VA Man Cited For Crash That Shut Down Beltway For Hours

BETHESDA, MD — The driver of a tanker truck that overturned in a crash and snarled D.C.-area traffic on Thursday has been cited for reckless driving and defective brakes, authorities said. Virginia State Police have identified the driver as 45-year-old Weldon J. Harrison, of Woodbridge, Virginia.

According to authorities, the truck — which was carrying about 8,500 gallons of gasoline — flipped on its side just south of the American Legion Memorial Bridge around 2 p.m. They say Harrison was driving north when he ran off the right side of I-495 and struck a guardrail. Harrison, who was wearing a seatbelt, was not injured in the crash.

This isn't the first time Harrison was cited for driving a vehicle in an unsafe or unlawful manner. According to court records, the 45-year-old Virginia resident has been cited for several infractions, including operating an uninspected vehicle, driving with an expired registration, speeding, and operating or permitting the operation of an unlicensed motor vehicle.

On Thursday, three other vehicles were involved in the crash, said Fairfax Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief John Price. One driver suffered minor injuries.

The incident shut down the Capital Beltway's inner loop. Emergency crews from both Maryland and Virginia spent hours cleaning up the gasoline spill, closing the left two lanes on I-495's outer loop at the bridge. Those outer loop lanes reopened Thursday evening.

Officials initially thought cleaning would wrap up around 10 p.m. Then, the estimate moved to 1 a.m. All lanes on the Inner Loop reopened around 3 a.m.

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