BREAKING NEWS — Truck Crashes into Building in Crystal City
Update on 5/1 — The driver of the truck was pronounced dead at the hospital. He is identified by police as 57-year-old Franklin Nalls of Alexandria.
A box truck crashed into the side of a building in Crystal City after the driver suffered some sort of medical emergency.
It happened at 3:17 this afternoon on the 1700 block of Crystal Drive. A witness said he heard a loud boom, then saw passersby performing CPR on the driver, whose face had turned blue.
The man was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest.
No pedestrians were hurt, the witness said. The Dress Barn store the truck crashed in to suffered little apparent damage.
Volunteer Opp: Storm Drain Marking
Did you know that all of Arlington’s storm drains empty directly into local streams and waterways? Many people do not, which is part of the reason why 50-100 cases of stream contamination are reported each year.
To help reduce that number, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and Whole Foods are teaming up to put “Don’t Dump” markers on neighborhood storm drains.
The project is taking place this Saturday. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Clarendon Whole Foods (2700 Wilson Blvd) at 1:00 p.m. A light snack will be served at Whole Foods afterward.
Contact Jackie Zovko (jackie.zovko[at]wholefoods.com) for more information.
Suspect Nabbed After Foot Chase In Crystal City
A man who led a police officer on a foot chase through part of Pentagon City/Crystal City this morning is in custody. Police caught up with him in the parking lot of the Americana Hotel (1400 Jefferson Davis Highway) after a short chase just before 11:00.
Police say the man was intoxicated. He suffered a small cut to his face but refused medical treatment.
The suspect was transported to the Arlington County Detention Center and charged with Drunk in Public and Obstruction of Justice, according to police spokesman Lt. William Griffith.
Metro Warns of “Lengthy Delays” on Blue, Yellow Lines
Metro is warning Blue and Yellow Line riders to add a half hour to their travel time this weekend.
Track work, starting at 10:00 tonight and ending at midnight on Sunday, will force trains to single-track through parts of the system.
Metro says riders should expect trains to run about every 30 minutes on both lines.
As a reminder, those driving into the District may also face delays this weekend. Chain Bridge will be closed to all traffic starting at 9:00 tonight.
School Budget Passed, Planetarium Saved
By a 5-0 vote, the Arlington school board passed a $442 million FY 2011 budget Thursday night which reduced spending but restored some items that had been on the chopping block.
Notably, funding for the David M. Brown Planetarium was partially restored. Originally set to be closed and converted into classroom space for Washington-Lee High School, the planetarium will now be staffed part-time.
Instead of serving K-5 students five days a week, starting this fall the planetarium will serve K-2 students two days a week. There will also be some flexibility to hire a an hourly worker to open the planetarium on weekends.
The Friends of the Planetarium, a group that sprung up to protest the planetarium’s proposed closure and amassed more than 3,250 Facebook fans, will now begin the process of raising more than $300,000 for necessary upgrades to the 40-year-old facility. That process is expected to take 12-18 months.
“It’s a long road ahead, but we have an inspired group of people who aren’t about to quit,” group organizer Raphael Perrino said. “We kept the planetarium open… now it’s time to upgrade it and keep it open for many generations to come.”
In another development, board members grilled school security officials over a proposed new security system.
An entry security system for visitors, which would require people to present an ID to get a visitor’s pass during class hours, was blasted by board member Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez, who said it could scare immigrant parents away.
“This is not Arizona!” Dr. Violand-Sanchez exclaimed, referring to the state’s controversial new immigration laws. Other board members expressed concern about the system limiting parent access to schools.
Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy defended the plan, which also calls for the installation of video cameras and a card access system by December 2010.
“I want to clarify that our schools will be welcoming places for all parents,” Dr. Murphy said.
BREAKING NEWS — Glebe Road Partially Closed After Accident
Update at 7:30 a.m. — The closed southbound lane of Glebe Road has reopened.
Glebe Road is partially shut down between Columbia Pike and 8th Street South after a van crashed into a utility pole.
The force of the collision splintered the pole. Crews from Dominion power are currently working to stabilize it.
Both northbound lanes of Glebe Road are expected to remain closed until noon.
BREAKING NEWS — Man Dies After Being Tasered By Police
A man has died after being Tasered by Arlington police and going into cardiac arrest.
It happened around 1:00 a.m. on the seventh floor of the Wildwood Park apartments, at the western end of Columbia Pike. Police were called for a psychiatric emergency and found a naked man inside an apartment.
Police called for backup shortly after arriving on the scene, saying the man was going “crazy” and they were having difficulty restraining him. Police officers then used a Taser on the man.
After a few minutes, police noticed the man was not breathing. Paramedics, who were already on the scene, performed CPR.
The man was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have confirmed that a Taser was used and are now investigating the incident. It’s not known whether the Taser caused the man’s death.
This is the second time this year a person has died after Arlington County police used a Taser. A 36-year-old man from the District died on January 17 after being Tasered at the Pentagon City Metro station.
Investigators are awaiting a final cause of death determination from the medical examiner’s office in that case.
Update at 1:45 p.m. — Police have identified the deceased man as 32-year-old Adil Jouamai of Fairfax County. He was at the apartment visiting family at the time.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and we are certainly taking this loss of life very seriously,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement. “The Police Department Criminal Investigation Section and Internal Affairs Section are conducting simultaneous comprehensive investigations. Although it is very early in the investigative process, there is no indication at this time that the level of force used by the officers was excessive considering the level of resistance they encountered.”
Police describe Jouamai’s conduct as “uncooperative” and “combative with the officers attempting to assist him.”
