1 Killed, 2 Injured In I-395 Crash Involving ACPD Cruiser: VA State Police

ARLINGTON, VA — One person was killed and two others were injured when a car slammed into the back of an Arlington County police cruiser Wednesday night on Interstate 395 in Arlington, according to reports.

An Arlington police officer was conducting a traffic stop around 9:40 p.m. near the eight-mile marke on the left shoulder of northbound I-395. The officer's cruiser was parked in the left lane with its emergency equipment was on, according to the Virginia State Police. The Toyota Corolla the officer pulled over had stopped on the left shoulder.

"During the stop, a Honda CRV, driving in the left lane, struck the Arlington County Police Department vehicle at a high rate of speed," according to VSP. "The driver of the Honda was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered serious injuries. He later succumbed to those injuries at an area hospital."

The officer and one of the occupants of the Corolla received minor injuries in the crash and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to VSP. The other three occupants of the Corolla were not injured.

VSP closed northbound I-395 for several hours to allow investigators to process the scene of the crash. All lanes reopened around 2:30 p.m.

"This incident highlights the importance of Virginia’s Move Over Law," Ashley Savage, ACPD pubic information officer told Patch on Thursday. "When you see flashing lights ahead — red, blue, amber, or hazard lights — slow down or move over."

On May 15, ACPD adopted an update to the Manual Directive 541.04 Transportation Safety, which included guidelines on how to safely conduct a traffic stop.

"An officer activated their emergency equipment and initiated a traffic stop at I-395 near exit 8A after observing a speeding vehicle," Savage said, regarding Wednesday's stop. "The driver stopped their vehicle on the left shoulder. The left shoulder is narrow and to maximize the safety of all parties involved in the stop, the officer positioned their cruiser with their emergency lights activated in the left lane."

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Under Section IV.A.1.c. of the directive, an officer can request for additional back-up units if the officer is initiating a high-risk traffic stop, according to Savage.

"A high-risk traffic stop, also known as a felony stop, is a stop on a vehicle associated with a serious crime," she said. "This often involves vehicles associated with violent crimes or weapons offenses. In last night’s stop, the officer conducted a traffic stop after observing a speeding vehicle. A traffic stop for speeding is not a high-risk traffic stop and no other officers were on scene at the time of the crash."