Teenager arrested after Virginia Beltway pursuit that hit speeds over 130 mph

A 17-year-old was arrested early Sunday morning after a chase with Virginia State Police that started on the Beltway reached speeds of over 130 mph.

State police said they saw a group of cars on the Beltway near Telegraph Road in Fairfax County slow to about 20 mph and line up as if preparing to drag race. As state troopers pulled behind the vehicles, three sped off.

Police said one of the cars, a Subaru, continued north on the Beltway topping 130 mph before exiting onto Braddock Road. The Subaru proceeded to run several red lights, according to police, before striking another car after U-turning in a parking lot.

Officers then purposely hit the car to stop the chase. The Subaru struck a brick column and the pursuit came to an end.

The driver of the Subaru, a 17-year-old boy from Woodbridge, Virginia, was then taken into custody and transported to the hospital for minor injuries. None of the three passengers of the Subaru were hurt.

The 17-year-old was charged with drag racing, driving without a license, one felony count of eluding police and one felony count of hit and run. The incident remains under investigation.

Thomas Robertson

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

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