New Charges In Crash That Injured VA State Trooper, 3 Others

FAIRFAX, VA — A 17-year-old from Maryland involved in a police chase on westbound I-66 Saturday night that led to four people, including a state trooper, being injured is facing additional charges, according to authorities.

The teen driver was charged previously with eluding, driving without a license and reckless driving. A Virginia State Police spokesman told Patch on Wednesday that the driver was also charged with improper stopping on the highway, expired temporary registration, hit and run, DUI under the age of 21, and possession of marijuana under the age of 21.

State troopers responded around 8:59 p.m. on Saturday for the report of an occupied vehicle sitting on the left shoulder of the I-66 Express Lanes at the 58-mile marker, according to VSP.

Officers noticed the driver was acting weirdly and spotted narcotics inside the vehicle, according to the incident report. After being asked several times to turn off the vehicle, the driver refused and drove off.

A chase ensued, in which the troopers tried to stop the vehicle in the express lanes, but the suspect and one of the VSP vehicles lost control in the median, according to state police. Although the suspect regained control of his vehicle, the trooper’s cruiser struck a Honda CR-V in the westbound express lanes.

After exiting onto westbound Route 50 in the Fair Oaks area, the suspect turned onto a residential street with a dead end, where troopers took him into custody.

The trooper involved in the crash, as well as the driver of the Honda and a 4-year-old passenger, were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and later released, according to state police.

A woman, who was a passenger in the Honda, was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. She remained in the hospital overnight for observation.

The 17-year-old suspect was checked out at the hospital, released, and charged by VSP, according to authorities.

A second vehicle was damaged after striking debris from the crash in the I-66 express lanes, but no injuries were reported.