Fairfax Co. Police To Conduct High Visibility Traffic Enforcement

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County residents can expect an increased police presence on the Burke Centre Parkway this week as the police department ramps up enforcement activity on the road and others across the county.

The police department’s heightened presence comes a week after a crash on Burke Centre Parkway killed one teenager and seriously injured three others. Some residents in the community are calling for a traffic signal to be placed at the Burke Centre Shopping Center, where the fatal crash occurred on July 18.

FCPD motor and patrol officers will be participating in a High Visibility Enforcement, or HIVE, initiative, a program to deter and change dangerous traffic behaviors on county roads. The police department said the goal of the program is to make roadways in Fairfax County “as safe as possible.”

On Monday, the FCPD noted that more than 2,100 traffic citations have been issued on Burke Centre Parkway since July 2020. Crashes on the parkway jumped from a total of 21 in 2020 to 41 in 2021 and 39 in 2022. In 2023, 12 crashes had been reported as of April 30, according to the police department.

In the July 18 crash, a teenage girl was killed when she was pulling out of the Burke Centre Shopping Center onto Burke Centre Parkway. Three other teenagers in the car, including Rebekah’s brother, remain hospitalized in serious condition.

Fairfax County police determined the driver of a 2014 Cadillac XTS4 was traveling westbound on Burke Centre Parkway and crashed into a 2023 Kia Forte, driven by the 17-year-old.

Police, who have not released the name of the driver of the Cadillac, continue to investigate the crash. The FCPD said its detectives believe preliminarily that speed “was a contributing factor in the crash.”

On Monday, the FCPD said it emphasizes a data-driven approach to its traffic enforcement. Its traffic division works closely with its crime analysis unit to find top crash locations, identify traffic trends, and analyze driver behaviors.

The police department’s traffic division then deploys officers to high crash locations and targets specific driving behaviors and “saturates high crash locations with high visibility enforcement,” according to the FCPD.

As it targets aggressive drivers and addresses hazardous driving behaviors, the FCPD on Monday reminded drivers to put the phones down, avoid distractions, be mindful of crosswalks and pedestrians, share the road with bicyclists, don’t speed, and keep their eyes and minds on the road.

RELATED: Petition Launched To Add Traffic Light At Fatal Crash Site In Burke