a car and injured at a trail crossing just south of Memorial Circle. Several other accidents and close calls have been reported at GW Parkway trail crossings over the past two years.

“It’s a confusing area and unfortunately we have a lot of accidents involving bicyclists and motorists and joggers,” U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Brooks acknowledged earlier this week.

Moran says the changes should help make things safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.

“The health and safety of those commuting to work or simply exercising along the Potomac River should never be threatened due to poor infrastructure planning,” the congressman said in a statement. “I am pleased the National Park Service has agreed to put needed fixes into the trails and roads surrounding Memorial Circle. With the scheduled improvements, tourists, commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists will be able to truly share the road.”

UPDATED: Serious Motorcycle Accident on I-395

By ARLnow.com

The HOV lanes of I-395 have been shut down near the Glebe Road exit due to a serious accident involving a motorcycle.

Initial reports indicate the accident happened when a vehicle ran into a motorcycle. The motorcyclist is being treated for critical injuries and will be transported to a local trauma center via ambulance, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

All HOV traffic is being diverted onto the main southbound lanes of I-395. Southbound backups extend to the 14th Street Bridge.

Update at 2:45 p.m. on 6/5/12 — An update, per Sternbeck: “The driver was charged on scene by Virginia State Police with Reckless Driving and violation of HOV-3. As for the condition of the motorcyclist, he suffered significant injuries but is expected to survive.”

One Injured After Truck Loses Wheels on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:55 a.m.) A tractor trailer lost two of its wheels while driving down S. Glebe Road this morning, causing an accident that sent one driver to the hospital.

Initial reports suggest the truck was heading southbound on Glebe near the intersection with S. Walter Reed Drive when a pair of its rear wheels flew off and struck a Mercedes SUV traveling northbound.

The driver of the Mercedes was taken to the hospital for evaluation of minor injuries, according to Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The driver of the tractor trailer stayed on scene after the accident. The wheels ended up at the base of a clump of trees along the southbound side of Glebe.

As of 11:45 a.m., both the SUV and the tractor trailer had been towed away and an earlier northbound lane closure was lifted.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ACPD Cruiser Hits Dog — An Arlington County police cruiser hit a dog Thursday night. The dog’s owner is accusing the police officer of speeding at the time the dog was struck, but a police spokesman suggests that that the dog’s injuries — it survived and is expected “to make a full recovery” — would have been worse if the officer was actually speeding. [WUSA 9]

Ballston Craft Market Season Starts — The Ballston Arts & Crafts Market will open its 2012 season on Saturday, May 12. It will take place on the second Saturday of the month through October. [Sun Gazette]

Wine Shop Offers Discount for Locals — The new Crystal City Wine Shop is offering 10 percent off to neighbors who live in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a valid photo ID. The deal is valid on Tuesdays only. The shop is also offering 10 percent off on Wednesdays to anybody who works in the 22202 zip code and can prove it with a business card.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

ACFD Vehicle Involved in Rollover Accident –An Arlington County Fire Department SUV was involved in a single-vehicle rollover accident on the Dulles Toll Road on Monday afternoon, the McLean Patch reported. No one was injured in the accident, fire department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl confirmed to ARLnow.com. No other details about the crash were immediately available.

Arlington’s Mongolian Community — Arlington is home to one of the country’s largest Mongolian communities. In fact, Mongolian is the fourth most common language in Arlington Public Schools. [Washington Post]

Miss Gay Arlington Crowned — “Stardust” won the title of Miss Gay Arlington 2012 over the weekend. The annual eventat Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City included a talent contest, an evening gown competition and a questions and answer session. [Sun Gazette]

Car Slams Into Baskin-Robbins in Yorktown

By ARLnow.com

A car came crashing into the Baskin-Robbins ice cream store at 2511 N. Harrison Street in the Yorktown neighborhood this afternoon.

Just after 12:00 p.m. an elderly male driver in a Toyota Camry drove into the store’s entrance after accidentally pressing the gas instead of the brake, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Two people were inside the vehicle at the time. No word on whether anybody was inside the store.

Damage to the store is estimated at $20,000, but a building inspector determined that there was no structural damage to the building.

No injuries were reported and no charges have been filed against the driver.

Courtesy photo

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