Aug. 20--Summer traffic on Interstate 95 between Fredericksburg and Washington has gotten increasingly congested, and with many schools and colleges returning to classes this week, Virginia State Police stepped up their patrols in hopes of increasing roadway safety.
State police deployed additional troopers on interstates 95, 81 and 64 on Saturday and were kept busy.
Troopers worked a fatal accident on I-95 northbound in the Lorton area of Fairfax County at 12:02 a.m. Saturday that backed up traffic for more than nine hours.
Clarence Alston, 42, of Washington, D.C., was hit by a car as he stood beside his vehicle on the right shoulder at the 162 mile marker, state police said.
Police located the Hyundai Santa Fe suspected to have struck Alston in Prince George's County, Md., later Saturday morning and charged Carol Rood-Johnson, 19, of Woodbridge, with driving under the influence, spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Sgt. Christina Keene said Rood-Johnson is also being charged with felony hit and run.
Also Saturday morning, a state trooper was injured on I-495 in Northern Virginia when a driver struck his patrol car. An Alexandria woman was charged with DUI.
Sunday morning, I-95 northbound was closed near the Courthouse Road exit in Stafford County for about 45 minutes so a man could be flown out after a single-car accident.
A 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser ran off the right side of the road near mile marker 139, hit a sign and two trees before catching fire about 5 a.m., state police Sgt. F.L. Tyler said. Trooper N.W. Koslicki and fire and rescue personnel from the Berea, Courthouse and Falmouth stations pulled two men from the burning vehicle.
Tanounce Absolu, 34, of White Plains, N.Y., driver of the SUV, was taken to Mary Washington Hospital. Silien Pierrette, 56, also of White Plains and a passenger in the SUV, was flown by helicopter to Washington Hospital Center's burn unit, Tyler said.
Tyler did not know the severity of the injuries to either man.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 - The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.
