Bystander Among 2 Injured In Ballston Road Rage Crash

ARLINGTON, VA — A bystander was among two people injured on Thursday in a road rage-fueled crash in Arlington's Ballston neighborhood, according to police and a report.

According to Arlington County police, the incident happened shortly before 7:20 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Glebe Road.

Upon arrival, officers learned that two men were driving their vehicles eastbound on Interstate 66 when they became involved in a verbal dispute. They continued driving until coming to a stop in the area of North Glebe Road and North Wakefield Street during which the first victim exited his vehicle.

According to police, the other driver then accelerated his vehicle, striking the victim. As the suspect fled the scene, police said he struck a second man who was not involved in the dispute as he was crossing North Wakefield Street in the crosswalk.

Both men were taken to an area hospital, the first with non-life-threatening injuries and the second with serious, non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The 32-year-old bystander spoke with NBC Washington from his hospital bed. He said the collision left him with a broken vertebra and multiple broken ribs

“I thought they already had gotten in an accident,” the man told NBC Washington. “And then he sped up. The guy tried to get back in his car, and then he ended up hitting him and taking his door off and just kept speeding up. And I tried to dodge out of the way and I failed, and he hit me pretty bad in the side of the hip and sent me flying.”

Officers responding to the incident canvassed the area for the suspect, described as a Black male, but were unable to find him. During the course of the investigation, his vehicle was identified and recovered in Washington, D.C.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.