injury

Hockey Fundraiser for Injured Police Officer

By Katie Pyzyk

Officer Long Dinh (photo courtesy Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 77)The Arlington County Police Department is helping to spread the word about a hockey fundraiser on Sunday to help an injured Fairfax County Police officer.

Officer Long Dinh was critically injured in a February chase that ended with the suspect crashing head-on into his police cruiser at a high speed. The suspect died and Dinh was just released today from his nearly two month hospital stay.

Dinh has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his two broken legs, and continues physical therapy for the injuries. He is also dealing with short term memory issues stemming from the head trauma he sustained during the incident.

To help offset the costs of Dinh’s treatment and ongoing hospital stay, members of the Fairfax County Police Department are challenging members of the Metropolitan Police Department to a fundraiser hockey game. It will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston (627 N. Glebe Road). The public is welcome to attend and donations will be collected at the event.

Anyone who cannot attend Sunday’s event but wishes to contribute to Officer Dinh’s rehabilitation fund can do so online.

Pedestrians Struck on Lee Highway

By ARLnow.com

Two pedestrians were struck at the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Veitch StreetPolice and firefighters are assisting two pedestrians who were struck by a vehicle on Lee Highway.

The incident happened at the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Veitch Street just before 9:00 a.m. Via a traffic camera, it appears that the pedestrians were attempting to cross Lee Highway on the western side of the intersection when they were struck near the center median.

One of the victims suffered a head injury, while the other suffered a possible back injury, according to scanner traffic. Both victims’ injuries are described as relatively minor.

Kitchen Fire in Dominion Hills Home

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County fire truck(Updated at 10:55 p.m.) One person was injured during a kitchen fire in a Dominion Hills home tonight.

The fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. at a house on the 1000 block of N. Livingston Street in the Dominion Hills neighborhood. The fire was quickly extinguished once firefighters arrived on scene.

One occupant of the home was found unresponsive by firefighters and was transported via ambulance to MedStar, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

Six Hospitalized in Orme Street Duplex Fire

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County fire truckA fire in a duplex across from the Sheraton National Hotel, on the 900 block of S. Orme Street, has sent 6 people to the hospital.

The fire, which was was reported just before 11:00 a.m., started on the first floor of the duplex, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

Six individuals, including several children, were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

File photo

Bicyclist Survives After Dump Truck Runs Over His Head

By ARLnow.com

A man is lucky to be alive after a dump truck ran over his head in the Ballston area over the weekend.

The incident happened around 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24. According to police, the cyclist was stopped at a temporary red light next to a construction site on Quincy Street near Wilson Boulevard, when an unoccupied dump truck started rolling south on Quincy and struck him.

The man was knocked to the ground and one of the truck’s tires ran over his head, said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The man was wearing a helmet at the time and the helmet likely saved his life. He was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital’s trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries, Sternbeck said.

Immediately after the incident the driver of the dump truck, who had left it running and unattended next to the construction site, ran it down and managed to stop it from rolling further, according to Sternbeck. Occupational safety officials responded to the scene, inspected the truck and found multiple safety violations, he said.

Citations were issued and the truck was “taken out of service.” No word on whether any other charges are pending.

Two Hurt in SUV Rollover Accident Friday Night

By ARLnow.com

Two elderly women were taken to the hospital Friday night after an SUV rollover accident on Carlin Springs Road near Route 50.

The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. The women, driving in a hybrid Ford SUV, were attempting to take the ramp to Route 50 when they were T-boned by the driver of a Mercedes sedan, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The vehicle rolled onto its side and against a light pole.

Firefighters had to extricate the women from the SUV using non-traditional means, Sternbeck said, since the roof of the vehicle was leaning against the pole. The women suffered minor injuries and were taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital.

No charges have been filed against either driver at this time, Sternbeck said.

Photo courtesy Steve Young

Vehicle Flips Over on Washington Blvd Near I-395

By ARLnow.com

(Update at 2:40 p.m.) A vehicle flipped on its side on westbound Washington Boulevard this afternoon.

The accident occurred just past noon between I-395 and Columbia Pike, near the scene of a wreck that happened last week. A red vehicle — a Ford minivan or SUV with D.C. tags — somehow flipped on its side on a downhill stretch of Washington Boulevard near the VDOT maintenance yard. Temporary jersey barriers were in place near where the accident took place, apparently for the Washington Blvd/Columbia Pike bridge project.

One occupant suffered a shoulder injury as a result of the single-vehicle accident, according to scanner traffic. A tractor trailer was stopped near the wreck, but had no apparent damage.

The stretch of Washington Boulevard was closed for about an hour but reopened around 1:15 p.m.

 

Minor Gas Explosion at Whitlow’s

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:05 a.m.) A small gas explosion injured a repair person at Whitlow’s (2854 Wilson Blvd) in Clarendon last night.

The incident happened around 6:00 p.m. A repair person was working on a stove at the restaurant when some gas that had built up in the stove ignited, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

The repair person was injured by broken glass, Karl said. The injuries were non-life-threatening.

On Twitter, the restaurant said it “had to close for 20 minutes” after a “small incident with our oven.” No additional information about the incident or the victim is available at this time.

Photo courtesy Mark Alves. Hat tip to David Johnson.

SUV Overturns in Tara-Leeway Heights Crash

By ARLnow.com

A two-vehicle accident resulted in an SUV flipping on its side at the intersection of 15th Street and N. Greenbrier Street this morning in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood, near Virginia Hospital Center.

The accident happened around 8:15 a.m. and involved a Toyota Camry and a Toyota RAV4 SUV. It appears that the Camry somehow broadsided the RAV4, causing it to flip on its side. The intersection is a two-way stop, with the stop signs in place for traffic on 15th Street.

The driver of the RAV4 was trapped in the vehicle after the accident and had to be extricated by the fire department. The driver was then transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

A neighbor tells ARLnow.com that there are “a ton” of accidents at the intersection due to drivers rolling through the stop signs on 15th Street.

 

 

UPDATE (3): Woman Dies After Being Hit By Cyclist

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:25 a.m.) An 80-year-old woman has died after being hit by a bicyclist on the Four Mile Run Trail this morning.

The incident happened around 7:15 this morning (Monday) on the trail near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive. According to police, an adult male cyclist was coming down a hill when he called out “on your left, on your left,” to the victim, who was walking on trail.

The victim turned around, moving into the path of the cyclist, and said “what? — at which time she and the cyclist collided, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The woman fell backwards and her head hit the pavement, causing significant trauma.

The woman was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital with life-threatening injuries, Sternbeck said. She was pronounced dead in the hospital later in the day. Police originally reported the woman’s age as 70, then as 81, but later said it was actually 80.

The cyclist, a 62-year-old man, suffered only minor injuries and did not require transport to the hospital. He was riding a NEXT Power Climber mountain bike at the time of the accident, according to Sternbeck. No charges have been filed against the cyclist, he said.

The trail is eight feet wide at the point of the collision, Sternbeck noted. Arlington does not have speed limits on its bike trails, according to county officials.

On Tuesday morning, police issued the following press release about the incident.

A 80 year old Arlington resident was pronounced dead late yesterday afternoon at Fairfax Hospital after being struck by a bicyclist.

The Arlington County Emergency Communications Center received the initial 9-1-1 report at 7:11 a.m. on June 11, 2012, regarding a collision between a bicyclist and pedestrian on the Four Mile Run Bike Path in the area of the 4900 block of Columbia Pike. The victim sustained significant head trauma after falling backwards, striking the back of her head on the pavement. The 62 year old bicyclist remained on scene and received treatment for a minor knee injury. He did not require transport to a hospital.

According to a witness and the bicyclist, the 62 year old man was heading downhill on his Next Powerclimber bike when he saw the victim ahead of him and attempted to warn her by yelling “to your left” and ringing a bell. This is when the 80 year old woman stepped to her left and turned around to be struck head-on, causing her to fall backwards to the ground.

Ita Lapina, 80, of Arlington, VA, succumbed to the injuries she sustained during the June 11 incident. She was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:20 p.m.

For information related to bicycle and pedestrian safety, please visit the Prevention and Safety section on the Arlington County Police Department homepage at http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/Police/PoliceMain.aspx

Cyclist Struck, Injured on GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com

A bicyclist was struck and injured this morning on the George Washington Parkway.

The accident happened in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway just south of Memorial Circle, in an area that has seen tragic accidents and close calls between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

According to U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Brooks, the cyclist was conscious and breathing after being struck by the vehicle, and was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. No charges have been filed against the driver, Brooks said.

According to Brooks, cyclists and pedestrians are “required to stop and make sure the roadway is clear before crossing” the section of parkway where today’s accident occurred.

“It’s a confusing area and unfortunately we have a lot of accidents involving bicyclists and motorists and joggers,” he said.

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