I-395

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.”

Rolling Thunder Arrives Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Thousands of bikers will begin to arrive in Arlington tomorrow afternoon for the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally.

Residents who live along I-395 and Route 1 can expect to hear the roar of motorcycle engines tomorrow, May 25, as the bikers head to hotels in Crystal City — including the rally’s official hotel, the Hyatt Regency at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway — and to a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

On Sunday, Rolling Thunder will rumble over to the Pentagon parking lot at 6:45 a.m. for an event that will be followed by a convoy into D.C. at noon. In order to safely accommodate the rally, Arlington County Police will close Washington Boulevard from I-395 to the Memorial Bridge from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to a press release. During that time, Arlington National Cemetery will only be accessible from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway or northbound Route 110.

“Motorists should expect large numbers of motorcyclists in Northern Virginia and the entire Washington Metropolitan area this weekend,” the police department advised. In the past, Rolling Thunder has drawn criticism for the amount of noise it generates for those who live along major roadways.

A complete list of Rolling Thunder events is available on the rally’s website.

I-395 Ramp Near Shirlington Blocked by Accident

By ARLnow.com

Police are blocking the ramp from northbound Glebe Road to southbound I-395 — and from southbound I-395 to Shirlington — due to an accident.

One person suffered a back injury as a result of the two-vehicle wreck, according to police radio traffic.

Cars that were stranded on the ramp as a result of the accident are being turned around by police. No word yet on how long the closure may last.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Moran Challenger Gets on Ballot — Rep. Jim Moran (D) will have a Democratic primary challenger, after all. Arlington businessman Bruce Shuttleworth has been certified to appear on the June 12 congressional primary ballot, after initially being rejected by election officials for supposedly not having the required 1,000 petition signatures. Shuttleworth’s campaign sued in federal court; yesterday the Virginia Democratic party certified his candidacy. [Washington Post]

O’Connell’s Undefeated Softball Team — The Bishop O’Connell Knights softball team is undefeated, with a perfect 10-0 record. One of its pitchers, Tori Finucane, has an astounding 0.00 earned run average for the season, with 114 strikeouts in 56 innings. [Sun Gazette]

United Jet Blows Tires at DCA — A United Airlines flight from Houston blew two rear tires while landing at Reagan National Airport on Monday morning. None of the 127 people on board were injured. [Washington Post]

I-395 HOV Lanes Close Overnight — The HOV lanes of I-395 — from the 14th Street Bridge to the Springfield Mixing Bowl — are closing from 9:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. this week. VDOT says the closures will allow it to install new overhead signs and to complete some bridge painting work. [Associated Press]

New Library ‘Digital Projects Lab’ Taking Reservations — Arlington Central Library’s new Digital Projects Lab is opening on Monday, April 16. The lab — which will offer library patrons the use of digital media creation tools like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro — is now accepting reservations. [Arlington Public Library]

Shirlington I-395 Ramp Blocked by Accident

By ARLnow.com

Update at 10:40 a.m. — The Shirlington ramp has reopened and only the far righthand lane of I-395 remains blocked before the ramp.

Update at 9:30 a.m. — All but one northbound lane is now blocked.

The ramp from Shirlington circle to northbound I-395 is blocked due to an accident.

A U-Haul truck and at least one other vehicle was involved in the accident along the northbound lanes of I-395. The vehicles ended up on the ramp, which is now completely blocked by emergency crews. One northbound lane is also blocked.

At least one injury has been reported as a result of the accident. Police are now directing the drivers stranded on the ramp to turn around and find an alternate route to the highway.

Dangerous Gaps Remain Between I-395 Lanes

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) Dangerous gaps still remain between the I-395 bridges that run over Four Mile Run, near Shirlington.

Virginia Department of Transportation officials say they’re waiting for the results of a state police investigation into the death of Alexandria paramedic Joshua Weissman before deciding what to do about the gaps. As of today the investigation is “still ongoing,” according to Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

Weissman fell through one of the gaps while trying to reach a burning vehicle in the HOV lanes of I-395 on Feb. 8. He fell some 20 to 30 feet into the creek and was knocked unconscious, authorities said at the time. Weissman later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

From below, the two gaps are clearly visible between the mainline of northbound I-395, an HOV ramp, and the HOV lanes themselves. Beneath the gaps are the Four Mile Run bike trail, a rocky berm littered with debris from the homeless individuals who sleep under the bike trail, and a shallow section of Four Mile Run with a jagged concrete structure in the middle.

The gaps pose the biggest danger to police and firefighters, who often will reach an incident in the HOV lanes via the mainline of I-395. If the incident happens to be on the bridge, as it was in the case of the Feb. 8 car fire, those public safety personnel will have to either hurdle over the gap or walk around it, in order to reach the scene and come to the aid of the victims.

One police official tells ARLnow.com said the gaps are “really not a problem in daylight” but can be especially dangerous at night. There are other gaps between lanes along I-395, including in the area of S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, the official said, adding that he’s personally aware of at least two close calls involving officers nearly falling through the gaps.

Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz says that placing a grate between the spans may help eliminate the danger.

“It seemed to me that something like a grating… might be a cheap and adequate solution to that problem,” Schwartz said. He added, though, that it “makes sense” for state police to conclude the investigation before “rushing out to do something that in the end might not be a complete solution.”

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Another Rainy Accident on SB I-395

By ARLnow.com

 

Update at 11:20 a.m. — Another accident, involving at least two vehicles, is currently blocking two lefthand lanes of SB I-395 in the vicinity of the first accident.

The bend in I-395 near Washington Boulevard has claimed yet another rainy weather victim.

An accident occurred this morning on southbound I-395 just past the Arlington Ridge Road overpass. The same stretch of southbound I-395 has been the scene of numerous rainy day accidents.

The car’s driver was evaluated for possible injuries, but initial reports suggest the injuries were minor and didn’t require transport to the hospital. Police and a flatbed tow truck are currently on scene.

TRAFFIC ALERT: HOV Lanes Blocked Due to Accident

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:42 p.m.) The HOV lanes of I-395 are partially blocked due to an accident involving a bus and an SUV.

Police, fire firefighters and paramedics are on the scene, just south of Washington Boulevard. Paramedics are said to be evaluating several injuries, but so far no serious injuries have been reported.

Southbound traffic on both the mainline and HOV lanes of I-395 is very heavy approaching the accident. One lane of HOV traffic is now slowly squeezing by the scene.

Injured Paramedic Dies After I-395 Fall

By ARLnow.com

An Alexandria paramedic has succumbed to his injuries following a 30 foot fall off a highway bridge Wednesday night.

Joshua Weissman, 33, was on the scene of a vehicle fire on I-395 near Shirlington when he fell through a small gap between the northbound and HOV lanes, on the bridges over Four Mile Run. The Bristow resident, a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department, fell into the creek below and was knocked unconscious.

Weissman was extricated from the water by rescuers from Arlington and Alexandria, and was rushed via ambulance to Washington Hospital Center. In the end, however, Weissman’s severe head injury was proved to be fatal.

The Alexandria Fire Department is providing counseling for its personnel and for the Weissman family, including his wife. The couple did not have children. Weissman was based out of Alexandria’s Seminary Road fire station.

BREAKING NEWS — Paramedic Falls into Four Mile Run From I-395

By ARLnow.com

 

Update at 7:30 p.m. on 2/9/12 — The victim, paramedic Joshua Weissman, has succumbed to his injuries.

(Updated at 12:30 p.m.) An Alexandria paramedic fell about 30 feet from I-395 into Four Mile Run while responding to a call near Shirlington tonight.

Just before 6:30 p.m. emergency crews were called to I-395 near Shirlington Circle for two separate incidents: a three-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes and a vehicle fire in the HOV lanes, according to Virginia State Police

An Alexandria paramedic responding to the call stopped in the northbound lanes, alongside the HOV lanes, in an effort to reach the burning vehicle. We’re told the paramedic somehow fell through a small gap between the guardrails, between the northbound lanes and the HOV lanes, and landed in the creek. The gap is visible in the photos above.

The medic has been identified by police as 33-year-old Joshua Weissman, a seven year veteran.

Rescuers from Arlington and Alexandria were able to reach Weissman and extricate him from the water. CPR was performed, according to fire radio traffic. He was taken downstream to S. Cleveland Street and then transported via ambulance to Washington Hospital Center with what Thiel described as critical injuries. Authorities initially wanted to airlift the Weissman to the hospital, but were not able to due to the rainy weather, we’re told.

The northbound HOV lanes of I-395 were shut down for an extended period of time during and after the incident. As of 10:30 p.m., three lanes of northbound I-395 remained closed and traffic before the scene was still heavy.

The vehicle fire, meanwhile severely snarled traffic on southbound I-395 during the latter part of the evening rush hour. All HOV lanes were closed for at least a half hour during the fire response.

As of Thursday afternoon, Weissman was still in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Virginia State Police say they’re continuing to investigate the accident.

Photo (above, right) via Google Maps

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