Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.
Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.
Kelly Hannon, spokesperson for VDOT’s Fredericksburg District, emphasized the challenges faced by crews during the storm. “Our teams have been making repeated passes since it started snowing around midnight,” Hannon said. “We’ve focused on major routes like I-95, Route 1, Route 17, and Route 610 to ensure access to critical areas, including public safety facilities.”
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Snow plowing will begin as soon as accumulation occurs, with priority given to main roads, including Route 1, Route 3, Fall Hill Avenue, Princess Anne Street, Caroline Street, and Lafayette Boulevard. Secondary streets will be addressed as conditions allow. Residents are urged to stay off the roads Sunday night and Monday to ensure crews and public safety personnel can operate without unnecessary obstacles.
Fredericksburg Regional Transit (FXBGO!) will operate on a 4-hour delay on Monday, January 6, due to inclement weather. Service may be further adjusted based on road conditions. Updates are available on the FXBGO! website or Facebook page.
Residents across Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Woodbridge should brace for what could be the most significant winter storm in years, with snow accumulations of 4 to 12 inches forecasted. The storm is set to begin Sunday afternoon, bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain through Monday and potentially into early Tuesday.
Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency for Virginia, mobilizing state resources to prepare for hazardous conditions. The National Weather Service reports that the storm’s impact will depend on its track, with a northern trajectory bringing more ice and a southern track resulting in heavier snow across the area.
All work is scheduled, weather permitting. That’s a big “if,” with at least two to four inches of snow forecast for the region. Updated information is available online.
Stafford County
With a major snowstorm expected to impact the region starting Sunday, January 5, 2024, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) updated the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on its winter storm preparations late last month.
Andrew Thorpe, Assistant Resident Engineer, presented an overview of VDOT’s snow removal strategies during a recent meeting, emphasizing readiness across Stafford and neighboring counties.
“We have gotten concerns about the speed,” said Thomas Ruff, a traffic engineer with Timmons Group, working with city officials to look at the one-way streets in neighborhoods right outside the business district.
The study intended to evaluate the feasibility and potential impacts of converting select one-way streets to two-way streets in a downtown area, as described in their description. Bike lanes, traffic calming measures intended to slow drivers, and proposed pedestrian improvements were part of the discussion.
We’re back with another episode of the Potomac Local Podcast, where we connect our communities one story at a time. In this episode, Uriah Kiser, founder of Potomac Local News, sits down with Deshundra Jefferson, Chair At-large of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, to discuss critical issues facing Prince William County.
Press release:
All work is scheduled weather permitting. Updated information on work zones and lane closures is available on 511.VDOT.Virginia.Gov.
Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors and School Board members convened at the Kelly Leadership Building to address pressing legislative priorities for 2025. Among the key issues discussed was the urgent need for enhanced authority to mitigate speeding and improve roadway safety throughout the county.
Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry emphasized the ongoing dangers on local roads, including Cardinal Drive, a corridor that has seen multiple fatalities in recent years. He highlighted the limitations of current state-level control over traffic measures, stating, “We need more authority to install speed cameras and implement other speed control measures in non-school and non-construction zones.” Angry also criticized the reliance on fatality thresholds before state agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), prioritize action, calling for more proactive measures to save lives.
