Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Serrano faces one felony count each of malicious wounding and shooting into an occupied vehicle, the Virginia State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation said Wednesday, adding Serrano was taken into custody at the scene without incident.

Serrano is accused of shooting and wounding the driver of a black Honda sedan on I-66, near mile marker 50 in Fairfax County, around 1 p.m. Tuesday. According to a police news release, detectives believe the black Honda’s driver “threw an object” at Serrano’s own Honda while the two vehicles were eastbound on the highway.

Serrano is then alleged to have shot several rounds at the other driver’s vehicle before both pulled over; state troopers later recovered a firearm from the scene.

The wounded driver was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover. A woman who was in the same vehicle was not injured.

An investigation into the shooting continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police by calling 703-803-0026 or emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

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Officers were called to the area of Md. Route 202/Landover Road near the intersection with Old Landover Road around 2:30 a.m. for a collision between two vehicles, the Prince George’s County Police Department .

Detectives believe that an unidentified person driving a Kia, later found to have been stolen from an Upper Marlboro home earlier that night, was headed northbound when it rammed into a Toyota Camry that was attempting a left turn onto Landover Road. Both vehicles caught fire.

The driver and passenger of the Toyota, described as an adult man and an adult woman, were both killed. Their names had not been made public as of Wednesday afternoon.

The stolen Kia’s driver ran from the scene.

“So far in 2023, there have been 827 Kias reported stolen in the county,” PGPD said. “The PGPD has arrested 176 people in connection with the theft of Kias and Hyundais this year. Of those, 51 are adults and 125 are juveniles.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact crash investigators at 301-731-4422. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) with reference to case number PP23082300000204.

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Under a 45-day warning period that began Monday, the District Department of Transportation is giving drivers just over six weeks to become acquainted meant to help improve bus reliability and boost safety for riders.

The , a partnership between Metro and DDOT, places cameras on Metrobuses to discipline unauthorized drivers caught driving, parking, standing or stopping within dedicated bus lanes and zones across the city. Metro said DDOT will take action against violators by reviewing footage from cameras installed on 140 buses along 31 routes that operate in bus-only lanes.

During the grace period, drivers who block bus lanes will receive a letter in the mail with a warning, but they won’t get a ticket. That’s expected to change starting Sept. 18, when failure to keep a bus lane clear could incur a $100 to $200 fine.

“Parking in a bus stop zone for even a minute can prevent the bus from being able to fully pull up to the curb, impacting the ability for bus riders using wheelchairs or mobility devices to board the bus,” DDOT Director Everett Lott said in a news release. “Keeping our bus lanes and bus zones clear and safe for buses will improve the accessibility and efficiency of our transit network.”

The new program will not penalize drivers who cross a bus lane in order to reach a legal parking space, or turn within 40 feet of an intersection or driveway. Bikes, e-bikes and scooters are also exempt.

Metro said Clear Lanes is the first program of its kind to use automated cameras for enforcement in bus stop zones, though in San Francisco and New York City.

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The Montgomery County Police Department said officers responded to a home invasion at a Key West Avenue apartment complex around 1:25 a.m. on Monday, July 10.

According to investigators, six suspects wearing black clothing approached a male resident who had parked in the building’s garage. The group stabbed the man, zip-tied his hands and forced him into their own vehicle.

Police believe the suspects then coerced the man into giving them access to his apartment, where they stole a safe containing cash and jewelry.

Surveillance footage published Wednesday showed the suspects pushing the victim into an elevator, and then his own home, hands bound behind his back.

Members of the man’s family were home at the time of the robbery, police said in a news release, but were not harmed. The victim was hospitalized with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to contact law enforcement at 866-411-TIPS (8477). Callers have the option of remaining anonymous.

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has nominated former U.S. Park Police chief Pamela A. Smith to lead the city’s police force.

Smith boasts more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement across the country, much of it with the Park Police, where she started in 1998 as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks before being appointed as chief of police in February 2021.

Bowser as the Metropolitan Police Department’s acting chief on Monday morning. If confirmed by the D.C. Council as Robert Contee’s successor, Smith would be the second woman and the first Black woman to permanently run the agency since its founding in 1861.

“She knows what the landscape is, she is familiar with what’s working at MPD, and she’s ready to work on day one,” Bowser said during a news conference at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Smith’s nomination. “She also works with young people as a minister, and her path to public service is one that resonates with the community.”

Smith joined D.C. police in May 2022 as its first chief equity officer tasked with spearheading a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, and was promoted to assistant chief of MPD’s Homeland Security Bureau a year later.

Her selection to be the department’s next leader comes amid mounting public concerns about rising violent crime rates, including and armed carjackings, and during ongoing efforts to push new crime legislation past potential hurdles in the D.C. Council and Congress. Smith said she would prioritize tackling gun violence, especially among youth.

“I live in Ward 8, and I believe that every resident of the District of Columbia has a right to feel safe … and that’s the reason why it’s important for me to ensure that we do everything we can do to drive down crime,” Smith said.

“That includes targeting the deployment of our officers to areas impacted by crime, engaging in long-term investigations focused on the most violent individuals, leveraging a whole government approach, and I will take the lead in ensuring the effective use of our police officers.”

Smith, an Arkansas native who grew up in foster care, said her life experiences have driven her career in public service and in guiding youth to make a positive impact on their community.

“We have to have an all-government approach in order to deal with our youth. I think there are a lot of programs out there (including) parks and recreation programs, but I also think there has to be some accountability for the parents,” Smith said.

“I think that’s the part that we’re missing, being able to reach out and engage the parents just a little bit more to ensure we can build a good legion of leaders with our juveniles.”

Smith takes over the position from Ashan Benedict, who served as interim chief after Contee left the force in the spring to take on .

D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson told ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ that while he didn’t know Smith well, he was “pleased” with Bowser’s decision to appoint somebody familiar to the District and its officers, and that lawmakers would gain experience working with her as acting chief ahead of a confirmation hearing expected over the coming months.

“She has over two decades of experience with law enforcement, that’s important, and she has had top-level management positions within police departments,” Mendelson said. “What I’ve learned over the years is that the chief of police has as much to do with managing relationships as working directly with strategy.”

Brooke Pinto, who chairs the council’s public safety and judiciary committee, lauded Smith’s “wide breadth of experience” gained from law enforcement agencies across the country.

“In my conversations with Acting Chief Smith, she has shared her commitment to building stronger community relationships, improving trust in and coordination with the police, and increasing officer recruitment and retention,” Pinto said in a statement. “I look forward to holding a thorough confirmation process for this historic nominee that includes robust community input.”

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Air quality levels reached Code Orange throughout the ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ listening area on Monday afternoon due to smoke originating from Canada. A sensor at Northwest D.C.’s McMillan Reservoir noted an air quality index of 137 around mid-afternoon, with some sites near Springfield, Virginia, coming in just shy of Code Red air quality levels.

Though nowhere near as dense as the smoke that prompted last month’s unprecedented health alert, an unmistakable brownish haze lingered over downtown D.C.’s monuments late Monday.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments forecasts Code Orange conditions throughout Tuesday, too — as satellite images showed a low pressure system over the Great Lakes churning a vast area of smoke from Central Canada toward the U.S. East Coast.

A look at current satellite imagery shows the smoke aloft that’s causing our milky skies today. Cumulus bubbling up along the mountains is expected to develop eastward with showers and thunderstorms primarily along and west of the Blue Ridge this afternoon and evening.

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash)

An orange alert means airborne pollutants could be hazardous to sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung diseases, young children and older adults. If you’re vulnerable to poor air quality, avoid strenuous outdoor activities and watch for symptoms like coughing or shortness of breath.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s offers a free way to check current air pollution and forecasts for your neighborhood. It also has apps for and phones.

7 ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ First Alert Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said a slow-moving cold front approaching the region on Tuesday afternoon should usher in southwesterly winds and provide some relief, along with a risk for showers and thunderstorms.

For the latest road and traffic conditions, see ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½’s traffic page or listen to updates or on the air at 103.5 FM. Download the free ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ app for and phones to sign up for custom traffic and weather alerts.

Forecast:

Monday evening: Hazy skies. Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 90s, dropping to near 70 overnight.

Tuesday: Patchy morning fog. Partly cloudy, with an isolated thunderstorm possible in the afternoon and evening. Highs around 90. Heat indexes in the mid to upper 90s.

Wednesday: Partly sunny. Scattered thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 80s.

Thursday: Partly sunny. Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms, with a risk of heavy rain. Highs in the mid 80s to low 90s.

Current conditions:

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A traffic camera from the Virginia Department of Transportation showed multiple vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, involved in a crash near the median before Exit 44 for Georgetown Pike. Ambulances, fire engines and police were on scene.

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ Traffic reporter Dave Dildine said Inner Loop traffic was jammed for about five miles, with bailout spilling onto Va. Route 123 and Balls Hill Road. All lanes on the Inner Loop had reopened by 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Virginia State Police said no injuries were reported.

This video is no longer available.

For the latest road and traffic conditions, see ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½’s traffic page or listen to updates or on the air at 103.5 FM. Download the free ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ app for and phones to sign up for custom traffic and weather alerts.

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The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Bread for the City alongside law firm Sheppard Mullin, said the disparity in how first responders approach physical ailments versus mental health emergencies is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Susan Mizner, who leads the ACLU’s Disability Rights Program, accused D.C.’s emergency response system of sending “a police officer with handcuffs and a gun” to residents under mental distress by default, in stark contrast to those with physical health emergencies, who more often get assistance from trained medical providers.

“The most effective response to a mental health crisis is to provide empathy, support, and a calm, safe environment,” Bread for the City social services director Tracy Knight said in a news release. “Although the District employs some mental health providers to respond to crises, it has not invested the resources needed or provided them the support necessary to be effective and widely deployed.”

The 47-page lawsuit cites sections of the ADA that prevent local governments from excluding a person with disabilities from benefits and services, or applying those services unevenly.

“MPD officers’ training and record of performance establishes that their presence creates a substantial risk that they will provide ineffective services and, instead, unnecessarily exacerbate the psychological trauma experienced by the person in crisis,” the complaint alleges.

“This inequity deprives people with mental health disabilities of an equal opportunity to benefit from the District’s emergency response program, in violation of the ADA.”

The suit also cites a 2021 report from the independent D.C. Police Reform Commission that recommended the city make “community-competent behavioral health care professionals the default first responders to 911 calls” involving behavioral crises.

“Law enforcement should be one option in an array of emergency responders, not necessarily the first option,” the commission said.

Investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice have found that similar police practices in other cities violated disability rights. A federal probe into the Minneapolis Police Department following the killing of George Floyd in 2020 found its officers in responding to mental health emergencies.

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Fifty-eight-year-old Wheelman Andrews faces a reckless driving charge following a three-vehicle crash in Stafford County. Virginia State Police said Thursday that Andrews’ Freightliner tractor-trailer, hauling 78,000 pounds of beer, overturned on top of a Nissan Altima and Subaru Forester just before 5 a.m. on the northbound lanes of I-95 in Stafford County.

The Nissan’s driver, named Thursday as 50-year-old Johnathon Booth of Fredericksburg, and the Subaru’s driver, identified as 67-year-old Kevin Paddeu of Quinton, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Crash investigators believe the Freightliner tried to shift into the right lane while moving northbound on I-95 near mile marker 136, when it collided with the Nissan. Both vehicles then veered left and crashed into the Subaru.

“All three vehicles continued off the left side of the roadway and collided with the guardrail before the tractor-trailer overturned on top of the Nissan and Subaru,” police said in a news release.

Andrews was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, and was later taken into custody. He was released on an unsecured bond.

All three drivers involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, police added.

Northbound I-95 was closed for around five hours while a crash investigation took place. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police by calling 540-891-4108 or emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

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Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, D.C. police reported that nine people were shot during an outdoor celebration on the 4700 block of Meade Street NE. Leslie Parsons, assistant chief of the D.C. police’s investigative services bureau, stated that suspects in a dark-colored SUV raced down the street, firing “recklessly” into the crowd before fleeing.

Among the nine injured were two minors, ages 10 and 17. All nine victims are expected to survive. Some victims self-transported to the hospital, while first responders transported others.

Police believe the gunfire was targeted at the residents attending the celebration, and are working to determine why. As of Wednesday afternoon, no suspects had been taken into custody, but police were seeking a blue Hyundai Tucson with D.C. tags GC5338 .

“We have too many guns and too many violent people in the street, and we all need to do everything possible to prevent people who have guns from using them in our city,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a media briefing later Wednesday.

Addressing community anxieties about violent crime in the District, Bowser noted that the Metropolitan Police Department was at “full deployment” during the holiday festivities. She added that the city’s public safety officials are working “around the clock” to ensure residents’ safety.

Assisting police throughout the District were 28 of what City Administrator Kevin Donahue called Safety Go Teams, consisting of over 100 non-law enforcement members who monitor neighborhoods with a history of gun violence and report increasing tensions to police for proper response. However, Donahue stated, those teams cannot control or halt every instance of violence.

“Our city must deploy as many public safety and public health resources as possible. That includes police, violence interrupters, and coordinating our federal and regional partners throughout the entire public safety ecosystem,” Ward 7 D.C. Council member Vince Gray said in a statement.

“While we work to overcome MPD staffing shortages — including legislation I introduced earlier this year to assist in MPD recruitment and retention — I echo every resident’s concern about public safety and their frustration with recurring violence.”

Parsons appealed to anyone with relevant information, including photos or videos, to call the police at 202-727-9099. Tips can also be sent anonymously by texting 50411.

In separate incidents unrelated to the Meade Street shooting, two men were killed in shootings on the Fourth of July.

Officers found a man, who was not breathing, around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the intersection of North Capitol and Patterson streets NE. Three hours later, another man was shot near the 4000 block of Livingston Road SE. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

On Wednesday, police identified the victim in the Livingston Road shooting as 28-year-old Nathaniel Holmes, a Southeast D.C. resident.

A man was shot and fatally injured on Catholic University’s Michigan Avenue campus around 8 a.m. Wednesday. A preliminary investigation suggested the victim and suspected shooter knew each other, according to Parsons.

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The Fairfax County Police Department said a man approached a woman outdoors in the 14500 block of Northeast Place around 11:30 a.m. Monday. The suspect forcefully grabbed the woman in a private area before putting her in a choke hold, according to police.

The woman’s mother, who was knocking on a neighbor’s door nearby, ran toward the assailant. Police said the man ran away before officers arrived.

In Tuesday, police described the suspect as a man in his 40s with straight, black hair and a tall, medium build. Footage from a home security camera showed the suspect running from the scene, wearing gray clothing, a black hat and a surgical mask.

Detectives said they are investigating possible links with a May 18 case, in which police said a man entered a woman’s home just two blocks away on Iberia Circle, and attempted to sexually assault her.

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators by calling 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online or through the crime solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

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The Montgomery County Police Department said it had determined several of the flags were burned overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday. In , the department said it was working to identify who was responsible for the “multiple hate-based vandalisms.”

The burnings occurred in the Mansfield Road, Wayne Place, Ellsworth Place, Greenbrier Drive, Pershing Drive and Deerfield Drive neighborhoods.

In a Ring camera surveillance video n, a person is seen covering their face while setting a pride flag on fire outside a home in downtown Silver Spring. The fire caused burn marks on the door frame.

“Crime has kind of increased in this area, but I’ve never seen anything directed towards a specific group, and this was pretty loud,” Chris Middleton told NBC Washington.

Council member Kate Stewart said the Park Hills neighborhood is “in shock” about what happened.

Council President Evan Glass said he lives in the neighborhood because it “celebrates diversity.”

“I have to hope that these individuals don’t live in the community. I hope they do not return to this community,” Glass said.

Police are appealing to the public for home surveillance footage of suspicious activity. Anyone with video is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 301-279-8000.

Information can also be submitted anonymously at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report from Silver Spring. 

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The Alexandria Police Department said that the 3-year-old boy died of his injuries after tumbling from an upper-floor window of an apartment complex on Yoakum Parkway.

Alexandria Chief of Police Don Hayes said firefighters responding to the scene located the injured child and called for police. Ultimately, the young boy did not survive.

“It’s tragic for the officers who responded, stressful for the firefighters who responded, because a lot of them are parents,” Hayes said at a media briefing.

“I’m a granddad. To see something like this, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for the family, I can only imagine what they’re going through right now. We’re going to do the best we can to get to the bottom of this.”

Hayes said investigators had not yet determined whether the child’s fall was the result of an accident, and speaking with other people who were present in the apartment at the time of the fall.

No charges had been announced in connection with the case as of Wednesday evening.

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Officials at Naval Air Station Patuxent River have identified a firefighter who was killed while battling a blaze on Tuesday.

Twenty-five-year-old Brice Trossbach “made the ultimate sacrifice” while responding to a mutual aid request for a house fire in nearby Leonardtown, Maryland, the installation said in a news release.

Capt. Derrick Kingsley, commanding officer at NAS Patuxent River, called Trossbach’s death a “tragic loss” that serves as a reminder “of the tremendous risks our firefighters face each shift to keep our installation and our community safe.”

Trossbach had served as a firefighter at NAS Patuxent River since 2019, and had also joined volunteer fire departments in Leonardtown and Lexington Park.

“I’ve known Brice since he was a little kid following his dad to the Leonardtown fire station when I was the chief there, and he always wanted to be a firefighter,” Gerald Gardiner, deputy emergency services director for St. Mary’s County, said in a statement.

“To see him come up from that kid, to the man and firefighter he’d become, makes this loss especially hard,” Gardiner said. “His respect for those he helped, the mentorship he provided the younger guys coming up and the service he gave to the nation and Southern Maryland community will leave a big hole in our hearts.”

Trossbach was among several firefighters on the 20500 block of Deer Wood Park Drive before dawn on Tuesday. Fire officials said Trossbach became trapped beneath debris when the home’s first floor collapsed into the basement.

One other firefighter was transported with non-life-threatening injuries. The Maryland State Fire Marshal said more than a dozen of its investigators on Wednesday to determine what caused the blaze.

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Surveillance video by the Metro Transit Police Department on Sunday showed a person climbing down from a station platform and stepping over the tracks to reach the other side, passing over the electrified “third rail” which carries 750 volts of power.

“One wrong step could be deadly, don’t cut your life short,” Metro’s captions read, between images of caution tape and a skull-and-crossbones.

This video is no longer available.

A Metro spokesperson said the incident shown in the video happened on Friday at Alexandria, Virginia’s Eisenhower Avenue station.

The person filmed vaulting over the rails managed to board a Blue Line train bound for Franconia-Springfield, and was later arrested for trespassing.

Metro said it has logged 32 reports of trespassers on tracks across the system since just this April.

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