Man Dies After Head-On Crash with Police Car, Officer in Stable Condition

UPDATE 9:30 a.m.: According to a news release from the Fairfax County Police Department, 40-year-old Cicero I. Limberea died after hitting a Fairfax County police cruiser head-on around 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning while heading eastbound in the westbound lanes of Little River Turnpike.

The release states officers responded to a domestic call in the 4800 block of Tapestry Drive. Officers spoke with a man at the home and the man left shortly after. An officer spotted the man speeding down Roberts Road and later, make a right turn into oncoming traffic on Little River Turnpike where he only just missed hitting several vehicles.

A Mason District Station officer, whose name was not released, was assisting officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle after police received reports of a vehicle speeding in the wrong lanes, the release states. The officer sustained injuries in crash and had to be cut of out the police cruiser to be treated for his injuries. The injured police officer was sitting in the eastbound lanes when the car struck the cruiser. The officer is now in stable condition a local hospital.

The crash is still under investigation and police are searching for witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

UPDATE: 7:30 a.m.: All lanes are now open, according to Fairfax County Police.

UPDATE 4:05 a.m.: Police at 3:45 a.m. said Route 236 eastbound and westbound will be closed Thursday morning for up to "three more hours," (6:45 a.m.) and urge motorists to find other routes.

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One person is dead after colliding head-on with a Fairfax County Police car at Little River Turnpike and I-495, according to Fairfax County Police.

FCPD sent out this message via its Twitter account at 2:45 a.m. Thursday:

"Fatal head-on crash. Rt 236 over I-495. Avoid that area. Both directions 236 (Little River Trnpk) and ramps to beltway blocked."

WTOP reports that a vehicle was being pursued for traffic charges when it struck a police cruiser head-on.

"A vehicle was apparently traveling eastbound in the westbound lane for possibly several miles, coming from Fairfax City towards the Beltway," Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell tells WTOP.

"One of our officers was traveling, correctly, in the westbound lane, coming toward the situation and he was struck head-on."

The driver of the pursued vehicle, an unidentified man, has died and the police officer was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, the radio station reports. The officer is in stable condition.

The area is near the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Annandale campus.

Patch will update this story as we receive more information.