GROVETON, Va. — An 18-year-old Alexandria man has been charged with reckless driving in connection to a crash that left a woman dead in Fairfax County.
Police claim Luis Merino Berrios, 18, was speeding when he lost control of his car, struck a Jeep Wrangler and a pedestrian walking on the nearby sidewalk.
The pedestrian, later identified as 36-year-old Samantha Jennings-Jones of Alexandria, was pronounced dead at the scene.
After a thorough investigation, detectives determined that Berrios was speeding southbound in his 2007 Mercedes C230 on Richmond Highway when approaching Groveton Street.
This is when the driver of a 2017 Jeep Wrangler attempted to make a left turn from northbound Richmond Highway onto Groveton Street and was struck by the Mercedes.
Police say Berrios attempted to avoid a crash, but lost control of his Mercedes, and crashed.
Berrios’s vehicle spun several times before leaving the roadway striking and killing Jennings-Jones who was walking on the sidewalk.
On Thursday, Berrios was charged with reckless driving. He was released on a summons and scheduled to appear in court.
This is the second pedestrian-related deadly crash reported in the county to date in 2023. In 2022, there were five pedestrian-related deadly crashes.
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