Town Council honored Officer Justin Hendrickson on Tuesday for stopping at a catastrophic Interstate 95 crash while off duty, helping pull people from a burning vehicle, and giving first aid until fire-rescue crews arrived.
The May 29, 2026, southbound crash in Stafford occurred about 2:30 a.m. and killed five people and injured more than 30. Hendrickson, hired by the Occoquan Police Department in September 2022, was heading home after a shift when he came upon the scene.
Council adopted a resolution by unanimous vote at its Aug. 18 meeting. Mayor Earnie Porta read the resolution in full, presented a framed copy, and had photographs taken with Hendrickson and a family member who attended.
“This really does exemplify the best in law enforcement officers, what you did here,” Porta said. He also thanked Hendrickson’s family, saying it is “not easy being the family of a police officer,” and credited Chief Adam Linn’s training and expectation-setting as well as the officer’s own character.
The resolution states that Hendrickson “voluntarily stopped to provide assistance” despite “significant dangers,” assisted in the rescue from a burning vehicle, and provided “life-saving first aid and reassurance” until fire and rescue assumed care.
Virginia State Police later recognized his “calm demeanor, decisive actions, courage, compassion, and willingness to place the welfare of others above his own safety,” noting that his actions “made a meaningful difference in the survival and welfare of victims.”
Vice Mayor Jenn Loges made the motion. Council member Robert E. Love seconded. Hendrickson did not speak.
The recognition was moved to the top of the agenda by unanimous consent.
