A recent car crash in Fairfax County, Virginia has been making headlines after a teenager driving a high-performance BMW M3 crashed into a traffic stop, narrowly escaping serious injury.
The crash occurred on the Fairfax County Parkway near Braddock Road, where the speed limit is 50 mph. The incident was captured on the dashcam video from the officer’s car and has been shared widely online.
According to the police, the 13-year officer had approached the stopped car on its passenger side for his own safety, and that proved to be “very consequential,” said Fairfax County Deputy Chief Bob Blakley during a news conference. The dashcam video from the officer’s car shows him looking up as the black 2018 BMW M3 crosses the median from the northbound lanes into the southbound lanes where the officer was standing.
It’s believed the teenager was driving the BMW M3 well over 120 miles per hour when he lost control of the car. The vehicle crossed over a grassy median and struck not only the vehicle the officer had stopped, but also the officer’s cruiser and the officer himself. Fortunately, the officer managed to climb over the guardrail and call for help before checking on the driver who was struck.
The officer and the stopped driver sustained minor injuries, as did the teen driver and the two passengers in the BMW M3. The 17-year-old behind the wheel has been charged with reckless driving.
This incident is a clear example of the dangers of reckless driving, especially among young and inexperienced drivers.
The Fairfax County police department is encouraging parents to show the video to their teenage drivers to encourage safe driving habits.
Teenage drivers are known to be more prone to reckless driving behaviors, such as speeding and violating traffic signs and signals. According to Deputy Chief Bob Blakley, the Fairfax County police department has seen a 62 percent increase in citations to teen drivers for speeding, a 98 percent increase in citations for violating signs or signals, and a 181 percent increase in citations for failure to pay full attention this year, compared to 2022.
In Fairfax County today, year to date, there have been eight fatal crash victims over seven crashes. Three of those fatal crash victims were caused because of the driving behaviors of a teen driver this year. These are statistics that we need to pay attention to.
The incident also highlights the importance of police training in dealing with such situations. The officer in question, with his wits and training, managed to escape what could have been a life-threatening injury or even death. His quick thinking and intuition to move at the right time saved his life.
The dashcam video from the officer’s car has been praised by Chief Kevin Davis, who said it will be used in future training at the police academy. It is a reminder to all law enforcement officials about the importance of situational awareness and the need to always be prepared for the unexpected.
The incident also serves as a warning to all drivers, especially young and inexperienced ones, about the dangers of high-performance vehicles. While such cars can be thrilling to drive, they require a lot of skill and experience to handle safely. Parents should be careful about the types of cars they purchase or help purchase for their teenagers to drive. The car involved in the collision was a high-performance BMW M3, which is a whole lot of car for an inexperienced driver.
In conclusion, the recent car crash in Fairfax County serves as a wake-up call to all drivers, young and old alike. Reckless driving is a serious problem that puts everyone on the road in danger. We urge all drivers to obey traffic laws, drive responsibly, and always be prepared for the unexpected.