BURKE, Va. — Using drones and crash reconstruction equipment, Fairfax County detectives returned to the scene of a Tuesday crash that killed a 17-year-old driver and left three others in critical condition.
Sources tell WUSA9 that a recent high school graduate was driving with her younger brother and his two friends. The passengers remained in the ICU as of Thursday evening.
At 9 p.m. on Tuesday, officers with the Fairfax County Police Department responded to a crash in the 5700 block of Burke Centre Parkway right outside of the Burke Shopping Center.
Police say a man driving a 2014 Cadillac XTS4 was heading west on Burke Centre Parkway, when a teenage driver in a 2023 Kia Forte was attempting to exit a parking lot onto the same road and was struck by the driver of the Cadillac.
One of the vehicles burst into flames on impact. The teenage driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fairfax County Police say they believe speed was a factor in the deadly incident.
Neighbors and customers who frequent the Burke Centre Shopping Center say speed is a constant issue in the area.
"People are going too fast. We are all guilty of it. We are all in a hurry," Kathleen Rushlow told WUSA9 at the memorial that has been created for the teenage girl.
A Change.org petition that seeks to add a traffic light on Burke Center Parkway has garnered hundreds of signatures in a matter of hours. The creator of the petition writing, "We want to prevent this type of pain and tragedy from ever occurring again."
Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw who represents that Braddock District says the recent tragedy is a reminder of the dangers of speeding and aggressive driving.
"Just this calendar year traffic citations are up 72%. So our police officers are hard at work and writing a lot tickets who are violating our traffic laws," Walkinshaw added.
Walkinshaw says the increased traffic enforcement in the county has resulted in a 32% decrease in traffic fatalities so far this year. Although it is a step forward, the county official says there is more to be done.
So far, no one has been criminally charged in what police are calling an ongoing investigation.
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