A pickup truck struck a 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old pregnant woman as they walked through a commercial parking lot in the 14500 block of Richmond Highway in Woodbridge around 9:42 p.m. last Thursday, then sped off without stopping. The woman, who was in her third trimester, underwent an emergency procedure that delivered her baby, but the infant died several hours later from injuries that appeared related to the crash, according to police. The man and woman are both expected to recover.
The crash happened near the intersections with Woodside Drive and Featherstone Road, close to a Gabe's discount store along the busy Route 1 corridor, according to Potomac Local News. Medics rushed both victims to the hospital, and Prince William County police officers responded to the scene at around 9:45 p.m., as first reported by DC News Now. The driver left the scene before officers arrived, and as of Monday, investigators were still trying to identify the truck and the person behind the wheel.
Police Search for Dark-Colored Pickup Truck
Investigators have described the fleeing vehicle only as a dark-colored pickup truck of unknown make and model, according to WUSA9. Prince William County police have asked anyone who may have seen the crash to contact investigators, either by calling the department's tip line at 703-792-7000 or by submitting information online. With few details available on the truck itself, detectives are counting on witnesses from the busy retail strip to help identify the vehicle.
What Virginia Law Says About Fleeing a Fatal Crash
Under Virginia Code § 46.2-894, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death is a Class 5 felony, punishable by one to ten years in prison, or up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, per Stein Sperling. A newly enacted Virginia statute, effective July 1, also allows crash victims or surviving family members to pursue punitive civil damages against drivers who commit a felony hit-and-run, expanding legal remedies beyond the compensatory damages families could previously seek for medical bills and lost wages.
Because the infant was delivered alive and survived for several hours before dying, Virginia's homicide statutes treat the case differently than they would a fetal death before birth. Under Code § 18.2-32.3, an infant who is delivered alive and achieves independent existence is legally recognized as a person under state homicide law, regardless of whether the umbilical cord was severed or the placenta remained attached, according to the Code of Virginia. That distinction means prosecutors, if a driver is identified and charged, could pursue standard homicide or involuntary manslaughter provisions rather than the state's separate fetal homicide statute, which under Code § 18.2-32.2 classifies the unlawful, willful, and malicious killing of a fetus as a felony carrying five to 40 years in prison, as outlined by Leesburg-based Simms Showers attorneys.
A Dangerous Stretch of Route 1
The stretch of Richmond Highway where the crash occurred is no stranger to heavy traffic. A 2025 Prince William County transportation study found the corridor carries between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles a day, volumes that approach or exceed the roadway's maximum design capacity, according to county transportation officials. The county's 2025 Comprehensive Transportation Safety Action Plan had already designated Richmond Highway as a high-priority safety corridor, targeting the area for road widening and dedicated pedestrian trail infrastructure.
The crash also lands within a broader pattern of traffic danger across the county and state. Prince William County recorded 6,265 traffic crashes and 29 fatalities in 2023, one of the highest total crash volumes among Northern Virginia jurisdictions outside Fairfax County, per Virginia DMV data. Statewide, Virginia recorded 129,244 total motor vehicle crashes in 2024 resulting in 918 fatalities, while 153 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed on Commonwealth roadways in 2025, according to Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers.
For now, the identity of the driver who fled the Woodbridge parking lot remains unknown, and Prince William County police have not indicated whether any suspects have been developed. The man and woman struck in the crash are expected to recover, but the newborn's death has left investigators pressing for anyone with information to come forward.
