Virginia State Police are investigating a fatal crash that occurred Friday, June 21, 2024, at 2:29 p.m. on Interstate 66 westbound at the 46-mile marker in Prince William County.
A disabled 2019 Hyundai Tucson had pulled off the interstate onto the right shoulder. A 2018 Isuzu NPR HD truck, traveling westbound on Interstate 66, departed the right side of the interstate and collided with the disabled Tucson. The Tucson struck the jersey wall and was pushed approximately 400 feet along the shoulder.
Two passengers in the Tucson, Krystal Akers, 27, of Dublin, Va., and an 11-year-old female, succumbed to their injuries at an area hospital. The 51-year-old driver of the Tucson, of Dublin, Va., suffered serious injuries, as did a three-month-old infant in the vehicle. Another 55-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the Isuzu truck, a 26-year-old man from Hyattsville, Md., suffered minor injuries, while a passenger, a 23-year-old man, suffered severe injuries. Charges are pending, and the crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police.
Effective July 1, 2024, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will update its fare structure for the first time in five years, alongside a new policy benefiting children. Passengers aged 18 and under will travel for free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Adult fares will see a five percent increase. For example, travelers from Spotsylvania Station to Union Station in Washington, D.C., will pay $0.65 more for single-ride tickets and $18 more for monthly passes.
Additionally, VRE’s fiscal year 2025 budget introduces a flat $5 fare for trips within and between zones 1 (Union Station and L’Enfant), 2 (Crystal City and Alexandria), and 3 (Franconia-Springfield and Backlick Road).
The policy for free youth travel includes specific requirements: accompanied children aged 18 and under do not need identification. Children aged 11-18 traveling alone must have a valid school, state, or VRE Reduced Fare ID, which can be obtained online. Children under 10 must travel with a paying adult.
VRE operates two lines—Manassas and Fredericksburg—connecting Central and Northern Virginia with Washington, D.C., serving 19 stations, including key stops like L’Enfant and Union Station. For more information on fares and schedules, visit www.vre.org.
The program’s Mission is to promote, plan, and establish transportation alternatives to driving alone, improving transportation system efficiency, enhancing quality of life, and benefiting the environment.
Sound familiar? As the popularity of the I-95 E-ZPass Express Lanes soared in recent years, Fredericksburg commuters heading north to the Pentagon and Washington, DC, have many options for ride-sharing up I-95 in the morning that suffered in the pandemic.
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The lanes will be open northbound all day until 7 p.m. when reversal begins. The Lanes are expected to open southbound by 8:30 p.m.
The National Park Service has announced Independence Day activities will begin at 11:45 a.m. and continue throughout the day, culminating in the annual "Fireworks on the National Mall" program. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:09-9:27 p.m.
Both VDOT and the Stafford Sheriff's Department have announced a brush fire near Mile Marker 136 on I-95 Southbound.
Two lanes have been closed, and Stafford Fire and Rescue is on scene.
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An accident on Interstate 66 near Gainesville resulted in the death of one person this afternoon. At 2:16 p.m., Virginia State Police troopers were dispatched to the collision scene on the westbound lanes at Exit 47, Prince William Parkway.
The crash involved a disabled vehicle that had stopped on the highway. According to initial reports, the stationary vehicle was struck by a second car traveling westbound. The force of the collision led to at least one fatality.
Emergency responders arrived promptly, and the scene was secured for an investigation and clean-up. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.
More as we have it.
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) services are set to strengthen their collaboration. The VRE Operations Board is expected to vote on Friday, June 21, to restore an agreement that allows VRE riders to board MARC trains and vice versa. This move has been speculated as a step toward providing non-stop service between Maryland and Virginia.
The recommendation from the VRE Operations Board requests authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to amend the Passenger Tariff to reflect the MARC/VRE Cross-Honor Agreement Terms. The summary indicates that VRE and MARC will reinstate their cross-honor agreement on July 1, 2024, allowing passengers to ride either service with a valid ticket from the other.
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According to police, the sedan driver refused to cooperate with the trooper’s attempts to move the vehicle to a safer location on the shoulder. During this interaction, a Jeep Cherokee struck a tractor-trailer that had stopped due to the sedan blocking the travel lane. The collision caused the Jeep to spin and hit the trooper’s patrol car, then struck the sedan and the trooper.
The trooper sustained minor injuries and was transported to Fairfax INOVA Hospital for evaluation. The patrol car’s emergency lights were activated during the incident.
The sedan driver, Erica D. Bernard, 43, of Albright, West Virginia, remained in the vehicle when struck. Bernard was treated for minor injuries and has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, obstruction, possession of a Schedule I or II substance, refusal of a blood/breath test, and improperly stopping a vehicle on a highway.
The driver of the Jeep Cherokee, Joanna F. Hatch, 35, of Arlington, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Both Bernard and Hatch were taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Beginning Tuesday, June 25, a new traffic pattern will be in place at the Route 3 and Orange Plank Road intersection in Spotsylvania County.
The Route 3 and Orange Plank Road intersection will become a Restricted Crossing U-Turn pattern. Left turns from Route 3 westbound onto Orange Plank Road will be controlled by a green arrow and then a flashing red arrow to provide a stop control. The flashing red arrow is being used to provide additional direction to motorists, requiring them to come to a complete stop and yield to oncoming traffic before proceeding.
