At least three people were injured, including two children, after a car plowed into pedestrians in a crosswalk following a crash.
The crash happened around 3:10 p.m. at the intersection of S. Carlin Springs Road and 3rd Street S., near Kenmore Middle School and Carlin Springs Elementary.
Traffic camera video reviewed by ARLnow shows a beige Lexus heading southbound on S. Carlin Springs Road turning left on 3rd Street. It was immediately struck by a red car heading northbound, sending the red car into the crosswalk and onto the sidewalk.
In the crosswalk was a small child wearing a backpack and an older girl, both of whom were struck by the red car. The initial police dispatch suggested the younger child, 6, was trapped under or against the car.
Numerous people could be seen running up to the car to help before first responders arrived on scene, including one man who tried to lift the car. On audio from a local doorbell camera, screaming could be heard after the crash.
The two girls were taken to the hospital with what are said to be non-life-threatening injuries. A vehicle occupant was also injured and had to be extricated by firefighters.
Carlin Springs was blocked at the crash scene for nearly an hour while the injured were treated, the cars towed and an investigation was conducted. That led to an approximately half-mile backup, before the road reopened around 4 p.m.
So far there’s no word on any possible charges.
“The preliminary investigation indicates two vehicles were involved in the initial crash,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “As a result of the crash, one of the involved vehicles exited the roadway and struck two juveniles on the sidewalk.”
“The two juveniles are being transported to an area hospital with injuries considered non-life threatening,” Savage continued. “The occupants of both vehicles remained on scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.”
A woman who lives near the crash site — herself the mother of a six-year-old, not involved in the crash — told ARLnow that dangerous driving is a “major neighborhood issue” and it is at its worst in the afternoons.
“It’s terrifying. We always tell our kids, don’t leave the front yard — don’t go past the front stoop,” she said. “I think every one of us who lives in this neighborhood has been aggressively honked at as we’re waiting to make a left turn into the neighborhood.”
This stretch of road has long been known to be crash-prone and a safety concern. In September, parents expressed concern about the safety of children walking along S. Carlin Springs Road. In March, Arlington County declined to lower the speed limit on Carlin Springs Road south of Arlington Blvd from 30 to 25 mph.
“Several Board members voiced reluctance prior to a unanimous vote in favor of advertising the proposed speed limit changes,” ARLnow reported in March. “They were ultimately swayed by arguments that reducing the speed limit on S. Carlin Springs would be ineffective and would, in fact, be inconsistent with the law because it is not supported by an engineering study.”
Dan Egitto contributed to this report
