Trooper injured, 2 arrested after DUI crash on Beltway in Fairfax County – NBC4 Washington

Three vehicles collided at the same time on the inner loop of Interstate 495 early Tuesday morning, injuring a trooper.

The officer was trying to help a driver under the influence of drugs on the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County after another person driving drunk crashed into a tractor-trailer, police said.

Authorities said a Virginia State Trooper was dispatched to a sedan that stopped in the area of ​​Litter River Turnpike in Fairfax County after 3 a.m. The driver refused the officer's request to exit or move the car to a safer location on the beltway, according to Fairfax County police.

The driver was blocking a lane of traffic on the Inner Loop and forced a tractor-trailer to stop, police said. As the officer stood next to the sedan, a Jeep Cherokee struck the stopped tractor-trailer, police said.

The crash caused the Jeep to spin and strike the officer's patrol car, which then slammed into the sedan, pushing the car into the officer, police said.

The officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for further evaluation, police said. The driver of the sedan was also slightly injured after the accident.

Authorities say both drivers were arrested for driving under the influence. Both were taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

All traffic lanes were reopened after the accident was cleared.