A 28-year-old McLean man was killed in a crash involving multiple vehicles along I-66 near Centreville.
A series of chain-reaction crashes involving five sedans, one SUV, one pick-up truck and a tractor-trailer happened shortly before 11 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 24) in the westbound lanes of I-66 east of exit 53 for Route 28, according to Virginia State Police.
More from Corinne Geller, a spokesperson for the Virginia State Police:
A 2007 BMW sedan was traveling west on I-66 when it struck the vehicle in front of it. The BMW then collided with a westbound tractor-trailer.
The tractor-trailer then collided with several vehicles, to include a Toyota Rav4, before overturning in the roadway. The Toyota Rav4 ran off the right side of I-66 and over the Jersey wall, at which point it caught fire.
McLean resident Joseph Castellano, who was the driver of the Toyota, died at the scene, Geller said.
His wife, who was a passenger in the car, was flown to a trauma center in D.C. and is still being treated for life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the BMW, 40-year-old Jonathyn Bland of Centerville, was transported to Reston Hospital for minor injuries, along with the driver of the tractor-trailer, 34-year-old Shahbaz Singh of Fairfax, for serious, but non-life threatening injuries, Geller said.
Police charged both Bland and Singh with reckless driving.
“The three other individuals transported to Reston Hospital — one had serious, but non-life threatening injuries and other two suffered minor injuries,” Geller said.
Fairfax County Fire and Fairfax County Police assisted state police at the scene, Geller said. The Virginia State Police is investigating the crash.
Photo via VDOT/Twitter
School Safety Matters — With school starting back up again, the Fairfax County Police Department has some safety tips regarding school buses, driving, pedestrians and bicycling. [Fairfax County Police]
Police Investigating McLean Crash — “Officers are investigating a crash at Old Dominion Drive and Valley Wood Road in McLean. Use caution and expect delays.” [Fairfax County Police/Twitter]
What’s It Like to Live in Tysons West? — “Tysons West is one of those small neighborhoods that is mainly made up of a few high-rise apartments, businesses and car dealerships… Today, [Westwood Village] is still a pocket of Tysons West that some residents call a hidden gem.” [The Washington Post]
Capital One Acquires Investment Bank — “Capital One Financial Corp. is officially getting into the mergers-and-acquisitions market, announcing Monday [Aug. 19] it will acquire Tysons-based investment bank KippsDeSanto & Co.” [Washington Business Journal]
Tysons: The Next Travel Destination — Forbes has an article explaining why Tysons is a “hidden travel gem.” [Forbes]
Park Authority Board Honors Falls Church High School — “Falls Church High School and Sully Historic Site volunteer Isabel Richardson have been named the Youth recipients of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s 2019 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards.” [Fairfax County]
There’s Something in the Water — “A Smithsonian researcher has just stumbled upon a major discovery in the swamps in and around D.C.: a new species of blood-sucking leeches with up to 59 teeth.” [Patch]
Vienna police arrested a 33-year-old resident in connection with several recent incidents of indecent exposure along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
After an investigation, police charged Enoc Isaac Vasquez with four counts of obscene sexual display — a charge similar to the Indecent Exposure statute, police said.
Police in a press release that the charges are connected to reports of a man exposing himself along the trail on Aug. 2 and then last week on Monday (Aug. 12), Tuesday (Aug. 13) and Thursday (Aug. 15).
Vasquez was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, where he was released on a $1,000 secured bond, police said.
More from the press release:
Patrol Officers received a tip from citizens which led CIS detectives to the 200 block of Park Terrace Court in Vienna.
Detectives began surveillance in the area and eventually identified a person of interest. After interviewing numerous witnesses and obtaining corroborating statements from the suspect, police detectives obtained arrest warrants to charge Vasquez…
The Vienna Police Department would like to acknowledge the citizens and witnesses who came forward to provide information about these cases and to thank residents for their patience during this investigation.
Anyone who has additional information can contact MPO Juan Vazquez at 703-255-7845 or [email protected].
Photo via Vienna Police Department
A Vienna resident reported to police alleged attempted fraud after applying to a job.
The attempted fraud allegedly occurred on Tuesday, Aug. 13, according to the Vienna Police Department.
“A resident reported an attempted fraud after applying for a job through an on-line internet offer for an assistant elder care provider,” the police report said.
In a separate incident, a resident in the 1000 block of Country Club Drive NE said that someone threw eggs at the roof of his house and vehicle on Wednesday (Aug. 21) between 2-10 a.m.
Photo via Facebook
The U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean said yesterday (Wednesday) that he is stepping down.
The announcement came nearly two years after a fatal shooting of a Tysons man by U.S. Park Police that politicians and community members are still trying to get answers to.
The FBI has been investigating the Nov. 17, 2017 shooting where two U.S. Park Police fired into a Jeep Grand Cherokee and hit Bijan Ghaisar, a 25-year-old.
MacLean told Fox 5 DC that he is met with the Ghaisar family shortly after the incident to provide them with more explanation and that he is leaving the case to the FBI to “bring that impartiality and objectivity.”
MacLean worked for the Park Police for nearly 30 years, having positions in both the operational and administrative areas, according to his bio. He was selected to be the acting police chief in December 2013.
According to Fox 5 DC, he has a job lined up at the Office of Law Enforcement and Security at the Department of Interior.
#Breaking PIO for US Park Police confirms that the Chief of Park Police (Chief Robert MacLean) is stepping down. Won’t say why, but confirms he is stepping down.
— Ryan Sprouse (@RSprouseNews) August 21, 2019
Breaking-U S Park Police Chief Robert Maclean is stepping down, according to two sources, and will be taking a job with the Department of Interior. No word yet on an interim chief. Maclean leaves without ever publicly addressing the shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by 2 of his officers. pic.twitter.com/85fdH0TC5v
— Paul Wagner (@paulcwagner) August 21, 2019
Image via C-SPAN
The Vienna Police Department may soon crack the three indecent exposure cases reported last week along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
Deputy Chief of Police Dan Janickey told the Vienna Town Council last night (Monday) that the police have “promising leads” for the three separate incidents with “what appears to be the same individual.”
A woman told the police that she saw a man masturbating in the woods between Park Street and Branch Road SE shortly before 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 12. The next day (Tuesday), another report from a woman said a man was masturbating in the woods near Park Street and Dominion Road SE.
Two days later on Thursday (Aug. 15), a woman told police that “she was walking near the W&OD Trail when a man came out from a wooded area and approached her with his pants down, exposing himself to her” around 7:30 a.m. near Park Terrace Court SE, according to a police report.
Janickey said that surveillance and patrols have increased along the trail and that the police department expects to close the case in the next couple of days.
Photo via Facebook
The Vienna Police Department is investigating three indecent exposure incidents reported this week along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
A woman told the police that she saw a man masturbating in the woods between Park Street and Branch Road SE while she was running on the bike trail shortly before 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 12.
The next day (Tuesday), the police department received another report from a woman about a man masturbating in the woods — this time near Park Street and Dominion Road SE.
Police said they searched both areas but were unable to find the man.
Then yesterday (Thursday), a woman told police that “she was walking near the W&OD Trail when a man came out from a wooded area and approached her with his pants down, exposing himself to her,” according to the police report.
That incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near Park Terrace Court SE.
“The woman stated the man began to follow her until a trash truck approached and he left the area,” police said.
The police department is also investigating a report of a man masturbating by Wildwood Park from earlier this month.
A woman told police that the incident took place shortly after 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, by Alma Street SE and Delano Drive SE.
Photo via Facebook
(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) Another painted bench commissioned by the Vienna Arts Society has gone missing in the Town of Vienna.
The Vienna Police Department said that a member of the Vienna Arts Society reported that one of their benches was stolen from in front of Ghaffari Orthodontics (100 Church Street NE) between Aug. 9-12 — nearly one month after another painted bench was reported stolen.
The benches are two of the 42 benches painted by local artist and placed around the Town of Vienna. The benches are slated to be sold at a charity auction in November.
The bench taken this month was called “Big Wave” by Artist Viktoriya Maslova.
Kenneth Britz, the artist of another bench, told Tysons Reporter that the Vienna Arts Society is currently working on a way to deter any attempted thefts in the future.
“We are still trusting of the town,” he said, adding that “anything can be stolen from anywhere.”
Britz said that the arts group hasn’t determined yet if Maslova will paint another bench for the town.
He added that the arts group is cooperating with the Vienna Police Department.
The bench that disappeared from outside Grass Roots Fitness (512 W. Maple Avenue) in July was painted by Mary Ellyn Perkowski and featured pink and purple flowers against a black background.
Deborah Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Vienna Arts Society, previously told Tysons Reporter Perkowski plans to paint another bench similar in design to the stolen one — it is unclear when the replacement will be finished or where it will be placed.
Earlier in August, Britz published an open letter in the Sun-Gazette on behalf of the organization condemning the July theft as “an affront to the town and a show of blatant disrespect to its residents and visitors.”
Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, said that the department cannot comment on the cases since they are still being investigated.
Photo via Vienna Arts Society/Facebook
A thief is on the loose in Vienna after one of the town’s painted benches went missing.
Earlier this year, the Vienna Arts Society commissioned local artists to paint benches, gifted by donors, that would eventually be sold at a charity auction. But around July 7, one of the benches was mysteriously snatched and is still missing over a month later.
According to a police report, the painted bench was first reported missing by a Vienna Arts Society member when they noticed it disappeared from outside Grass Roots Fitness (512 W. Maple Avenue).
Deborah Kennedy, an artist and spokesperson for the Vienna Arts Society, told Tysons Reporter that the arts group knew there was a small risk that the benches would be stolen, but no one really thought it would happen.
“It’s a small town and we thought people would be looking out for them,” she said.
The police have not informed the group about any potential leads, she said, adding that there was not any video of the thief that she knows of nor were the benches bolted down to the ground.
Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, said that the department cannot comment on the case since it is an ongoing investigation.
Mary Ellyn Perkowski painted the floral bench with pink and purple flowers against a black background. Named “Spring,” the bench “was inspired by a bed of tulips she had photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna,” according to a Vienna Arts Society newsletter.
It is one of 42 other benches placed around the Town of Vienna.
Kennedy said that Perkowski plans to paint another bench similar in design to the stolen one. It is unclear when the replacement will be finished or where they will place it.
Kenneth Britz, the artist of another bench, published an open letter in the Sun-Gazette on behalf of the organization condemning the theft.
“It is also an affront to the town and a show of blatant disrespect to its residents and visitors,” Britz wrote.
Photo via Susan Scanlon
The annual Cops & Kids Fun Run will soon return to the Town of Vienna.
Scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22, this free athletic event gives community members the chance to get to know members of the Vienna Police Department while enjoying various festivities.
The police department has arranged for family-friendly activities including police motorcycle and helicopter tours, a dunk-a-cop dunk tank, food, an obstacle course and a mile-long run.
The event will be held at the Vienna Elementary School (128 S. Center Street). Registration is now open, and the first 300 kids to register will receive a t-shirt and goody bag.
This community outreach tradition began in the ’90s but was recently revitalized.
“After a break of more than a decade, in 2016 Chief Morris assembled a team to revive the beloved community event with hopes of making it bigger and better than ever,” according to the event website.
The 2019 COPS AND KIDS FUN RUN registration is now open. Go to the website https://t.co/EO4QkelEk1 for more information. pic.twitter.com/cdDFtIXTVm
— Town of Vienna Police (@VPDVA) August 12, 2019
Photo via Vienna Police Department
