Pickup Driver Faces Charges Related To Fatal Crash In Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, VA — The Prince William County Police Department obtained an arrest warrant Tuesday for the driver of a pickup truck involved in an April 24 fatal crash in an area of Lee Highway and Interstate 66 in Gainesville. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as Christopher James Pruitt of Rapidan, Virginia, turned himself in to police on Tuesday.

The charges were filed against Pruitt after members of the Prince William County Police Department's crash investigation unit had finished their investigation into the fatal crash. During an inspection of the striking vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, multiple defects were noted that contributed to the crash, according to the police.

Pruitt, who was released on a court summons, was charged with reckless driving-bad brakes, counterfeit inspection, and defective equipment, the police said. His court date has been set for Oct. 9.

The passenger of a 2016 Toyota Corolla who died in the crash was identified as Phillip Dennis Sorrells, 20, of Germantown, Maryland. Sorrels was flown to an area hospital with life threatening injuries, where he later died on April 25.

At around 4:10 p.m. on April 24, Pruitt's Chevrolet Silverado was exiting from I-66 to merge onto Lee Highway when it struck the rear of the Toyota Corolla, according to police. The driver of the Toyota Corolla, a 61-year-old man from Germantown, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.