Driver in Fiery Tysons Corner Silver Diner Crash Charged With Second-Degree Murder

The man who police say drove a Hummer into a Silver Diner in Tysons Corner last month -- causing a huge fire that left one man dead -- has been charged with second degree murder and a number of other crimes.

Samuel Ovie Abutoh, 59, of Springfield was transported May 31 from the District of Columbia to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center after detectives served him with warrants for second-degree murder, felony destruction of property, arson: burning or destroying an occupied public building and arson: burning or destroying personal property, according to a Fairfax County Police Department statement.

The charges stem from a May 4 incident at a Silver Diner located at 8101 Fletcher Street in McLean shortly after 12:30 p.m. when Abutoh allegedly drove a Hummer into the side of the building, and then poured liquid on his body and tried to light himself on fire while inside the vehicle.

The crash killed 74-year-old Andrew Sheren of McLean, who died two weeks later from his injuries. Sheren was walking into the Silver Diner at the time of the crash.

The initial warrant was for malicious wounding, but that was upgraded to second-degree murder after Sheren's death, police said.

Image via Fairfax County Police Department