Police Seek Witnesses to I-495 Hit and Run Fatality

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA– Four weeks ago Saturday, during Northern Virginia’s first dose of winter weather, an Alexandria area man was struck and killed during a series of chain reaction crashes on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County.

Since Dec. 17, Virginia State Police have been conducting interviews and gathering evidence in an attempt to solve what is now being investigated as a fatal hit-and-run crash, police announced Friday.

Liem T. Nguyen, 41, was driving his white 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in the northbound lanes of the Inner Loop of I-495 near Route 50 in Fairfax County, police said. At around 5 a.m., the Silverado came upon a patch of icy roadway causing the pickup to run off the right side of I-495 and strike the Jersey wall. The impact of the crash caused the pickup truck to spin back into the northbound travel lanes and finally came to a stop.

Nguyen exited his vehicle and spoke briefly to another driver just moments before oncoming traffic began sliding out of control and crashing, police said. During the course of these other chain-reaction crashes, Nguyen was struck by a vehicle and thrown several hundred feet away from his pickup truck. He died at the scene.

During the course of the investigation, State Police has determined that the vehicle that struck Nguyen was not among those involved in the chain reaction crashes – which totaled 23 vehicles. The vehicle that struck him left the scene.

State Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed Nguyen being struck or could possibly provide information about a suspect vehicle, to contact the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026, or #77 by cell phone, or by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

PHOTOS of Nguyen’s white pickup truck. The immediately prior photo was taken and shared by a witness to the multi-vehicle chain reaction crashes. Photos courtesy of Virginia State Police