Fredericksburg Driver Charged After SUV Fled Traffic Stop, Crashed Near I-95

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A Fredericksburg man was charged after police said he fled an attempted traffic stop and crashed into another vehicle at the Plank Road and Interstate 95 intersection on on Tuesday.

A Fredericksburg police officer saw a blue Toyota Highlander fail to stop at a stop sign on Dunning Mills Drive near Emancipation Highway. Police said the driver then continued driving erratically along Emancipation Highway, prompting the officer to try to make a traffic stop.

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Instead of yielding, the driver sped away at a high rate of speed on Plank Road, according to police. During the attempt to get away, the Highlander struck a white Ram truck at the intersection of Plank Road and I-95, police reported. The crash caused significant damage to the vehicles, including airbag deployment.

Police identified the driver of the Highlander as Jonathan Muwanika, 26, of Fredericksburg. He was taken into custody without further incident and charged with eluding, reckless driving and multiple traffic offenses, according to the police department.

Muwanika was taken to Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $5,000 bond, police said. No injuries were reported.

Muwankia is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. in Fredericksburg General District Court, according to court documents. A preliminary hearing has not been set.

Most of the charges Muwankia is facing are misdemeanors or infractions, but the eluding charge is a Class 6 felony. If convicted of this charge, he faces a potential sentence of one to five years in prison or up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, under the Code of Virginia.