Fairfax Police Give Details of Georgetown Pike Accident

A Bethesda man has been charged in connection with an accident that closed a section of Georgetown Pike for about three hours April 4 snarling rush hour traffic.

Edward O’Conner, 81, of Lincoln Street  was charged with failure to maintain control of his vehicle, Fairfax County police said Monday as they  released the first  details of the accident.

Georgetown Pike which runs from Route 123 north to Route 7 nearly into Loudoun County is a major commuter route although it is only two-lanes. This road, a Virginia scenic highway,  handles  thousands of cars daily. 

According to the police on April 4, around 1:40 p.m., a 2005 Toyota Prius was traveling east on Georgetown Pike prior to Boyle Lane. This intersection is between Swinks Mill Road and Spring Hill Road.

The driver of the Toyota swerved to the right to avoid stopped traffic and struck a utility pole. The pole fell on the hood of a 2008 Nissan Versa. There were no injuries, police said.

Police closed the segment of Georgetown Pike from Spring Hill to Potomac River Road so that Dominion Power could replace the pole and reconnect the wires.

For several hours motorists were backed up making U-Turns at Potomac River Road. Many of them then turned right on Swinks Mill Road turning that narrow two-lane road into a parking lot between Georgetown Pike and Lewinsville Road.

Georgetown Pike reopened at 5 p.m.