Police warn drivers amid Thanksgiving holiday travel rush
ACCOKEEK, Md. - Police are already dealing with crashes as the Thanksgiving holiday travel rush begins, and they have a message for drivers: buckle up and slow down!
FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick was in Accokeek along Indian Head Highway where, over the weekend, one person was killed near the same spot as prior incidents. Police say it was just before 10 p.m. on Friday when a woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver at the Farmington Road intersection.
READ MORE: 2 dead, 2 injured in Loudoun County crash; driver faces manslaughter charge
On Monday, two cars collided on Columbia Pike in the Bailey’s Crossroads area, resulting in one man being taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
On Friday, two men were killed, and another was injured in a crash on Tall Cedars Parkway in Chantilly. Investigators believe alcohol was a factor, and the driver now faces manslaughter charges.
On Saturday, a 23-year-old woman was killed in a crash in Reston when the BMW she was a passenger in left the road and flipped. Fairfax County Police say speed and alcohol were factors.
Last year, over Thanksgiving weekend, Virginia State Police reported 11 traffic fatalities, including one pedestrian, issued 4,520 speeding tickets, 1,840 reckless driving citations, 89 DUIs, and 427 seatbelt violations.
Authorities across the region are reminding drivers and passengers to wear a seatbelt, slow down, and drive distraction-free and sober.