1 dies, 3 injured in wrong-way Beltway crash

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A driver was killed after apparently driving several miles against traffic on the Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway early Monday.

At 1:35 a.m., Virginia State Police received a 911 call about a wrong-way driver, near where I-495 and I-95 merge. As troopers responded, another call came in minutes later that the wrong-way vehicle had collided with another.

A supervisor for the Virginia State Police said it’s unclear why the driver of a Honda CRV was traveling in the wrong direction before colliding with a Chevy Tahoe on the Inner Loop  near Eisenhower Avenue around 1:45 a.m.

After crashing into the Tahoe, the CRV broke apart, and a portion was hit by a Dodge Caravan which was also on the Inner Loop.

The driver of the CRV, a male from New York, died at the scene. He was the only occupant.

The male driver and female passenger of the Tahoe and and  the driver of the Caravan suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

All lanes reopened to traffic at about 6:15 a.m.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a reporter at WTOP since 1997. Through the years, Neal has covered many of the crimes and trials that have gripped the region. Neal's been pleased to receive awards over the years for hard news, feature reporting, use of sound and sports.

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