Three Teens Die and Fourth Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries After Stolen Car Chase Ends in Crash on I-395 in Arlington, Virginia State Police Say
ARLINGTON, VA — Three people were killed and a fourth was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a stolen vehicle crashed overnight on Interstate 395 in Arlington, Virginia State Police said.
Investigators believe all four people inside were young and that none of them were wearing seat belts. The crash happened after a trooper tried to stop the vehicle in Alexandria just before 1 a.m. Monday.
Police said the driver did not stop, and the situation turned into a pursuit. The vehicle then entered I-395 at high speed before the crash on an exit ramp to Shirlington Road.
Trooper spots stolen vehicle on Stevenson Avenue in Alexandria
Virginia State Police said the sequence began on Stevenson Avenue in Alexandria, where a trooper spotted a stolen vehicle and tried to pull it over. The car had reportedly been stolen from Prince George’s County, Maryland.
When the driver refused to stop, police said a pursuit was initiated. From there, the vehicle headed north on I-395 toward Shirlington Road at high speed.
The chase moved quickly across jurisdictional lines, ending only when the driver attempted to exit the highway and lost control. Police have not released the names of the people involved, and they described everyone in the car as believed to be juveniles.
Crash on exit ramp ends with vehicle hitting jersey wall
According to police, the driver lost control on the exit ramp and struck the right jersey wall. The impact left one passenger dead at the scene.
Three other people were taken to hospitals after the crash. Police said the driver and another passenger later died from their injuries, while the fourth passenger remained hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Authorities have not said exactly how fast the vehicle was traveling, but they did say it was moving at high speed as it entered the interstate and continued toward the exit ramp.
Police say none of the four occupants wore seat belts
Virginia State Police said no one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt. That detail came as investigators continued to piece together the circumstances surrounding the deadly wreck.
The agency has not said whether seat belt use would have changed the outcome. Still, the lack of restraints stands out as part of the crash description provided by investigators.
Police said all four people in the vehicle are believed to have been juveniles. The combination of youth, speed and the stolen-car pursuit made the crash especially severe.
Five-hour shutdown of Shirlington Road exit ramp
The crash closed the I-395 exit ramp to Shirlington for about five hours overnight. Traffic was diverted while crews and investigators worked at the scene.
The ramp later reopened after the wreckage was cleared and the investigation allowed traffic to resume. Police did not say whether any other vehicles were involved in the crash.
For drivers in the area, the closure added a major disruption during the overnight hours. By later Monday, the roadway had returned to normal use.
What police have said so far about the deadly wreck
Virginia State Police have described the crash as the result of a failed traffic stop that escalated into a pursuit and ended in a fatal collision. The agency has not announced any charges or said whether more information will be released.
Officials also have not identified the victims or provided additional details about the stolen vehicle beyond its reported connection to Prince George’s County. At this stage, the case remains a deadly crash investigation involving four young occupants, three of whom died.
