Three people died in a fiery I-66 Express Lanes crash in Fairfax; Prince William police responded to a believed self-inflicted shooting in Woodbridge; Stafford businesses are pressing supervisors to reject a BPOL tax; and inmate deaths in Virginia jails rose to a five-year high.
Three Killed After Honda Hits Stopped Oxygen Truck on I-66 Express Lanes
According to FOX 5 DC, three people died Sunday afternoon after a Honda Pilot struck a stopped truck carrying oxygen tanks in the right travel lane of the westbound Interstate 66 Express Lanes in Fairfax County. Virginia State Police said the collision occurred around 4:10 p.m., the Honda caught fire, and all three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. A Toyota 4Runner was also involved in the events leading up to the crash.
Troopers charged the drivers of the Toyota and the oxygen truck with reckless driving. The identities of the three people killed have not been released. The westbound Express Lanes were closed for nearly seven hours while crews cleared the wreckage and investigators worked the scene, reopening just before 11 p.m.
Woodbridge Man Hospitalized After Believed Self-Inflicted Shooting
According to the Prince William County Police Department, officers were on scene Monday at a shooting in the 13900 block of Richmond Highway in Woodbridge. Police said one adult male was taken to a hospital and that the wound is believed to have been self-inflicted.
The department asked motorists and residents to expect an increased police presence in the area while the investigation continues. No further details about the man’s condition or the circumstances of the shooting have been released.
Stafford Business Owners Intensify Fight Against Proposed BPOL Tax
According to the Fredericksburg Free Press, opponents of a proposed business, professional and occupational license tax in Stafford County are stepping up efforts ahead of a Sept. 15 Board of Supervisors public hearing. Stafford is the largest Virginia county without a BPOL levy and instead collects a merchants’ capital tax on inventory that generates about $1 million a year; a BPOL structured like Spotsylvania County’s could raise $3.5 million to $4 million annually, while Commissioner of the Revenue Scott Mayausky has estimated administration would cost $300,000 to $350,000 and require two additional employees plus software and equipment.
The program would include an annual license fee of up to $50, a tax based on a firm’s prior-year gross receipts and a required exemption of at least $100,000. Business owners object because the levy is calculated on gross receipts rather than net income. Former Del. Paul Milde, a Stafford business owner and former supervisor, has led the opposition with a petition that now exceeds 2,000 signatures and argues that the absence of a BPOL helps attract companies. His NoBPOLStafford group has launched a website and recently sent a mailer and texts to residents.
Virginia Jail Deaths Rise to 58, Highest Since 2021
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, 58 people died in Virginia’s local and regional jails last year, a jump of more than 20 percent and the highest total since 2021, the State Board of Local and Regional Jails reported. The figures do not include state prison inmates. Richmond’s jail recorded four deaths after none the year before, Henrico County’s two jails had three, Riverside Regional Jail had four, and Chesterfield County and Pamunkey Regional Jail reported none.
The board found 11 cases in which jails failed to comply with inmate-supervision rules and four violations of emergency medical-care procedures, without naming the facilities. Twenty-nine deaths were attributed to natural causes, including 12 from heart or other cardiovascular problems. There were 10 suicides, two homicides, 12 deaths described as accidents, four from blunt-force trauma and nine from drug overdoses. The board said inadequate supervision remains a problem and called for twice-an-hour irregular checks, better documentation, supervisory audits, refresher training and housing areas with unobstructed visibility.
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