The Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, where one vehicle collided with a guardrail and was later struck by another vehicle. The driver of the first vehicle died from injuries, while the driver of the second vehicle sustained serious injuries.
Press Release from Virginia State Police:
Virginia State Police is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash in Stafford County. The crash occurred Thursday (Nov. 28), at 7:13 a.m. on southbound Interstate 95 at the 139-mile marker.
A 2013 Chevrolet Cruze was traveling south on I95 when it lost control, ran off the right side of the roadway, and collided with a guardrail. Several minutes later, a 2021 Volkswagen Jetta, which was also traveling southbound, lost control, ran off the right side of the roadway, and collided with the Chevrolet, which was still on the shoulder up against the guardrail.
The driver of the Chevrolet, Bezawit B. Yigzaw, 30, of Woodbridge, Va., suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Mary Washington Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. It’s unknown if she was wearing a seatbelt during the initial crash. She was not wearing a seatbelt during the second crash.
The driver of the Volkswagen, Douglas P. Butler, 47, of Ruther Glen, Va., suffered serious injuries and was transported to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Weather is considered a factor in the crash.
Charges are pending as the crash remains under investigation.
[Image: RiverNorthPhotography]Domino’s stores in Greater Woodbridge are partnering with Ghostbusters Virginia to collect Toys for Tots until Dec. 8, offering a large one-topping pizza for $6 in exchange for toy donations. Customers can drop off new, unwrapped toys at participating Domino’s locations in the region to support the holiday initiative.
Press Release:
Domino’s stores across Greater Woodbridge are teaming up with Ghostbusters Virginia to collect Toys for Tots from now through Dec. 8 at participating locations. Domino’s hopes to help bring the joy of the holiday season to children in need through donations from community members.
Customers who wish to donate can drop off new, unwrapped toys in donation bins in the lobbies of the following Domino’s stores:
Customers who bring in one or more toys to donate will receive a large one-topping Hand Tossed Pizza for $6, now through Dec. 8. The offer will be applied once an in-store team member verifies a customer’s toy donation.
“Engaging with community giving opportunities such as collecting Toys for Tots donations is so fulfilling for our store teams,” said Nona Sonnier, Domino’s director of corporate operations in Virginia. “Domino’s is so much more than a pizza company; we are a company that deeply cares about its communities, and we are pleased to provide our customers with a chance to donate to a special cause.”
Toy donation bins will be collected and dropped off at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico on the afternoon of Dec. 8.
To locate and order from a participating Domino’s location, visit www.dominos.com.
Polar plungers take a dip in the Potomac River at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. [Photo: Mike Beaty]Registration is open for the 2025 Polar Plunge at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge on February 15 to raise funds for Special Olympics Virginia. Participants can join individually or in teams, donate, or attend to cheer, with activities including live music, games, and a costume contest.
Press Release from Prince William County:
Are you brave enough to weather the February elements in support of a worthy cause? If so, registration has opened for the 2025 Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Virginia. This year’s event is at Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge (22191) on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
The Prince William County Police Department is looking for hardy individuals – or teams of family, friends, co-workers, or organizations – willing to brave the cold temperatures on land, and in the water, to help raise money for Special Olympics.
Registration is open, and the public can participate in several ways:
Take the “Plunge,” either as an individual or as a team that you put together with friends, neighbors, family or co-workers. Join Team PWCPD and start fundraising!
Donate funds (if crazy, fun action is not your thing).
Come out and cheer everyone on.
There’ll be live music, games, door prizes, food trucks, law enforcement displays and more, including a costume contest and, of course, a chilly plunge into the Potomac River! To register as an individual or as a team for “Team PWCPD,” and for more information, please visit: https://www.polarplunge.com/prince-william. This link also has information on donating to Team PWCPD.
The Polar Plunge benefits Special Olympics, an organization which is supported by law enforcement officers throughout the United States and in 45 countries.
[Image: VDOT]The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will begin a $2.4 million project to extend a walking path along Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg on December 3. The project will include new pedestrian and bicycle access points, ramps, crosswalks, and a bike repair station, and completion is expected by November 2025.
Press Release from the Virginia Department of Education:
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will begin a $2.4 million pedestrian and bicycle connector project in the City of Fredericksburg next month.
Construction will start on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to extend a paved shared use path, approximately 10 feet wide, along the north side of Lafayette Boulevard between Twin Lake Drive and St. Paul Street.
The new section of path will connect with an existing shared use path on Lafayette Boulevard that currently terminates at St. Paul Street.
The path will be handicapped-accessible, with ramps and crosswalks built where the path intersects with Twin Lakes Drive, Springwood Drive, Kensington Place, and St. Paul Street.
Additionally, the project will build a paved access point to the Virginia Central Railway Trail from the cul-de-sac of Springwood Drive.
As part of the project, a bike repair station will be installed at Alum Spring Park.
The majority of the construction will be outside of travel lanes. Drivers may experience delays during off-peak travel times as work progresses to completion.
The project contractor is M&F Concrete, Inc. All work is expected to be complete in Nov. 2025.
The City of Fredericksburg submitted an application to build this project through Virginia’s SMART SCALE transportation program.
Stafford County Utilities has completed a multi-year effort to confirm that its water lines are lead-free, meeting the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revision requirements. The service line inventory, which involved field verification and historical record reviews, has been approved by the Virginia Department of Health, ensuring safe water for the county’s residents.
Press Release from Stafford County Government:
Stafford County Utilities is pleased to announce that its water lines are lead-free, following a multi-year effort to inventory water service lines. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) required public water systems to complete a service line inventory by October 16, 2024. In three years, the EPA will require public water systems to comply with a new lead regulation, known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). This new regulation will build on the existing LCRR and service line inventory.
“Stafford County has always maintained a lead-free water system, and now we have the data to confirm it officially. Stafford County Utilities customers can have full confidence in the safety and quality of their water, free from a critical issue that impacts many communities nationwide,” said Chairwoman of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors Meg Bohmke. “Our Utilities Department remains steadfast in its commitment to building and sustaining a lead-free water infrastructure, prioritizing long-term reliability and sustainability for the more than 125,000 residents we serve.”
Stafford County’s completed service line inventory confirms that the pipe material used in its water distribution system is lead-free. The inventory includes both the public (from the water main to the meter) and private (from the meter to the building) owned portions of the service lines. To fulfill the inventory requirements, the Utilities Department reviewed historical records, including tap cards, build dates, work order history and any available documents to identify service line materials.
In addition, over 5,000 field verifications were performed of a random sampling of properties across the entire County. The department implemented a statistical analysis model approved by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) for the remaining water services that could not be verified with available records or field verified. After completing this process, Stafford County Utilities submitted the entirely non-lead inventory to VDH and received approval on September 17, 2024.
“Stafford County Utilities has a history of producing high-quality water, and it is an incredible accomplishment to have completed the service line inventory and receive a lead-free designation. The inventory was created completely from scratch, as nothing like this had ever been required before. The multi-year effort involved a cross-disciplinary team of staff from almost every area of the Utilities Department,” said Chris Edwards, Chief Operating Officer.
The results will show the material of an address’s public and private service line, and whether it has been field verified on either side of the water meter. If the results say the materials are “non-lead other,” your exact pipe material has not been established through field verification or historic records, but VDH has confirmed the entire Stafford system to be non-lead. This is a living inventory that will be consistently updated as the service lines of more properties are field verified.
Detectives concluded an investigation into a shooting incident from August 2023, where shots were fired into an unoccupied vehicle, and a man was targeted but not injured. Two suspects face charges related to reckless firearm handling and conspiracy.
Press Release from Prince William Police:
Shooting into an Unoccupied Vehicle | Reckless Handling of a Firearm *ARREST – On November 22, 2024, detectives concluded the investigation into the shots fired call that was reported to have occurred in the 13900 block of Rope Dr. in Woodbridge (22191) on August 4, 2023. While investigating the incident, detectives determined there were multiple suspects involved and obtained warrants for their arrest. On November 11, one of the suspects, identified as Bryant Manuel HENRIQUEZ FLORES, was arrested and on November 22, the second suspect, identified as Dan Benedict GALVEZ, was arrested.
Arrested between November 11-22, 2024:
Bryant Manuel HENRIQUEZ FLORES, 25, of 13908 Rope Dr. in Woodbridge
Charged with reckless handling of a firearm and shooting into an unoccupied vehicle
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Unavailable
Dan Benedict GALVEZ, 25, of 1389 Ironwood St. in Woodbridge
Charged with conspiracy to commit a felony
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Unavailable
Shooting into an Unoccupied Vehicle | Reckless Handling of a Firearm [Previously Released] – On August 4 at 10:40PM, officers responded to the 13900 block of Rope Dr. in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a shots fired call. The investigation revealed the victim, a 50-year-old man, was working on a vehicle parked in the above area, when he was approached by an unknown man. During the encounter, the suspect brandished a firearm and fired multiple rounds towards the victim. The victim was able to flee the area on foot and was not injured. While investigating the incident, officers determined the man was possibly with a group of other men who were near a brown-colored vehicle prior to the encounter. While checking the area, officers located two vehicles that sustained damage consisted with being struck by projectiles, and shell casings in the roadway. No injuries or additional property damage were reported.
On November 24, a suspect was arrested in connection with an attempted robbery at a McDonald’s near Woodbridge on September 24. Two other suspects were arrested earlier in November.
Press Release from Prince William Police:
Attempted Armed Robbery *FINAL ARREST – On November 24, the suspect, identified as Troy Allen PHILLIPS Jr., who was wanted in connection to the attempted robbery that was reported to have occurred at the McDonald’s located at 12730 Harbor Dr. [near] Woodbridge (22192) on September 24, was arrested. Two men were previously arrested between November 8-18 in connection to the incident.
Phillips Jr., T. A.
Arrested on November 24:
Troy Allen PHILLIPS Jr., 21, of 15502 Chicacoan Dr. in Woodbridge
Charged with attempted robbery
Court Date: Pending | Bond: Unavailable
Attempted Armed Robbery *ARRESTS [Previously Released] – Officers arrested two suspects identified in connection to the attempted robbery that was reported to have occurred at the McDonald’s located at 12730 Harbor Dr. [near] Woodbridge (22192) on September 24. The suspects, identified as Timothy Damont RUTHERFORD and a 17-year-old male juvenile, were taken into custody between November 8-18. Additionally, officers obtained arrest warrants for a third suspect, identified as Troy Allen PHILLIPS Jr. Attempts to locate PHILLIPS have been unsuccessful.
Attempted Armed Robbery [Previously Released] – On September 24 at 5:18PM, officers responded to the McDonald’s located at 12730 Harbor Dr. [near] Woodbridge (22192) to investigate an assault. The investigation revealed the victim, a 25-year-old woman, and a group of men were involved in a verbal altercation that escalated. During the encounter, the victim was struck and scratched by the men before the parties separated. A short time later, the suspects returned to the business and attempted to take the victim’s purse while one of the men implied he had a firearm. The victim was able to maintain possession of her purse and separated from the suspects. The suspects left the business prior to police arriving on scene. Officers and a police K-9 searched the area for the suspects who were not located. Minor injuries were reported.
[Photo courtesy of Transurban]The Interstate 95 and Interstate 395 Express Lanes will be operating under a modified reversal schedule for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Reversal Schedule:
Thursday, November 21:
Overnight Reversal: 1 a.m., Open northbound ~2:30 a.m.
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Friday, November 22:
Overnight Reversal: 1 a.m., Open northbound ~2:30 a.m.
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Saturday, November 23:
Overnight Reversal: No reversal, Open southbound
Daytime Reversal: 2 p.m., Open northbound ~3:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 24:
Overnight Reversal: No reversal, Open northbound
Daytime Reversal: No reversal, Open northbound
Monday, November 25:
Overnight Reversal: No reversal, Open northbound
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open Southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, November 26:
Overnight Reversal: 1 a.m., Open northbound ~2:30 a.m.
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, November 27:
Overnight Reversal: 1 a.m., Open northbound ~2:30 a.m.
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving):
Overnight Reversal: No reversal, Open southbound
Daytime Reversal: No reversal, Open southbound
Friday, November 29:
Overnight Reversal: 1 a.m., Open northbound ~2:30 a.m.
Daytime Reversal: 10 a.m. (early), Open southbound ~11:30 a.m.
Normal reversal schedule will resume Saturday, November 30.
Interstate 95 over the Rappahannock River. [VDOT]FAMPO’s River Crossing Parkway Study Survey is open until January 3, 2025, inviting public feedback on transportation development in the Fredericksburg region. The survey allows residents to share opinions on the project’s impact on regional needs, the community, and access to goods and services.
Press Release:
FAMPO’s River Crossing Parkway Study Survey is now open until January 3rd, 2025! If you drive, walk, or roll in the Fredericksburg region, you can make an impact on how transportation develops by providing feedback during public comment periods. You are invited to provide feedback on the River Crossing Parkway Study by completing our online survey. To view the presentation boards used during our November 20th River Crossing Study Public Meeting, please click here.
Arrested between November 11-22, 2024:
