5 Killed In 48 Hours On Fairfax County Roads, Police Say

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County police said Friday that five people were killed in crashes across the county in a 48-hour period, prompting officials to urge drivers and pedestrians to slow down and pay attention ahead of the holiday weekend.

Deputy Chief Dalton Becker of the Fairfax County Police Department's Operations Bureau said the deaths included four pedestrians and one motorcyclist. The crashes occurred on several major roads, including Richmond Highway, Little River Turnpike, Gallows Road and Leesburg Pike.

“The last 48 hours has been a dangerous time on our roadways in Fairfax County,” Becker said during a safety briefing.

Police Cite Speed, Impairment And Unsafe Crossings

Officers were on Richmond Highway on Friday handing out pamphlets and glow-in-the-dark armbands to pedestrians, police said. Becker said officers were encouraging people to use crosswalks and traffic signals.

Becker said investigators were still reviewing the crashes, but early information pointed to several recurring factors, including excessive speed, impairment, reckless driving and pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks.

“At the point of the collision, they were not in the crosswalk,” Becker said of the pedestrian crashes.

Becker said some drivers or pedestrians involved had alcohol in their systems, while other cases were awaiting lab analysis. He said impaired driving remains a concern during holiday weekends, when ride-share services and taxis are available.

“There’s no excuse,” Becker said. “Don’t do it.”

Officer Injured In Separate Crash

Becker also cited a separate crash Friday morning involving a Fairfax County police officer in the Franconia District.

Becker said the officer was working at a crash scene where a vehicle had struck a pole and blocked lanes. The officer’s marked cruiser had its blue lights activated and was blocking a travel lane when another driver hit the back of it, Becker said.

The officer was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and later released, Becker said. The driver was cited for reckless driving, driving without an operator’s license and other violations.

Becker said the crash showed the danger posed by drivers who are distracted, speeding or failing to move carefully around emergency scenes.

“If they are going to run into a marked car, they’re going to potentially run into marked or unmarked vehicles that most of us drive, or pedestrians,” Becker said.

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Becker urged drivers to slow down, avoid distractions and pay attention to their surroundings. He also urged pedestrians to walk to crosswalks, obey crossing signals, avoid looking down at phones while crossing and try to make eye contact with drivers before stepping into the roadway.

Becker said that in his 30 years, he could not recall seeing so many fatal crashes in Fairfax County in such a short period unless they were part of a single mass-casualty incident.

“These are four distinct separate incidents,” Becker said.

Police said the deaths should serve as a reminder that decisions by drivers and pedestrians can affect roadway safety.

“There’s at least five families today that are grieving,” Becker said.