Police and firefighters are on the scene of a taxi cab that somehow flipped on its side on the GW Parkway.
The accident reportedly occurred just after the ramp from eastbound Route 50 to the Parkway’s southbound lanes.
The cab driver was able to get out of the cab and is uninjured, according to police radio traffic. At least one lane is getting by the accident scene.
September Sunset — As warm temperatures gave way to fall-like temperatures yesterday, mother nature compensated by providing the D.C. area with an exceptionally beautiful sunset.
Gunfire on the GW Parkway — An SUV was struck by a bullet while driving on the GW Parkway near the Chain Bridge early Thursday morning. [NBC Washington]
Chain Bridge Closure — The Chain Bridge will be closed to all traffic and pedestrians this weekend, from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 a.m. on Monday. The closure is one of a series of weekend closures planned through the end of the year. [DDOT]
Pike Outdoor Movie on Saturday — It was supposed to have taken place on Aug. 27, but thanks to Hurricane Irene the outdoor screening of The Blind Side at Penrose Square (Columbia Pike and S. Barton Street) is now being held on Saturday night. The free family-friendly flick will get underway around 8:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring friends, a blanket or lawn chair, and (unofficially) a jacket — since the temperature could get down to the low-to-mid 50s on Saturday night. [Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization]
Vintage Crystal Wine and Jazz Fest on Sunday — Crystal City will be holding its annual Vintage Crystal wine and jazz festival from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Latin-themed event will feature tastings of 30 wines and food from more than 20 local restaurants. Latin jazz group Trio Caliente and Latin dancers will perform. Tickets are $10 for food only or $20 for wine and food. [Crystal City BID]
Disclosure: Crystal City BID and CPRO are both ARLnow.com advertisers.
Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA
On a fishing expedition to the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, located between Crystal City and the GW Parkway, local fly fishing guide Rob Snowhite made a surprising discovery: a group of wild chickens that has apparently taken residence in the sanctuary.
Snowhite wrote on his blog this morning that shortly after parking in the Roaches Run parking lot (across from Gravelly Point, the lot is frequented by limo drivers waiting for airport arrivals) an animal control officer arrived on scene and started trying to round up the wily birds, who seemed determined to not be evicted from their South Arlington home. To assist the effort, Snowhite and his fishing buddy got out their nets and joined the chase. After 20 minutes of fruitless effort, the trio gave up — an outcome that was cheered by some bystanders who told the men to leave the chickens alone.
The two fishermen continued on with their fly fishing mission at the sanctuary, marveling at the prospect of wild chickens living near an urban pond but lamenting the unsuccessful chicken chase.
“There won’t be any fresh roast chicken at Ri Ra tonight,” Snowhite quipped.
Photo courtesy Rob Snowhite
The northbound GW Parkway has been shut down at the Spout Run Parkway due to falling rocks in the roadway. From the county’s Office of Emergency Management:
George Washington Parkway Northbound past Spout Run Parkway, Arlington Co. VA has been closed until atleast 10 PM due to debris in Roadway (Falling rocks)
All northbound travel lanes are blocked. Traffic is being diverted onto Spout Run Parkway to I-66 Westbound. Delays begin near the Roosevelt Bridge, approximately 1.5 miles. Drivers should avoid this area and take alternate routes.
Update at 6:00 p.m. — Traffic has largely cleared out on I-395.
Earlier: Traffic is moving at a crawl on northbound I-395, from Alexandria to the 14th Street Bridge.
Commuters heading from Virginia to the District following today’s earthquake have jammed the highway, causing major delays. The southbound GW Parkway is also reported to be slow heading toward interchange with I-395.
Traffic is relatively light on Route 50, I-66 and Columbia Pike as of 5:10 p.m.
A three-car accident on the GW Parkway this morning could have been much more serious had a cyclist not hesitated at a pedestrian crossing.
Two injuries were reported after a pickup truck rear-ended at least one of two cars that had stopped at the crossing. According to a video posted on Facebook by a witness, the female cyclist hesitated before crossing in front of the two cars. That act of vigilance may have saved her life.
“This right here is the worst bike crossing in the entire city,” said a man narrating the video from behind the camera. “The speed limit here is 45 miles per hour, and you have to come to a complete stop for the bike crossing. There should probably be a tunnel here, or something like that, instead.”
“I wonder when or if the NPS will figure out how to reduce accidents there,” another witness told ARLnow.com, in an email.
The two injuries reported by medics on the scene were both said to be vehicle occupants. U.S. Park Police and Arlington County Fire Department spokesmen did not have any additional information about the accident.
Both northbound lanes of the GW Parkway have been shut down near Reagan National Airport due to a three vehicle accident.
At least one minor injury has been reported.
A fire department unit at the scene says told dispatch that the accident is a “significant traffic hazard.” Airport and U.S. Park Police are responding to the call.
Today may be Bike to Work Day, but Sunday might be an even better day to go car-free.
A number of road closures are planned for the annual Bike DC ride through the District and Arlington. The route, which starts at the Capitol, will take cyclists across the Roosevelt Bridge, up the GW Parkway and down to the Air Force Memorial, before returning to the District.
As a result, the following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic from about 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.
In addition to those road closures, Sunday will also see the closure of a number of streets in the Ballston area due to the annual Taste of Arlington food festival.
The jogger who was struck by a truck while waiting to cross the GW Parkway last week has died.
On Thursday afternoon Karen Dubin, 56, was waiting to cross the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway, south of Memorial Bridge, when she was struck by a pickup truck, according to U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser. Dubin, of Bethesda, was transported to George Washington University Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries last night, Schlosser said.
Witness accounts posted here and on a blog created to update friends and family on Dubin’s condition shed light on how the accident happened. According to multiple accounts, Dubin was standing on the side of the Parkway near the north ramp to Memorial Bridge when a couple of cars stopped to let her cross. A pickup truck apparently didn’t see the stopped cars in time and swerved to avoid a rear-end collision. The truck struck Dubin and became pinned on top of her. Fellow joggers and other witnesses rushed to the scene and helped to lift the big truck off of Dubin while others called 911. She was conscious, alert and talking when she was brought to the hospital.
Schosser says the driver of the truck remained on the scene. No charges have been filed yet, but “the investigation is on-going,” he said.
Karen was “a loving and vibrant wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend,” according to those who knew her. She was an international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, with degrees from George Washington University and Syracuse University, according to her LinkedIn page.
Photo via family blog
Capital Bikeshare Stations Launch in Rosslyn — Four Capital Bikeshare stations were quietly installed around Rosslyn on Saturday. There were no public notices or proclamations before the installation — unlike earlier in the week when officials announced that four stations were to be installed on Wednesday. The county followed up that announcement with a notice that the installation was delayed indefinitely. Update at 12:05 p.m. — See info on the installations from Bike Arlington. [Patch]
Humpback Bridge Work Nears Completion — The National Park Service expects construction on the Humpback Bridge reconstruction project to wrap up in mid-June. The final construction phase will allow a full merge from I-395 onto the northbound GW Parkway. [WTOP]
Bengali New Year Celebrated on the Pike — The local Bengali community came together for their traditional New Years celebration on Saturday. Despite the wet weather, Bengalis gathered near Columbia Pike for a parade, musical performances, dancing and ethnic food. [Pike Wire]
County Pay Raises in the Works? — On Saturday, Arlington County Board members instructed County Manager Barbara Donnellan to proceed with a study of county workers’ compensation, which some within county government believe is too low. Also on Saturday, the County Board voted to raise their own pay ceiling from $49,000 to $57,337. While board members won’t be getting any more money this year, the move opens up the possibility of a pay raise next year. [Sun Gazette]
A multi-vehicle accident has been reported in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway near Lady Bird Johnson Park. Arlington County firefighters and paramedics are on the scene.
Initial reports suggest a jogger may have been struck by one of the accident vehicles. Two people are reported to be injured, one critically.
Drivers should expect significant backups on the northbound GW Parkway approaching Memorial Bridge.
