Alexandria recorded its first traffic fatality of the year last week, when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in the 5700 block of Edsall Road. The accident happened at 6:52 p.m. on Feb. 28, when a 29-year-old Alexandria man was walking south across Edsall Road in an eastbound lane when he was hit by a 1997 Ford Econoline van.
“He was not walking in a crosswalk,” said Amy Bertsch, spokeswoman for the Alexandria Police Department. “The crash reconstruction team is still investigating, but at this point there’s nothing to indicate that speed or alcohol were a factor.”
The victim, later identified as German Gonzalez, was flown by helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He succumbed to his injuries on March 1 at 2:09 p.m. The driver, Leon Jones, 27, of Washington, D.C., was later charged with having no operators license.
“These things typically take a month or more to come to a conclusion,” said Lt. Jamie Bartlett, spokesman for the department. “The reconstruction team collects scientific evidence, then they present it to the commonwealth’s attorney who would bring charges if any need to be brought.”