Crime & Safety
Police Investigate Route 66 Accident as a Suicide
The 17-year-old victim was from Fairfax, Virginia State Police said.
As Virginia State Police continue to piece together what led to Tuesday's pedestrian death on Route 66 near Route 50, officials said they are now investigating the death as a suicide.
Virginia State Police (VSP) first received a call around 4:41 a.m. Tuesday about a pedestrian walking on the right shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-66 in Fairfax County.
Initial reports from police indicated the male victim was struck by a car in the right lane as officers were enroute to the scene; officers found the victim dead in the shoulder of the road, police said.
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Around 10:54 a.m. Tuesday, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told Patch the accident is now being investigated as a suicide.
The victim has been identified as a 17-year-old boy from Fairfax, Geller said.
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The accident snarled traffic for hours, and many commuters and Fairfax City residents have already called state police to help with the investigation, Geller said.
"State police expresses its appreciation to many motorists who called in this morning with information," Geller wrote.
State police have not located the vehicle involved in the accident.
Anyone with information should contact the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026.
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