An early morning crash of a stolen vehicle on I-395 in Arlington has resulted in the deaths of three teenagers and left a fourth in serious condition.
At approximately 12:45 a.m. on Monday, Virginia State Police say a trooper spotted a stolen vehicle on Stevenson Road at South Walker Street in Alexandria. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Saturday. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver of the stolen vehicle refused.
During a pursuit, the suspect drove the vehicle onto I-395 northbound. The driver attempted to exit at Shirlington Road at a high rate of speed and lost control of the vehicle. The car ran off of the right side of the ramp and into a Jersey barrier. The pursuit lasted approximately two minutes over a distance of about 5 miles, VSP says.
State troopers and Arlington County and Alexandria City police officers, along with fire and rescue personnel, offered emergency medical care to the occupants.
One passenger, a 17-year-old male, died at the scene. Three other occupants were transported to area hospitals, where the driver and a second passenger, both 16-year-old males from Silver Spring, Maryland, succumbed to their injuries. The final occupant, a 16-year-old female from Alexandria, remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
None of the occupants were wearing seatbelts, and the driver did not have a valid driver’s license, VSP says.
The crash — which remains under investigation — blocked the I-395 exit ramp to Shirlington for about five hours.
Feature image, GregDPhotos/stock.adobe.com
