rescue

SUV Rollover Accident on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

Firefighters extricated a woman who became trapped in her SUV last night after it flipped on its roof at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and W. Glebe Road, near I-395.

The accident happened just after midnight. Initial reports suggest the SUV clipped or was clipped by a red convertible. Only minimal damage was visible on the convertible.

Firefighters from both Arlington and Alexandria responded to the accident. Arlington police blocked the southbound lanes of Glebe Road during the emergency response.

The extent of the SUV driver’s injuries are unknown. Witnesses say she was bloodied but conscious and moving around. The woman was transported via ambulance to a local hospital.

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BREAKING NEWS — Rollover Accident on Route 50

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:55 a.m.) Police and firefighters are on the scene of a two vehicle rollover accident on Route 50 near Park Drive.

The initial police investigation indicates that the driver of an SUV suffered a medical emergency and collided head-on with a Saab while going the wrong way on Route 50, according to Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The SUV flipped on its side as a result of the accident, and the female driver had to be extricated by firefighters. She was taken via ambulance to a local hospital.

The driver of the Saab appears to have suffered only bumps and bruises.

All lanes of Route 50 are expected to be back open by 11:00 a.m.

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Firefighters Rescue Kitten

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County firefighters rescued an intrepid stray kitten over the weekend.

Firefighters were on a call at S. Greenbrier Street and 8th Road S., in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood, when an orange tabby kitten ran under their fire truck and into the truck’s engine compartment. The kitten was covered in grease by the time firefighters were able to free him, according to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

The curious kitty, named “Axel” by his rescuers, was brought to the League’s shelter in Shirlington, where he was cleaned up and given a physical exam and vaccinations.

On Monday, vets gave Axel the all-clear to go to a foster home for a couple of weeks until he’s big enough to be put up for adoption, according to the AWLA.

Photo courtesy the Animal Welfare League of Arlington

ACFD Rescues One from House Fire

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) Firefighters rescued a woman from a house fire on N. Carlin Springs Road this morning.

First arriving firefighters found heavy smoke and flames at the front and back of the house on the 5100 block of N. Carlin Springs, said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. One victim had managed to escape the blaze, but another was still trapped inside on the second floor.

“[Firefighters] made an aggressive interior attack and search,” Karl said. “They located the victim and removed the victim via ground ladder from a second floor window.”

The two victims were transported to Virginia Hospital Center. The woman who had been rescued was then flown to Baltimore Shock Trauma for treatment of smoke inhalation, Karl said.

The flames broke out around 1:45 a.m. Northbound and southbound Carlin Springs Road was closed near the scene for much of the morning, as the Fire Marshal’s office investigated the cause of the blaze.

Car Runs Off Road, Flips Over in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

A driver was brought to the hospital after her Volvo ran off the road and flipped on its side in a small field across from the Marriott in Rosslyn.

The car was heading southbound on Fort Myer Drive, just past Key Bridge, when it hopped a curb, hit a tree and flipped over. Firefighters responded and used heavy equipment to extricate the woman from the driver’s seat.

The accident happened around 7:15 p.m., near the end of the evening rush hour. Key Bridge traffic heading into Arlington was snarled as emergency vehicles blocked all but one lane of Fort Myer Drive.

No word on what caused the car to veer off the road. The woman is expected to be okay.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Davies Driver Sentenced in Crash — The driver in the fatal 2009 George Washington Parkway crash that left soccer star Charlie Davies severely injured was sentenced to two years in prison Friday. Maria Espinoza was drunk when the SUV she was driving hit a guardrail near Memorial Bridge and split in half, killing her best friend and leaving Davies maimed. Davies, now playing for DC United, scored two goals in the team’s home opener at RFK Stadium on Saturday. [ESPN, NY Times, Washington Post]

Arlington Woman Rescued from Potomac River — An Arlington woman was rescued by the Coast Guard after her kayak overturned in the Georgetown Channel, near Key Bridge, just before noon on Sunday. The woman, identified at 61-year-old Jenie Upchurch, was reportedly struggling to stay afloat when a Coast Guard vessel arrived at the scene and threw her a life ring. [U.S. Coast Guard]

APS Principal of the Year Named — Arlington Science Focus School principal Mary Begley has been named the Arlington Public Schools 2011 Principal of the Year. [Arlington Public Schools]

Pet Dove Eaten By Hawk — A pet dove named “Paci” was out enjoying the great outdoors in Alcova Heights last weekend when, according to the Ode Street Tribune, a hawk swooped in and put an abrupt end to her peaceful existence. [Ode Street Tribune]

Tree Trimmer Rescued After Branch Hits Power Line

By ARLnow.com

A tree trimmer had to be rescued by the fire department after a falling branch made contact with electrical lines. The incident happened around 12:30 this afternoon, near the intersection of 24th Road and Shirlington Road in Nauck.

The man was about 25 feet up in the tree when the branch made contact. Dispatchers were told that he was receiving electrical shocks every time he tried to move.

An Arlington County Fire Department ladder truck, rescue squad and medic unit were on scene as Dominion shut off power to the wires and the surrounding neighborhood. The ladder was then directed toward the man, and he was hoisted into the basket by two firefighters. Back down on the ground, the man handed his chainsaw off to firefighters and walked into the back of the ambulance, apparently in good health.

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BREAKING NEWS — Woman Rescued from Flipped SUV on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

A small SUV crashed and rolled onto its side at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive just after 3:00 this afternoon. As a crowd of nearly 100 onlookers watched and captured cell phone videos, firefighters used the jaws of life and brute strength to pry off the vehicle’s roof and free the woman in the driver’s seat.

Bloodied but alert, the woman was placed on a stretcher and wheeled to a waiting ambulance. As she was freed, the crowd broke into applause.

As of 4:15 p.m, traffic was blocked on Four Mile Run Drive and on eastbound Columbia Pike near the accident. There were significant delays on westbound Columbia Pike approaching the accident.

The woman’s exact condition is unknown, as are the circumstances surrounding the crash. There did not appear to be any other passengers in the vehicle.

More photos after the jump.

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Man Hurt on Cliff Near Chain Bridge

By ARLnow.com

A man reportedly fell and injured himself on one of the rocky cliffs overlooking the Potomac near Chain Bridge this afternoon. The Park Police Eagle 1 helicopter and an Arlington County technical rescue squad were dispatched to the scene to help rescue the man after it was reported that he was trapped.

Paramedics are now walking the man to safety.

Due to the emergency response, police are directing traffic on Glebe Road just before Chain Bridge. Expect delays in the area for the next few minutes.

A belated hat tip to J.A.

Plane Crash Exercise to be Conducted Near DCA on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Don’t be alarmed if all hell breaks loose on the Potomac Saturday morning.

The Airports Authority will be conducting a simulated plane crash exercise, featuring numerous boats and helicopters, river rescues of live “victims,” and some pyrotechnics to boot.

The exercise will take place from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., primarily on the southern end of the airport.

“There will be numerous emergency vehicles operating in the area of the George Washington Parkway near Reagan National Airport, smoke and fire may be visible from the south area of the Airport, and river rescue boats and helicopters will be operating on the Potomac River near the south end of the Airport—all part of the exercise,” the Airports Authority advises in a press release.

Arlington Resident Who Survived Katrina Recounts Rescue

By ARLnow.com

Five years ago, Suzette Walker was stranded inside her empty apartment building in New Orleans. Flood waters caused by Hurricane Katrina had surrounded the building. For eight days, Walker survived in an apartment hallway, until she was finally rescued via helicopter.

Now a “proud Arlington resident,” Walker recounted her survival story for the county-run Arlington Virginia Network. She recalled how she had a suitcase packed when Katrina hit, because she had been booked to go on a Carnival Cruise later that week. She also recounted how the kindness of a stranger helped her survive the ordeal.

Walker made it to Arlington by accident. She was on a flight to Houston to stay with family when the captain announced that Texas was no longer taking refugees and that the flight was now going to Washington, DC. Arlington, Walker said, put out the welcome mat after she arrived and she has been here ever since.

Watch the nine minute video, which includes actual footage of Walker’s helicopter rescue, below.

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