motorcycle

NEW: Motorcycle crash near Ballston sends one to hospital

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A motorcyclist suffered a significant injury this afternoon after a crash near Ballston that was caught on camera.

The crash happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Washington Blvd.

Footage from a traffic camera, below, shows the rider of the motorcycle making a left turn in front of the driver of a silver car, who hit the brakes but too late to avoid the collision.

Two fellow riders who were also waiting to turn left can be seen hurrying to provide aid. A driver who was behind the trio can also be seen stopping to help. It was not immediately clear whether the striking driver remained on scene.

Initial reports suggest that the rider suffered a serious broken leg and perhaps other injuries. They were taken via ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The intersection was partially closed immediately after the crash due to the police and fire department response.

UPDATED: Large group of bikers swarm Arlington roads

By ARLnow.com
Group of bikers in the Rosslyn area (photo courtesy Corey Inganamort)

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) A large group of motorcycle and dirt bike riders cruised through Arlington tonight.

Police first started tracking the group on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn just before 7:30 p.m. At least 50-100 riders were “recklessly driving all over the road,” in the words of one officer.

Police followed the group as they made their way over to Ballston and then down to the Pentagon City and Crystal City area before exiting Arlington.

As the group made their way south to the Beltway, gunshots rang out and multiple people were wounded at a pair of gas stations near Old Town Alexandria.

Rolling Thunder will rumble back into Arlington this weekend

By ARLnow.com
Motorcycle riders during Rolling Thunder 2018 (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Cookouts, a dip in the pool and the sound of a thousand motorcycles cruising down the highway. Yes, Memorial Day weekend in Arlington is almost here.

If you’re not among the approximately 35% of locals traveling for the holiday — at least according to our recent poll — you can expect the return of motorcycle-riding military veterans on Friday.

The annual Rolling Thunder rallies officially ended in 2019 but were quickly succeeded by Rolling to Remember, a nearly identical annual event focused on POW/MIA advocacy and organized by the group AMVETS. At the same time, the Rolling Thunder branding has lived on in parallel, with that group organizing a Thunder Alley vendor area near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

Rolling to Remember, like Rolling Thunder before it, refers participants to a number of Arlington hotels, meaning that those in Crystal City and Pentagon City, as well as Rosslyn, can expect more rumbles of motorcycle engines throughout the weekend. The event has typically used the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City as its home base.

As in the past, bikers will rally in a Pentagon parking lot Sunday morning. The rally typically results in some rolling road closures in the area, as participants ride from the Pentagon, across Key Bridge and into D.C. around noon for a demonstration “to bring awareness and accountability for POWs and MIAs left behind.”

BREAKING: N. Glebe Road closed after serious motorcycle crash

By ARLnow.com
1/8

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) A portion of N. Glebe Road between Ballston and Langston Blvd was blocked this morning after a serious crash.

A car appears to have collided head-on with a motorcycle, seriously injuring the motorcycle rider. The exact circumstances around the crash are unclear.

The motorcyclist was reported to be conscious but “pretty banged up” when he was rushed to a local hospital. Both the striking car and the motorcycle were heavily damaged by the force of the collision.

Detectives remain on scene investigating. No charges have been filed as of yet.

The motorcyclist is expected to survive, according to police.

“At approximately 8:57 a.m. on August 3, police were dispatched to N. Woodrow Street at N. Glebe Road for the report of a two vehicle crash with injuries,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The motorcyclist has been transported to an area hospital with injuries considered serious but non-life threatening. The driver of the sedan remained on scene. Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.”

Glebe Road was expected to remain at least partially blocked between N. Woodrow Street and Langston Blvd for much of the morning as a result of the investigation and the crash cleanup effort. It reopened shortly after 10:30 a.n.

UPDATED: Motorcycle cop injured in Shirlington Circle crash

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 11 p.m.) An Arlington County Police Department motorcycle officer has been hurt in a crash.

The officer was struck by the driver of a Chevrolet in Shirlington Circle, the I-395 interchange that has been the scene of a number of crashes, amid larger safety questions. The other vehicle and its driver remained on scene.

The officer was able to use his radio to request that medics and other officers respond to the scene. He suffered serious injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said Tuesday night.

“At approximately 2:36 p.m., an Arlington County Police motorcycle officer was traveling in the area of Shirlington Circle when he was struck by another vehicle attempting to merge into his lane,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The officer was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries and has been released. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene and was cited.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Ballston in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

More Snow Looks Likely This Week — “Believe it or not, we have a chance of more accumulating snow Thursday night. This is unlikely to rival today’s storm, but could produce a few inches in parts of the region depending on how it evolves.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Local Legislative Event Now Virtual — Today at 7 p.m., the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City will host a public forum for locals to speak with their representatives to the state Senate and the House of Delegates. The event has moved to Zoom due to rising Covid concerns. A Zoom link will be provided to those who register online. [Eventbrite]

Video: Motorcycle Ride in the Snow — “Last time I rode a scooter in the snow was in Seoul Korea. Wanted to see how it is in Northern Virginia. Took it from Clarendon to Courthouse for lunch. The snow is packed and icy, so not possible to drive fast except on the main roads in some parts. I had a couple close calls where the tire slipped sideways.” [YouTube]

Bill Would Nix Arlington SRO Decision — “The Arlington School Board would be required to reinstate school-resource officers at local schools under legislation to be considered in the upcoming General Assembly session. Among those putting in bills on the topic is Del.-elect Timothy Anderson (R-Virginia Beach), whose measure – HB37, filed Dec. 30 – would require every school system to sign agreements with law-enforcement agencies to provide at least one resource officer for every high school and middle school, and at least one officer for every five elementary schools.” [Sun Gazette]

Reminder: Bag Tax Now in Effect — “Arlington County will begin imposing a 5-cent plastic bag tax… Effective Jan. 1, 2022, [Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County] will tax plastic bags from grocery stores, convenience shops and drugstores.” [ARLnow]

It’s Tuesday — Today will be sunny, with a high near 37 and a low of 27. Sunrise at 7:27 a.m. and sunset at 4:59 p.m. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 44, a low of 32 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. [Weather.gov]

ACPD Preparing for Potential Traffic Congestion Due to Motorcycle Rally

By ARLnow.com

It’s not just the cicadas that are going to be making lots of noise this weekend. Thousands upon thousands of bikers are also expected to descend on the area for the successor to Rolling Thunder.

“Rolling to Remember” is the new name for the annual Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally in the nation’s capital. It is expected to draw some 150,000 attendees, riding some 100,000 motorcycles, organizers told WTOP.

Much like past Rolling Thunder events — which utilized the Crystal City Hilton as the rally’s official headquarters — Rolling to Remember is also expected to result in large, motorcycle-riding crowds in Arlington. Among the accommodations suggested by organizers are hotels in Crystal City, Pentagon City and Rosslyn.

One of the two Saturday gatherings expected to be “attended heavily by those in town for Rolling to Remember” is an “Observation of Memorial Day Weekend” at the Crystal City Sports Pub on 23rd Street S. Arlington’s tourism office, meanwhile, has a web page devoted to the “massive” event.

The Arlington County Police Department is preparing for crowds.

“A variable message board has been placed on S. Clark Street at 23rd [Street] and will be used in the event there is traffic congestion in the area,” police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “ACPD will monitor and provide traffic control, if needed.”

Most of the rally’s official events are taking place in D.C. The RFK Stadium parking lot is being used as a rallying point, after the Pentagon denied organizers a permit this year, citing the pandemic. Numerous street closures are planned in the District.

In its past Rolling Thunder iteration, the annual rally had supporters and detractors among the local populace. About 30% of those who answered an ARLnow poll in 2017 said noise from all the motorcycles bothered them. The roar of engines is particularly pronounced around highways like I-395 and I-66.

Rolling to Remember is organized by the group AMVETS and is dedicated to “continued advocacy for our missing in action and the veteran suicide crisis.”

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Man Sentenced for Drunken Gunfire — “The Weedsport [New York] man arrested for publicly firing a gun in the Washington area days before the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was sentenced April 28 in Arlington County Circuit Court. Moses Geri, 39, was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year and eight months suspended… His sentence was issued days after the court rejected a previous plea agreement that would have made all 12 months of Geri’s probation unsupervised.” [The Citizen]

VHC Now a Level II Trauma Center — “Virginia Hospital Center (VHC), a community-based hospital providing medical services to the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 75 years, is proud to announce that it has received a Level II Trauma Center designation from the Commonwealth of Virginia, filling a critical community need.” [Press Release]

County Hosting Virtual ‘Healing’ Conference — “The Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) announces Building Healing Communities: Conversations on Mental Health, Resilience, and Equity… The free, four-day virtual community conference — offered with simultaneous Spanish translation throughout — kicks off on Thursday, May 20 at 6 p.m.” [Arlington County]

New Apartment Tower Now Leasing — “Leasing has begun at Aubrey, the first of three high-rise residential buildings at the Highlands, a mixed-use development in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor in Arlington, Va. Under development by Penzance, the 23-story-tall Aubrey building at 1788 N. Pierce St. includes 331 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Evo, the second apartment tower, is anticipated to begin leasing this summer. The third tower is the Pierce condominium, which is selling now.” [Washington Post]

Big Motorcycle Rally Back On — “Things are coming together for a major Memorial Day weekend motorcycle rally. It now has an official starting area and it looks like more bikers could be coming. ‘At the very last minute, the mayor came through for us,’ said Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS. The veterans service organization is arranging the ‘Rolling to Remember’ event, which is the successor to ‘Rolling Thunder.'” [WTOP]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Procession for Long-Time ACPD Chief — “[On Friday] ACPD and our regional law enforcement partners paid final respects to retired Chief of Police William K. ‘Smokey’ Stover. He passed away from natural causes on Friday, April 17, 2020 at 89 years old. His service was held today at” Arlington National Cemetery.” [Twitter, Legacy]

No Local GOP Candidates So Far — “As of yet, Arlington Republicans have not lined up candidates for County Board and School Board. The monthly meeting of the Arlington County Republican Committee came and went April 28 with no candidate announcements for the two local races, and no inklings that there may be possibilities in the pipeline.” [InsideNova]

Pentagon Says No to Motorcycle Rally — “The Department of Defense denied a parking permit to the American Veterans organization to use the Pentagon as a rallying point for the Memorial Day ‘Rolling to Remember’ ride, ending a 32-year tradition… [The Pentagon said] it would reconsider the request once COVID-19 conditions change.” [Washington Examiner]

Tables, Chairs Coming Back to Penrose Square — “Penrose Square plaza tables and chairs coming back soon. Make your outdoor lunch plans for next week accordingly.” [Twitter, Twitter]

History of Arlington’s Rail Lines — “By 1924, the larger Washington-Virginia Railway had 64 trolley stops in Arlington alone, on four branches. Lines crossed the Potomac on the old Aqueduct Bridge and on another branch on what became the 14th Street bridges, taking passengers through ‘Arlington Junction’ in what became Crystal City and all the way to Mount Vernon.” [Falls Church News-Press]

New Section of 9/11 Trail in PA — “Somerset County and other officials cut the ribbon Friday in Garrett for the first 1.5 miles of the newly developed, off-road section of the 1,300-mile-long 9/11 National Memorial Trail. Currently, the recreational trail is a patchwork of about 55% off-road trails and 45% roads connecting the three 9/11 memorial sites in New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

DEVELOPING: Motorcycle Crash in Lyon Park

By ARLnow.com
1/7

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Arlington County police and firefighters responded to a potentially serious motorcycle crash today in the Lyon Park neighborhood, south of Clarendon.

The crash was reported around 1:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of 4th Street N. and N. Edgewood Street, in a residential neighborhood between Washington Blvd and the Lyon Park Community Center.

According to initial reports, a car and a motorcycle collided at the intersection, and the motorcycle rider suffered serious injuries. The car careened into a nearby yard after the collision.

The motorcycle rider was rushed to a local trauma center and was last reported to be in stable condition, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Taylor Blunt. No other injuries were reported.

The intersection, like many in Arlington, is a two-way stop: traffic heading towards and from Washington Blvd has a stop sign, while traffic on N. Edgewood Street does not.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pence Visits Arlington, Again — Vice President Mike Pence again visited Arlington, this time the southern half of the county. The one-time Arlington resident gave a speech at an event for the “Alliance Defending Freedom” at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City hotel. As with his visit to Clarendon last week, the veep arrived via motorcade, accompanied by a sizable security detail. [White House, Twitter]

Arlington Company Facing Lawsuit — Employees of Arlington-based Evolent Health “have asserted in class-action lawsuits that the health care consulting company… has failed to pay them overtime for periods in which they worked more than 40 hours a week.” The company denied the allegations in court filings. [Insider Louisville]

Trans Events Coming to Crystal City — “An opening reception for people planning to participate in the [National Transgender Visibility March] will be held Thursday, Sept. 26, to be followed by a Friday, Sept. 27, Torch Award Ceremony in which prominent transgender and gender non-conforming leaders and activists will be honored. Both events will take place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va.” [Washington Blade]

Nearby: Serious Crash on Route 50 — Westbound Arlington Blvd was closed near the Arlington border Tuesday afternoon for a serious motorcycle crash and a subsequent Fairfax County Police investigation. The crash happened near the intersection of Arlington Blvd and Olin Drive in Falls Church. [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

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