At least 14 people were hurt, including eight who are in the hospital, after a car slammed into a building Friday evening in Arlington, Virginia.
WTOP/David Dildine
WTOP/David Dildine
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
WTOP/Kyle Cooper
At least 14 people were hurt, including eight who are in the hospital, after a car slammed into a building Friday evening in Arlington, Virginia.
Arlington County police told WTOP the crash happened at North Courthouse Road and Wilson Boulevard at the Ireland’s Four Courts restaurant just before 7 p.m.
.@ARLnowDOTcom Please keep the all the injured in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks to .@ArlingtonVaPD and .@ArlingtonVaFD for their quick response. We are devastated.
— Irelands Four Courts (@irelands4courts) August 12, 2022
Four of the injured have critical injuries and four have injuries that are not life-threatening, Arlington Fire and EMS said in a Friday night update. Six people were treated on the scene and released.
WTOP’s Kyle Cooper, who is on the scene, spoke to server Mary Reilly who was inside when the crash happened and she described it as “like an explosion.”
Doug Samuelson, of Annandale, was in the area during the crash and fire. He told WTOP’s Dave Dildine that he heard a sound that sounded like a “truck crashing into a building,” and then fire department crews came and told everyone to get out.
The flames, Samuelson said, were shooting some 12 to 15 feet high, and there was an acrid smell.
Police do not yet know why the car crashed. Arlington Fire and EMS said that building engineers have evaluated the building and found it “structurally sound, but could not be reoccupied.”
All lanes closed off to traffic after the crash reopened just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, including Clarendon Boulevard, Wilson Boulevard and North Courthouse Road.
It’s not clear what led to the crash.
Fire in the 2000 block of Wilson Blvd. in Arlington (Brooklyn Bagel?). First responders on scene. Wilson and Clarendon Blvd closed in both directions at Courthouse. @WTOP @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/qC277XA4if
— Kevin M. Morris (he/him/his) (@morriskevinm) August 12, 2022
Huge fire at Ireland Four Courts right now @WTOP @ArlingtonVaFD. Windows were broken and people were laying on the ground outside. pic.twitter.com/zMVTbs968u
— Sarah (@sarcchang) August 12, 2022
Below is the area where it happened.
This story is developing. Check back with WTOP News for updates.
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