DC Teen Leads Police on High-Speed Chase Before Crashing Stolen Van in Lorton

A teenager from D.C. got into a lot of trouble Sunday night after allegedly stealing a van in Alexandria, leading police on a high-speech chase down I-95, crashing the van and then fleeing on foot before being caught.

At about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, a Virginia State Police trooper initiated a traffic stop on a minivan traveling south on Interstate 95 near Exit 169 in Springfield, according to a news release from VSP. The traffic stop was for speeding, as the minivan was traveling in excess of 90 mph on I-95.

When the trooper activated his emergency lights to stop the vehicle, the minivan refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated. During the course of the pursuit, the minivan exited I-95 at Route 123. As it turned left onto Forest Greens Drive in Lorton, the driver bailed from the van. As the van rolled off the road and struck a tree, its driver fled on foot into the woods.

Fairfax County Police along with its aviation and tracking canine assisted State Police with setting up a search perimeter for the driver. The driver was finally located and taken into custody.

The driver, a 17-year-old male from Washington, DC, was transported to Fairfax Juvenile Detention Center and charged with reckless driving, driving without a license, and possession of stolen property/grand larceny. Further investigation by the trooper revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Alexandria.

The incident remains under investigation.