Blake Lane Safety Measures Approved Following Fatal Oakton HS Crash

FAIRFAX, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved new signage and higher traffic fines Tuesday to address pedestrian safety concerns along the Blake Lane Corridor in Fairfax.

The board approved the installation of five "Watch for Children" signs — two along Blake Lane and three on Kingsbridge Drive — and “$200 Additional Fine for Speeding” signs on Blake Lane between Sutton Road and Route 29.

Fairfax County Department of Transportation approved the installation of the signs on June 30, after Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik confirmed that residents along the Blake Lane Corridor supported the new signage.

Related: Manslaughter Charges Filed In Crash That Killed 2 Oakton High Girls

The safety measures come in the aftermath of two pedestrian-related accidents that occurred in the area on June 7 involving students walking home from school.

In the first incident, a Mosaic Elementary student was struck by a car as he was crossing Kingsbridge Drive near the Nonquitt Drive entrance to the Tudor Hall neighborhood. The boy was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Related: 2 Dead, 2 Injured: Blake Lane Corridor Crashes Raise Safety Concerns

Later that same day, three Oakton High School students walking along Blake Lane were struck by a BMW after it crashed into a Toyota 4Runner that was turning left onto Five Oaks Road. The SUV had just started its turn, after letting the girls cross the street, when the BMW crashed into its side at a high rate of speed.

Two of the girls died from their injuries. The third was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

On June 23, a grand jury indicted the BMW driver, 18-year-old Usman Shadid, on two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each charge is a felony and each carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Related: Oakton High School Community Mourns Loss Of 2 Students Killed In Crash

Palchik hosted at virtual town hall on June 23 to discuss possible safety improvements along the Blake Lane Corridor. The meeting included presentations from VDOT, FCDOT, and the Fairfax County Police Department.

Raising speeding fines and adding new signs were among the recommendations discussed to improve traffic safety along Blake Lane between between Sutton and Route 29. Similar safety measures were already in effect between Chain Bridge Road/Route 123 and Sutton Road.

"We are working on our pilot program for school safety zones and being able to have speed cameras there," Palchik told Patch earlier in June. "We have very limited ability that was given by the state a few years ago to do speed cameras in school safety zones and construction zones only."