W&OD Trail crossing near the intersection of S. George Mason Drive and S. Four Mile Run Drive (via Google Maps)
(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured by a driver who then fled the scene last night.
The crash happened near the intersection of S. George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run Drive, just before 8:30 p.m. The road was closed while police investigated.
The W&OD Trail crosses just north of the busy intersection, next to a service road that’s also labeled as S. Four Mile Run Drive.
“At 8:25 p.m. on November 29, police were dispatched to a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian at S. Four Mile Run Dr. and S. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, officers located the pedestrian, an adult male, in the roadway. He was transported to an area hospital and remains hospitalized in critical condition.”
“During the preliminary investigation, officers did not locate any witnesses to the crash and there is no description of the striking vehicle,” Savage continued. “The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact ACPD’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”
At 8:25 p.m., police were dispatched to a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the striking vehicle did not remain on scene. Expect continued police presence in the area. https://t.co/yaPNMtVHV9
The alley at N. Longfellow Street, where a child was struck by a car, before the hedges were trimmed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The alley at N. Longfellow Street, where a child was struck by a car, before the hedges were trimmed (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The alley at N. Longfellow Street, where a child was struck by a car (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Child struck by driver in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Scene of a toddler struck by a driver in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fatal crash involving a school bus and a motorcyclist (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Fatal crash involving a school bus and a motorcyclist (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The 23rd Street S. alley (via Google Maps)
The 23rd Street S. alley (via Google Maps)
Fatal crash involving a school bus and a motorcyclist (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Prompted by two critical crashes in two weeks, Arlington County is taking a look at a common thread between them: alleys.
Last week in Westover, a car struck a toddler, who is now recovering from serious injuries, while exiting an alley onto N. Longfellow Street. Neighbors say the alley is frequented by cyclists and pedestrians, including students from nearby schools, but has dangerous blind spots.
Two weeks ago in Green Valley, a motorcyclist — who witnesses say exited the 23rd Street S. alley at a high speed — died while trying to avoid hitting a school bus. Instead, he flew off his motorcycle and into the bus, which had children onboard.
A team that includes Arlington County police, Virginia State Police, transportation engineers, public health representatives and a representative from the County Manager’s office will be evaluating these crashes, while county transportation engineers will be looking at other local alleys to find improvements, says Katie O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Services.
“As part of our Vision Zero Action Plan, we regularly review and evaluate critical crashes to identify actionable items that we can implement and respond to quickly,” O’Brien said. “In addition to reviewing this terrible incident [in Westover], the team is taking a systematic examination of alleys throughout the County to improve safety given the recent tragic crash that also occurred at an alley on 23rd Street S.”
The toddler from Westover remains hospitalized but is recovering, says Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The child, who was pulled from under the striking car before first responders arrived on scene, suffered serious injuries including, reportedly, a fractured skull.
Meanwhile, the body of the 26-year-old Alexandria man who died in the motorcycle crash will be transported overseas for his funeral.
Both crashes remain active and ongoing investigations, Savage said, adding that there are no additional details to provide.
Blind spots add peril to Westover alley
In Westover, neighbors say the alley where the crash occurred is frequented by students headed to Swanson Middle School and folks on bikes and with strollers, who use a hole in the fence at the end of the alley to get to school or to the Custis Trail.
“It’s actually a more trafficked area than it might appear to be,” said one neighbor, Stefanie Cruz.
But it has blind spots for drivers. Where it intersects with N. Longfellow Street, there’s a large hedge to the right and a house to the left that neighbors say can obscure oncoming pedestrians, playing kids and traffic.
“It’s a dangerous alley, and it’s been a dangerous alley, and I don’t know if anyone’s been paying attention to that,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that it took something like this to make the alley safer.”
Police investigate fatal crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (photo courtesy Charlie Clark)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate fatal crash with vehicle overturned at the intersection of N. Sycamore Street and Washington Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate fatal crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street in November 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police investigate crash with vehicle overturned on N. Sycamore Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Update at 5:05 p.m. — The driver who was critically injured has died, police confirmed Wednesday evening. From a press release:
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on the morning of November 3, 2021.
At approximately 8:29 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries at Washington Boulevard and N. Sycamore Street. The preliminary investigation indicates that as a result of the crash, the driver of a van was ejected from the vehicle and became partially trapped underneath. Upon arrival, medics extricated the driver from under the vehicle and transported him to an area hospital in critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. The four occupants of the other vehicle were transported to area hospitals with injuries considered non-life threatening.
The deceased has been identified as Mauricio Campos Gomez, 49, of Manassas, Virginia.
This crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons at [email protected] or 703-228-4172. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-8477.
Earlier: A person was taken to the hospital in grave condition after a serious two-vehicle crash near the East Falls Church Metro station.
The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. on N. Sycamore Street, at the intersection with Washington Blvd, and injured a total of five people.
The force of the collision ejected one of the drivers and they ended up trapped under a vehicle, said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. Firefighters worked to free the driver and rush them to a local trauma center.
The crash left one of the vehicles, an orange FreshDirect grocery delivery box truck, on its side in the intersection. The other vehicle involved was a white work van. A van for a local barbecue restaurant could be seen parked nearby but it did not appear to be damaged nor involved.
Four people — three occupants of the vehicle that the injured driver was in, and one in the other vehicle — were transported by ambulance for injuries that are “considered non-life threatening,” police say.
Police remain on scene investigating the crash. The crash response and investigation has closed N. Sycamore Street at the intersection. The ramp from eastbound I-66 to Sycamore is also closed.
The closures are expected to remain in place for at least the next few hours, Savage said. Various Metrobus lines are being redirected around the crash site.
2A Alert: Due to an accident at Washington Blvd & N Sycamore St, buses will remain on Washington Blvd, bypassing East Falls Church in both directions.
(Updated at 9:30 p.m.) A person suffered serious injuries in what’s being described by police as a single-vehicle crash in Rosslyn.
The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Oak Street, near the Target store. Traffic camera footage posted on Twitter, below, shows medics attending to the injured person on the sidewalk.
Police and a tow truck were still on the scene as of 7:20 p.m.
We’re told that the incident was initially described to first responders as a parked vehicle that rolled backward and struck a woman, possibly its driver, and caused a serious leg injury. Those details could not be immediately confirmed, though police did describe the victim as the vehicle’s driver.
ACPD is investigating a single-vehicle crash with injuries at Wilson Boulevard and N. Oak Street. The driver is being transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Police remain on scene investigating. https://t.co/a9J2gghnwz
A worker was electrocuted at an under-construction home in the Old Glebe neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A worker was electrocuted at an under-construction home in the Old Glebe neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police and firefighters on scene of an electrocution in the Old Glebe neighborhood (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) A man suffered injuries that are reported to be life-threatening after an on-the-job accident in the Old Glebe neighborhood.
Police and medics were dispatched to a large, under-construction home on the 4600 block of N. Dittmar Road around 1 p.m. Initial reports suggest a worker was carrying a ladder when it made contact with power lines, electrocuting him.
The man is being rushed to a local hospital by Arlington County Fire Department medics.
Police are now investigating the accident. A Dominion power crew is also being requested to the scene.
An early morning, single-vehicle crash along Route 50 led to the driver being struck by an oncoming vehicle.
The crash and a subsequent police investigation closed eastbound Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) at the Glebe Road overpass for several hours. The victim suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive, police say.
“At approximately 4:23 a.m. on September 3, police were dispatched to the area of Arlington Boulevard and South Glebe Road for the report of a crash with injury,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Kirby Clark tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was driving eastbound on Arlington Boulevard when they struck the overpass wall on the right shoulder. The victim then pulled over in the left lane along the median, exited their vehicle and was in the roadway when they were struck by an oncoming vehicle.”
“The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries,” Clark continued. “The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene. Eastbound Arlington Boulevard was closed from Glebe Road to N. Jackson Street while the crash investigation took place.”
The highway reopened shortly before 7 a.m.
FINAL: EB Arlington Boulevard is reopened to traffic.
The day before Joseph Schanuel was discharged from Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
Joseph Schanuel recovers at Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
A still from a video of Joseph Schanuel receiving support at Virginia Hospital Center (via Instagram)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott, blur added)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The man who suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a bicycle crash in Yorktown last month says he is making a full recovery.
“I can’t believe I was almost killed in the bicycle accident,” said Joseph Schanuel. “I have nobody to blame but myself — nobody caused my bike to fall.”
Schanuel, 25, was riding his bike — which he modified to be powered by a two-stroke gas engine — along N. George Mason Drive on the afternoon of July 28 when suddenly it fell apart.
“The front wheel came off after my carbon fork [a part that attaches the front wheel to the frame] broke in half due to overuse and local bumpy terrain,” he said. “My skull dropped into the pavement, face-planted at 20 mph.”
The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd, and the detached wheel could be seen next to the bike. According to a Nextdoor post, a woman walking her dog called the paramedics.
“I was on a work call when my wife, who was walking our dog, screamed for me to come outside,” a man said on Nextdoor. “She was already on with 9-11. I saw you lying in the road and ran into the middle of the road to stop traffic. Within minutes, the paramedics were there. We were worried sick about you and are so glad to hear you are ok and on the mend.”
Another poster said she drove by the scene before the road had been blocked off. She saw Schanuel surrounded by Arlington County Fire Department personnel.
“I was horrified to see you lying unmoving on the street,” she said. “I was very shaken and am so relieved to hear that you survived!! I wish you well in your recovery!”
Schanuel was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center, which was only five minutes away. According to his Instagram, he was discharged Aug. 13, a Friday.
“I owe my thanks to the 911 caller at the… scene of the accident and to the [Emergency Medical Services], also [Emergency Room] physicians and facial neurologist trauma doctors at VHC, which was only five minutes away,” he said. “Thank you for providing me rapid transport — I am alive because of your heroism.”
Schanuel was wearing a helmet at the time and said it might have saved his life. Still, the force of hitting his face on the pavement knocked him unconscious “for at least five hours,” according to his account of the crash on Nextdoor. Firefighters had to use water to wash Schanuel’s blood from the pavement.
His fall resulted in shattered facial bones and traumatic injury to Schanuel’s brain. He says he suffered a concussion so bad that he could have had permanent cognitive impairment, as well as deficits in balance, agility and the ability to sense his body’s movements. But he’s happy to be alive.
“I’m lucky I can still bathe and swallow and lift objects and walk in a straight line without any mobility assistance,” he said.
A resident was seriously hurt after trying to confront a thief in his backyard.
The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Friday on the 6200 block of Washington Blvd, in the Highland Park-Overlee Knolls neighborhood between East Falls Church and Westover.
Police say the resident saw a man standing in front of the shed behind his house and went to confront him.
The suspect then “picked up the victim’s tool box and attempted to leave the area,” said an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The victim grabbed the suspect in an attempt to prevent him from leaving and a physical altercation ensued, during which the suspect struck the victim multiple times. The victim then fell to the ground and the suspect fled the scene on his bicycle.”
“The victim sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries and refused the treatment of medics,” ACPD said. “The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 40 to 50 years old, 5’6″ tall, 150 to 180 pounds, wearing all black clothing and a black hat. The investigation is ongoing.”
In its weekend crime report, ACPD also reported an attempted robbery in Clarendon on Thursday night and an armed robbery of a taxi driver in Lyon Park late Saturday night.
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2021-07290227, 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:50 p.m. on July 29, police were dispatched to the report of threats. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male victim was in the area when he was approached by the two known male suspects who began throwing rocks at him. The suspects then demanded that the victim give them money and fled the scene on foot when the victim confronted them. Suspect One is described as a White male with a thin build, approximately 19 years old, 5’10” tall with dark hair, a goatee and mustache, wearing a black backpack. Suspect Two is described as a White male with a thin build, approximately 18 years old, 5’5″ tall with blond hair, wearing a black backpack. The investigation is ongoing.
ROBBERY, 2021-07310275, 200 block of N. Fillmore Street At approximately 11:50 p.m. on July 31, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that a cab was dropping off passengers when two dark colored SUV’s pulled up and blocked in the cab. A male suspect then approached the rear passenger side door, brandished a firearm and demanded money. The suspect stole wallets and a cell phone from the victims before fleeing the scene. The suspect is described as a Black male in his early 20’s, approximately 5’6″ tall, with a skinny build. He was wearing a black mask, white tank top and dark colored pants. The investigation is ongoing.
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott, blur added)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Serious bicycle crash on N. George Mason Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) A bicyclist has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash 2-3 blocks from Yorktown High School.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd. Initial reports suggest the front wheel of the bike somehow came off and the cyclist flipped over the handlebars, suffering a possible head injury.
The detached wheel could be seen next to the bike, which appeared to have a motor that powered it. A pool of blood was nearby, in the middle of the bike lane.
The cyclist was rushed to a local trauma center for treatment. So far there are no reports of any vehicles being involved in the crash.
“ACFD arrived on the scene of a single-bicycle crash in the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. “The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Police were dispatched to the area and remain on scene investigating the crash.”
Drivers should expect the northbound lanes of N. George Mason Drive to remain closed while police document the scene and investigate the crash.
A relatively slow snow day for public safety personnel got busier this afternoon after a pair of significant emergency incidents occurred within 15 minutes of one another.
First, firefighters responded to the grounds of Missionhurst, a church facility near Marymount University, for a report of a 12-year-old who had suffered a head injury after sledding into a tree. The call was soon upgraded from a standard injury response to a technical rescue due to the terrain.
“At 1:59 p.m. we received a 911 call for a child that struck a tree while sledding at 4651 25th St N.,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesperson Taylor Blunt. “Initial crews arrived within four minutes and requested the technical rescue team due to the patient’s location at the bottom of a snowy hill.”
“Crews provided initial treatment and used a haul system to move the immobilized patient up the hill to an ambulance,” Blunt continued. “The patient was transported to a local trauma center with non-life threatening injuries.”
Earlier this afternoon we responded to a sledding accident in the 4600blk of 25th St N. Our technical rescue team helped move the patient to a waiting ambulance. Thankfully, the patient suffered non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition at a local hospital. pic.twitter.com/RZnFgiTXyW
Soon thereafter came another significant incident: someone at a gym in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center near Crystal City had reportedly severed two fingers after getting them caught in exercise equipment.
“At 2:13 p.m. we received a 911 call at 2955 S. Glebe Road for a patient suffering from a partial amputation to their hand,” Blunt said. “Crews arrived within four minutes and provided bleeding control techniques to stabilize the injury. The patient was transported to a local trauma center in stable condition.”
The address corresponds to that of a Gold’s Gym and a chiropractic and physical therapy office.
(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) A man has died after a serious rollover crash in the Barcroft neighborhood last night.
The crash happened around 9 p.m. on the 4800 block of 8th Street S., a residential street that dead ends near the W&OD trail.
“At 9:07 p.m. ACFD was dispatched to the area of 4800 block of 8th Street S. for an accident with entrapment,” said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Justin Tirelli. “Crews were advised by a bystander that a vehicle had left the roadway and entered the woods.”
“After a short search by ACFD and ACPD the vehicle was found in the woods near the W&OD trail, overturned with the male driver still inside,” Tirelli said. “Crews removed the driver and transported him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Arlington County police said the man had died from his injuries. More from an ACPD press release, below.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Critical Accident Team is investigating a fatal single vehicle crash that occurred on the evening of July 7, 2020.
At approximately 9:01 p.m. on July 7, police were dispatched to the area of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in the 4800 block of 8th Street S. for the report of a crash with injuries. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver lost control of the vehicle, struck a parked vehicle in the 4500 block of 8th Street S., and continued traveling, before overturning onto the trail.
Arriving officers and medics rendered aid to the driver, who was subsequently extricated from the vehicle by the Arlington County Fire Department. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Bolivar Cobos, 92, of Arlington, Va., was transported by medics to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
This crash remains under investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Parsons of the Arlington County Police Department’s Critical Accident Team at 703-228-4172 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
#FinalUpdate Units have successfully extricated the driver and are transporting to a local trauma center. @ArlingtonVaPD is remaining on the scene.
