Close Call on Fairfax County Parkway: A Stark Reminder to Drive Safe

Recently, a 17-year-old driver of a black BMW M3 was charged with reckless driving after losing control and crashing into a patrol officer’s vehicle and another vehicle pulled over for a routine traffic stop on Fairfax County Parkway. Chief Kevin Davis said that the 17-year-old driver was going “well over 120 mph”. Video released by Fairfax County police shows the officer jumping out of the way of the oncoming car just in time, and subsequently helping others involved. Fortunately, no one was critically hurt. However, this close call is a stark reminder of the importance of safe driving.

It is important to note that it takes a passenger car about 245 feet to come to a complete stop from just 65 miles per hour after the brakes are applied on the vehicle. Additionally, the car travels over 70 feet between the time a driver makes a decision to stop and the time he or she actually presses on the brakes. These distances increase even more if the driver is distracted. This means that, even when one’s brakes are working properly and the road conditions are good, a person driving a car will need the length of at least 2 football fields to come to a complete stop at the speed the BMW was allegedly traveling.

As a personal injury law firm that sees the terrible consequences of distracted driving far too often, Curcio Law is an active participant and supporter of the “End Distracted Driving” (EndDD) initiative. This initiative aims to save lives by educating, advocating, and acting to prevent distracted driving accidents. Curcio Law is involved in the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) program at Bishop Ireton High School, where Tom recorded an “End Distracted Driving” presentation that he has given to thousands of people since 2017 on behalf of enddd.org. Additionally, the team has presented about the dangers of distracted driving to new drivers and their parents at the Alexandria Juvenile Domestic Relations court.

Through these efforts, Curcio Law is committed to not only representing those seriously injured or killed by distracted drivers but also taking an active role in educating and preventing such accidents from happening in the first place. If you are interested in having Curcio Law give this presentation to your school or local group, call or text the office at 703-836-3366 or download the “End Distracted Driving” presentation here.