Safety Of Burke Centre Parkway To Be Discussed At Community Forum

BURKE, VA — The office of Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw is hosting a virtual community forum on Aug. 15 where residents will get to share their experiences and ideas for improving safety on Burke Centre Parkway.

The virtual forum will include representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Police Department.

The forum is being held almost a month after Rebekah Zarco, 17, was killed in a car crash in the 5700 block of Burke Centre Parkway. Three teenage passengers, including Rebekah’s brother, were seriously injured in the crash.

Last week, the FCPD said a Burke man was arrested in connection with the July 18 crash. Jose Angel Zelaya, 42, faces involuntary manslaughter charges related to the crash, police said.

Detectives from the FCPD’s Crash Reconstruction Unit determined Zelaya was traveling nearly double the 40-mph speed limit “moments prior to the crash,” police said.

“Since last month's tragic crash on Burke Centre Parkway, I've heard from many of you with questions about speed enforcement and suggestions for improving safety at the intersection where the crash occurred,” Walkinshaw said Thursday.

Some neighbors launched an online petition to get Fairfax County to add a traffic light to Burke Centre Parkway, where the fatal crash occurred. Others suggest that instead of a traffic light at the Burke Centre Shopping center, traffic engineers should connect the median completely to prevent drivers from making a left turn onto Burke Centre Parkway.

Rebekah was trying to turn left from the Burke Centre Shopping Center onto Burke Centre Parkway when Zelaya crashed his Cadillac XTS4 into her Kia Forte.

At the virtual community forum on Tuesday, Aug. 15, the FCPD will update the community on its recent traffic enforcement initiatives and VDOT will share its process and timeline for evaluating potential design changes to the intersection where the crash occurred.

The virtual meeting will be on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The public can participate in the community forum by using Microsoft Teams or by calling in at 571-429-5982 and using conference ID 747 680 291#.