A two-vehicle crash on Richmond Highway just south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport left one driver with life-threatening injuries Sunday afternoon, shutting down the busy Route 1 corridor for more than three hours. The crash, involving a Honda Civic and a Mercedes-Benz GLK 350, happened around 3:12 p.m. at the intersection with East Reed Avenue in Alexandria's Potomac Yard area, according to police. The Honda rolled onto its side in the collision.
Each vehicle carried only its driver at the time of the crash, with one suffering life-threatening injuries and the other sustaining minor injuries, according to The Alexandria Brief. As reported by WJLA, the Honda Civic rolled onto its side in the collision, and both people involved were taken to the hospital. Alexandria Police Department spokeswoman Tracy Walker confirmed one of the injured suffered life-threatening injuries, though police have not yet determined what caused the collision or released the identities of those involved.
Hours-Long Closure Snarled Traffic Near Potomac Yard
Police first alerted the public to the crash investigation at 4:01 p.m. Sunday, and the roadway remained closed past 6:09 p.m., per the same account from The Alexandria Brief, which placed the crash near the shopping center on the east side of Richmond Highway in Potomac Yard. WJLA reports that the southbound lanes of Richmond Highway were blocked for more than three hours total, causing a major disruption near the airport and Arlington County border.
The crash was a two-vehicle collision at East Reed Avenue.
A Low-Speed Zone Bordering a Faster Fairfax Stretch
The stretch of Richmond Highway where Sunday's crash occurred is within a 25 mph zone between Four Mile Run and Monroe Avenue, according to city speed management policy documentation. That contrasts with the roadway just south of Alexandria's city limits, where the Virginia Department of Transportation permanently dropped speeds from 45 mph to 35 mph along a 7-mile stretch in Fairfax County.
In Alexandria, police have since used high-visibility enforcement targeting speeding, failure to yield and distracted driving, the Alexandria Brief reported.
Progress and Persistent Risk on Alexandria Roads
Alexandria reported on traffic safety in February 2024. Regionally, Connection Newspapers reported on traffic fatalities across Northern Virginia.
The Richmond Highway and East Reed Avenue intersection is near Potomac Yard's shopping centers. Sunday's crash remains under investigation, and police have not released further details on the cause or the identities of the drivers involved.
