Traffic & Transit
Eliminating Left Turn Onto Burke Centre Parkway Supported By Residents
An overwhelming majority of residents support eliminating the left turn option onto Burke Centre Parkway where a teen was killed in July.
BURKE, VA — Hundreds of residents have contacted the office of Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw to let him know that they support eliminating the left turn at the intersection on Burke Centre Parkway where a teenage girl was killed in July.
Walkinshaw said he has shared the hundreds of messages he has received with the Virginia Department of Transportation, which operates and maintains the road.
A virtual forum was hosted by Walkinshaw on Aug. 15 where a VDOT official said the department has three months from the time of the July 18 fatal crash to offer a recommendation on what to do with the section of Burke Centre Parkway where the fatal crash occurred.
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In the Oct. 19 issues of his Walkinshaw Advisory constituent newsletter, the supervisor said VDOT is still studying the location and has not made a decision on whether to implement any changes.
Walkinshaw also said in the newsletter that he told VDOT that he would support eliminating the left turn onto Burke Centre Parkway from the Chick-Fil-A exit of the Burke Centre Shopping Center.
Find out what's happening in Burkefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
While the majority of nearby residents are calling on VDOT to eliminate the left turn option, other residents favor adding a traffic light to that intersection of Burke Centre Parkway. And some believe the intersection should remain the same as long as the Fairfax County Police Department increases patrols for speeders and aggressive drivers.
VDOT began its study after Rebekah Zarco, 17, was killed in a car crash at the intersection, which is located in the 5700 block of Burke Centre Parkway. Three teenage passengers, including Rebekah’s brother, were seriously injured in the crash.
The Fairfax County Police Department arrested a Burke man in connection with the July 18 crash. Jose Angel Zelaya, 42, faces involuntary manslaughter charges related to the crash.
Detectives from the FCPD’s Crash Reconstruction Unit determined Zelaya was traveling nearly double the 40-mph speed limit on Burke Centre Parkway “moments prior to the crash,” police said.
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