overturned vehicle

Cars keep crashing and flipping in the “usual spot” on the GW Parkway in Arlington

By ARLnow.com
Vehicle crash on the northbound GW Parkway near Key Bridge on Sunday (photo courtesy Alan Henney)

It’s almost as automatic as Steph Curry draining free throws at this point.

Whenever there’s a soaking rainfall, it seems that some drivers cannot help but slide off the road at a certain bend in the northbound GW Parkway near Key Bridge, sometimes flipping their cars in the process.

One such overturned vehicle crash happened during last night’s commute, shutting down the northbound lanes for nearly an hour.

And that was just the most recent crash during our current rainy stretch.

Over the weekend, police responded to at least one single-vehicle crash in the same spot.

Past crashes reported in the same spot include:

The crashes have, over time, pockmarked the stone wall along that stretch of the Parkway. The wrecks also inspired a Mike Mount cartoon earlier this year.

While this particular bend is arguably the most crash-prone section of the Parkway in Arlington, other sections have seen recent crashes, including the southbound lanes near Memorial Bridge earlier this morning.

The National Park Service, which is responsible for maintaining the Parkway, recently kicked off a major rehabilitation project for the busy commuter route. However, that work is taking place north of both sections referenced above — from Spout Run Parkway to I-495.

Short of potential future safety improvements, the best way for drivers to avoid crashes may be to simply slow down, particularly in rainy weather.

Photo: Car goes vertical after driving mishap

By ARLnow.com
Car goes vertical in the Arlington Mill neighborhood (photo courtesy anonymous)

The Arlington Mill neighborhood was the scene of one of the more unusual crashes in recent memory yesterday afternoon.

Just before 4 p.m. Sunday, police and firefighters were dispatched to the intersection of 8th Road S. and S. Florida Street for the report of a single-vehicle crash involving an older Toyota Camry and an elderly driver. One of the first arriving units reported the car “completely up on the telephone pole, a good 10 feet in the air.”

It appeared that the driver somehow backed up onto the guy-wire of a utility pole with enough force for the beige Toyota to get suspended vertically.

Thankfully, no one was injured, we’re told, and little damage was evident in a photo sent to ARLnow.

“The driver was out [of the car] prior to our arrival,” said Arlington fire department spokesman Capt. Nate Hiner. “I can’t speak to the cause or how it happened.”

JUST IN: Crash closes N. Glebe Road in Ballston area, knocks out power

By ARLnow.com
1/3

All lanes of N. Glebe Road are closed just south of Quincy Street due to a crash involving an overturned vehicle.

The single-vehicle crash took down power lines, according to scanner traffic, and the southbound lanes of Glebe are expected to be shut down for an extended period of time as a result.

One person was reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Police are on scene and investigating the cause of the crash and whether the driver might have been intoxicated.

Dominion, meanwhile, is reporting via its outage map that nearly 2,750 homes and businesses are without power in the area of the crash. The utility company expects power to be restored between 3-6 a.m.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Delays on NB I-395 after vehicle overturns

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Delays on northbound I-395 extend to Duke Street after a vehicle overturned near Shirlington Circle.

Traffic camera images show several people helping to clean up items that spilled from the vehicle in the left two lanes of the highway, as traffic slowly gets by. The overturned vehicle — possibly a pickup truck — is in the leftmost lane.

Firefighters just arrived on the scene and are reportedly evaluating two people for possible injuries. Three lanes are currently blocked.

The crash happened around 8 a.m. It’s not immediately clear whether it involved more than one vehicle.

Update at 9:10 a.m. — The crash scene has been cleared but residual delays remain.

Overturned vehicle closes Old Dominion Drive during rush hour

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Old Dominion Drive is closed after a crash involving an overturned vehicle.

The two-vehicle crash was reported around 4 p.m. at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and 23rd Street N., a few blocks south of Marymount University.

The circumstances leading to the crash are unclear, but it left a Honda SUV flipped on its roof. No serious injuries were reported.

The road remains closed during the evening rush hour due to the cleanup effort.

Southbound GW Parkway blocked after SUV overturns

By ARLnow.com
1/2

A particularly sharp bend in the GW Parkway near Key Bridge has claimed another vehicular victim

An SUV overturned in the southbound lanes around 1:15 p.m., blocking all lanes and causing a backup that still extends as far north as the Windy Run bridge as of 2 p.m. The driver was able to get out on their own after the crash and was evaluated for injuries by Arlington medics.

Reported as a single-vehicle crash, it happened amid rainy weather in a part of the Parkway that has seen numerous crashes in both directions. It appears that this afternoon’s crash damaged temporary concrete barriers set up in front of the permanent wooden barriers that had been damaged by a previous crash.

Arlington firefighters and U.S. Park Police both responded to the scene. Continued southbound delays are expected until crews can complete the clean up process.

Update at 2:55 p.m. — The earlier closure has been lifted and delays have dissipated. 

Map via Google Maps

Road near Chain Bridge blocked after SUV overturns

By ARLnow.com
1/5

N. Old Glebe Road, near the Madison Community Center and Chain Bridge, is blocked after an SUV rolled onto its side.

The crash happened at a sharp bend in the road near the intersection with N. Richmond Street. The circumstances that led to the crash are unclear.

A man could be seen being evaluated by medics near the crash. No serious injuries were reported.

Arlington County police and firefighters from Arlington and Fairfax County are on the scene. The road is expected to remain blocked until the overturned vehicle can be uprighted and towed away.

BREAKING: Multiple injuries, one reported trapped after crash in Ballston

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 10:45 a.m.) Several people are injured and one is reported to be trapped in their vehicle after a two-car crash in Ballston.

The crash happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road, N. Quincy Street and N. Henderson Road. An SUV flipped on its side and a car was badly damaged as a result of the crash.

Initial reports suggest that four people are hurt, including three who are likely to be transported via ambulance to the hospital. The nature of the injuries is not currently known, though there is no indication so far that any are life-threatening.

The person who was trapped has since been extricated by firefighters.

Glebe Road is closed in both direction at the crash site, which includes a large amount of debris scattered across the roadway.

The crash happened one block away from another crash that left an SUV on its roof Friday afternoon. It also comes less than 12 hours after a serious two-vehicle crash that closed Columbia Pike in front of Penrose Square last night.

SUV overturns in Harris Teeter parking lot in Ballston after crash

By Jo DeVoe
An overturned car in the Harris Teeter parking lot in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

A two-vehicle crash this afternoon in Ballston caused one vehicle to flip over in the Harris Teeter parking lot.

The incident happened around 1:10 p.m. at the intersection of N. Randolph Street and N. Glebe Road, according to scanner traffic.

Two vehicles were involved: a white SUV driven by a woman turning left onto N. Glebe Road, and a black Ford sedan with two occupants, per scanner traffic and the observations of an ARLnow photographer.

Momentum from the crash caused the white SUV to roll over and into the entrance of the grocery store’s parking lot, next to a large redevelopment project that’s under construction.

Airbags deployed for both vehicles. The woman in the SUV was initially said to be trapped but later was reported to have been able to get out uninjured. Dispatchers said the black car was “smoking” after the crash, but no injuries were reported for the occupants either.

Both Glebe Road and Randolph Street have since reopened to traffic.

Staff photographer Jay Westcott and reporter Matt Blitz contributed to this report

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A Washington City Paper box sits by itself near a crosswalk in Ballston, after the announcement that the paper would be ending its print edition (staff photo)

Concern Growing for Missing Man — “Arlington County, Va., police are seeking help from the public in locating gay Pentagon City resident Shaun M. Spaulding, 39, who police say was last seen on the afternoon of March 15, 2022, at his residence by his roommate. Princess Melissa, Spaulding’s cousin, reached out to the LGBTQ community in a Facebook message last week urging anyone who may have seen Spaulding to contact the police.” [Washington Blade]

Arlingtonian on Jeopardy! Tonight — Tonight’s episode of the long-running TV quiz show is set to feature Kathleen Snyder, a government contractor from Arlington. [Jeopardy!]

Overturned Vehicle Last Night — From Dave Statter: “One car overturned at the intersection of S. Carlin Springs Road & Ardley Court. Person out of the car. #Police, fire & #EMS on scene.” [Twitter]

Misbehavior at Local Middle School — “Parents in Arlington are concerned after students were caught bringing weapons to a middle school and being inappropriate in the restrooms. They’ve been contacting FOX 5 about a number of incidents that have taken place at Swanson Middle School.” [Fox 5]

APS Homework Debate Rages — “Rarely have I received reaction to a column as vigorous — and as negative — as the flood of emails from teachers appalled by my opposition to a plan in Arlington, Va., to strike down traditional homework and grading systems.” [Washington Post]

New Coach for New Marymount Sport — “Roy Hill has been hired to be the head coach and start the men’s wrestling program at Marymount University. The first season for the Division III Saints will be the 2022-23 winter season… ‘Northern Virginia deserves to have a top-notch Division III option for the large number of quality wrestlers who want to get a quality education while being in the business hub of the nation,’ Hill said.” [Sun Gazette]

Video: Coyote Terrorizes Fox Family — From a reader: “A coyote came to my Arlington backyard to try to feast on my fox family who live under my shed. There’s a mama and a papa and four kits. The foxes did their best to lure him away for now. This happened Friday night. We hope he doesn’t come back.” [YouTube]

It’s Tuesday — Rain throughout the day. High of 62 and low of 48. Sunrise at 6:48 am and sunset at 7:37 pm. [Weather.gov]

JUST IN: Vehicle overturns on GW Parkway, may be linked to Georgetown robbery

By ARLnow.com
Overturned vehicle and police activity on the Spout Run entrance from the GW Parkway (Photo courtesy @airwolf782)

A vehicle possibly involved in a robbery in Georgetown has overturned on the GW Parkway.

The wreck happened around 3:15 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the Parkway, near Spout Run, leaving the vehicle on its roof.

Two occupants are out and said to be in police custody. An Arlington police K-9 unit was dispatched to the scene, initially to search for a person still believed to be on the run, though it’s unclear whether that is still the case.

Firefighters and medics, as well as police from several jurisdictions, are now on scene.

Public safety watcher Alan Henney reports that the people in custody are suspects in a robbery of an optical store in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. There have been a number of such robberies across the region in recent months, including at least two in Arlington.

The exit from the northbound GW Parkway to the Spout Run is currently closed as a result of the emergency activity.

Photo courtesy @airwolf782

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