A 44-year-old Arlington man died after he crashed into a light pole while riding a moped.
The crash happened around 9:45 p.m. Friday on the 1900 block of Clarendon Blvd, in the Courthouse area. The force of the crash caused the light pole to topple onto the sidewalk and reportedly left the moped rider in cardiac arrest, with significant facial injuries.
Police are investigating the crash but note that the moped was being driven at a high rate of speed.
One local resident who emailed ARLnow said the stretch of Clarendon Blvd where the crash happened is dangerous due to a steep downslope and bend in the road.
“This intersection is very unsafe and drivers go way too fast down the steep hill,” the resident wrote.
PROBABLE FATAL MOPED CRASH — 1900 blk Clarendon Blvd in Arlington. A man riding a scooter/moped crashed into a light pole. He was taken to hospital in cardiac arrest. h/t @RealTimeNews10 cc: @ARLnowDOTcom #VATraffic pic.twitter.com/I6H6FYtzVw
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) August 12, 2023
The full ACPD press release is below.
The Arlington County Police Department is investigating a fatal single-vehicle crash that occurred on the evening of August 11, 2023.
At approximately 9:44 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1900 block of Clarendon Boulevard for the report of a crash with injury. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver was travelling eastbound on Clarendon Boulevard on a moped at a high-rate of speed when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole.
The adult male driver was located unresponsive on the scene and was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The driver of the moped has been identified as 44-year-old Solomon Zeleke of Arlington, Va.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective S. Lafley at [email protected] or 703-228-4052. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).