A Falls Church man who fled the scene after striking a motorcyclist near the Pentagon last year has been sentenced to three and a half years behind bars.
Fullas Abebe, who admitted in October to striking the bike on I-395 before speeding off, received more than the recommended 180-day sentence in Arlington Circuit Court last Friday, May 2.
In all, Abebe could serve up to 10 years behind bars if he were to violate the terms of a probation. Despite that, the victim in the crash told ARLnow that he doesn’t feel justice was served.
Caleb Maloy had purchased the bike using his tax return only two months before Abebe struck him from behind while Maloy was participating in the Rolling to Remember event.
“I never saw the car in my rear view mirror or in my side view mirrors — I never saw anything,” Maloy said. “I got hit, got thrown into the air. Didn’t really know what the hell was happening until I landed and I was basically paralyzed with adrenaline.”
Video of the incident, which was shared on X by local public safety watcher Dave Statter, shows a vehicle colliding with Maloy’s motorcycle from behind while traveling southbound on the highway.
Make that 12:38 p.m., obviously.
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) May 26, 2024
As Maloy lay on the pavement, Abebe — whose own vehicle also sustained damage — sped off. Fellow motorcyclists gave chase, allowing them to take note of Abebe’s license plate.
When officers caught up to Abebe later that day, he “seemed intoxicated,” according to court documents. But authorities never initiated a driving while intoxicated investigation.
“The judge was upset and said, you know, nothing could be done about that,” Maloy said. “He was upset that the investigation was not done.”
Maloy suffered three spinal fractures, as well as numerous spots of road rash. He never had surgery but healed over time.
His body feels back to normal these days, a resilience Maloy credits to his military background. But the mental scars are much worse.
“I have not been able to put on a helmet,” Maloy said. “I’ve been able to sit on a bike at the dealership, but I have not been able to try and put on a helmet, which is difficult because I want to ride again. I just don’t know when I’m going to be able to.”
