Vienna police respond to hammer-wielding driver, Chick-fil-A disruption

Two unusual hit-and-run crashes were among the most notable incidents of the past week for police officers in the Town of Vienna.

In its list of highlights for the week of Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, the Vienna Police Department says its officers responded to two separate hit-and-run incidents last Thursday (Aug. 26), though injuries have not been reported in either one.

The earlier crash occurred around 7:25 a.m. when a drive struck a bicyclist at the intersection of Tapawingo Road and Nutley Street:

A driver reported she was traveling eastbound on Tapawingo Road, turning right onto Nutley Street with a green traffic signal. As she entered the intersection, she struck a bicyclist. The driver exited her vehicle and offered to call the police and make a report. The bicyclist refused to exchange information or call the police. Instead, the bicyclist demanded money from the resident as compensation for the accident. The bicyclist left the scene before police arrived.

Then, around 5:40 p.m. that day, a scrape that caused “minor damage” to two vehicles in the 800 block of Glyndon Street SE concluded with one driver facing an assault charge:

Vehicle-1 was traveling southbound on Glyndon Street. Vehicle-2 was traveling northbound. The two vehicles sideswiped each other as they passed causing minor damage. Driver-1 refused to exchange information and an argument ensued. Driver-1 left the scene and returned a short time later with a hammer and threatened Driver-2. Driver-1 fled the scene again before officers arrived.

Driver-1 was issued two summonses charging Hit & Run and Assault.

Police also arrested a woman from Maryland at 6:46 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 28) after she sped through a red light at the Maple Avenue and Park Street intersection and collided with another vehicle.

The woman went to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, but the responding officer arrested her when she was discharged after detecting signs of impairment and the odor of marijuana. While it’s now legal to possess small amounts of the drug in Virginia, driving while stoned remains illegal.

The woman was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and failure to obey a traffic signal.

In non-traffic-related incidents, Vienna police received a report of disorderly conduct at Chick-fil-A (538 Maple Avenue W) around 9:06 a.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 31):

Officers responded to the report of a disorderly man who was damaging property and chasing employees. They located the man in the parking garage where he was acting erratically and was not responding to the officers’ attempts to speak with him. The man was foaming at the mouth, appeared under the influence of an unknown narcotic, and showed signs of mental instability. The officers were able to subdue the man safely. Rescue personnel responded to the scene and transported the man to an area hospital for evaluation.

The police report says the case remains under investigation.

Photo via Vienna Police Department/Facebook