Sunday marked seven years since a Loudoun County, Virginia mother was killed when an out-of-control, dilapidated food truck plowed into her station wagon on a dangerous stretch of Evergreen Mills Road outside Leesburg.
Now, the county is acquiring nearby land to eliminate the blind intersection at Watson Road, where Erin Kaplan was killed and several family members were seriously injured on Sept. 8, 2017. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 to build a new four-way signalized intersection, several hundred feet away, with a far greater line of sight to try to prevent future tragedies.
Tony Dane was behind the wheel of an aging 40-foot school bus that had been converted into the “Great American Hamburger” food truck on his way to a football stadium in Ashburn, Virginia, to sell food in September 2017 when the poorly maintained brakes failed and he blew through a stop sign at Watson Road and Evergreen Mills Roads.
Erin’s husband Faran Kaplan tells WTOP that even though all of their children are out of the house, they still miss Erin and are working hard to stay “a tight family unit.”
“She is always in our minds, and forever in our hearts,” Faran Kaplan said.
Dane was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and other charges related to failing to care for the bus, which prosecutors called “a ticking time bomb.” Prison records show he’s scheduled to be released in July 2025.
After a long-term recommendation in the Evergreen Mills Road and Watson Road Safety Audit, the county has made incremental changes.
In 2019, after 625 crashes in seven years, the Virginia Department of Transportation installed sensors and flashing lights, so drivers on Evergreen Mills Road are warned when a vehicle on Watson Road is approaching the stop sign at the intersection.
Until now, drivers on Evergreen Mills Road have had limited visibility and stopping time due to the road’s winding configuration and large nearby rocks.
After right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and procurement of a construction contractor, construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2026.
The new four-way intersection will be located several hundred feet up the hill where Watson Road currently meets Evergreen Mills. After realignment, Watson Road and nearby Reservoir Road will intersect with Evergreen Mills, with increased line of sight and reaction time.
According to the county, the project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2028.
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