OAKTON, VA — Two adults were killed and two children were injured after a single-vehicle crash in Oakton over the weekend, and investigators say speed played a major role. Fairfax County police said data from the vehicle showed the Mercedes was traveling 116 mph as recently as five seconds before impact.
The crash happened just after midnight Sunday after a 30-year-old woman driving a Mercedes GLA 250 east on the I-66 Express Lanes took an exit ramp to Chain Bridge Road and continued into the intersection before hitting a median and then a barrier.
How the crash unfolded
Police said the vehicle struck the median and then slammed “very violently” into the barrier on the far side of Chain Bridge Road. Chief Kevin Davis said speed was “an absolute factor,” based on information recovered after the fatal wreck.
The car carried four people, including the driver, a front-seat passenger and two children. Authorities said only one of the children was restrained when the crash happened.
Who was killed and hurt
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and later identified as Xiomara Herrera of Falls Church. The front-seat passenger, Alejandro Rodriguez Castillo, 27, of Sterling, died at a hospital.
Police said the 2-year-old child suffered life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalized Monday. The 8-year-old child had injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
What investigators said about restraints
Investigators said the 2-year-old, the child of the two adults who died, was not restrained at all. Police said recommendations call for children age 2 or younger to ride in a rear-facing car seat with a five-point harness.
The 8-year-old was wearing a seat belt, but police said they were still looking into whether it was the right restraint for the child’s size.
Why officials are urging families to check car seats
Police said Fairfax County has recorded 12 unrestrained deaths in vehicle crashes since 2023, including four this year. Davis said that pattern shows a need for stronger education and enforcement because many of those crashes could have been survivable with proper restraints.
Officials also announced a car seat safety inspection event for May 23 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Fairfax County Courthouse campus, inside Garage B on the fourth floor. No appointment is required.
Riders Times covers the Pacific Northwest, one story at a time.
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