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Man charged after allegedly driving on wrong side of road toward Alexandria Police

A 34-year-old Maryland man faces multiple charges after driving toward police on the wrong side of the road in the West End.

At around 11:30 p.m. on July 27 (Wednesday), an Alexandria Police officer was driving his cruiser in the area of South Van Dorn Street and South Pickett Street when a black Audi sedan without lights on headed toward him on the wrong side of the road.

“While driving northeast on South Pickett Street, I witnessed a black sedan driving towards me with no headlights on,” police detailed in a search warrant affidavit. “The driver, a white male with a hat, leaned out the window and yelled something as I passed by and got got close enough to a divider that he appeared he was going to hit it.”

While transporting the driver to booking, the Maryland driver allegedly denied ever driving the car, which was registered in his name.

“When I initially entered my vehicle after (the driver) had been placed in the back, I could smell the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage,” police reported in a search warrant affidavit. “He additionally said, ‘It’s not my fault I had a terrible week.'”

The driver refused all field sobriety tests and was then arrested for resisting arrest, refusing a blood/breath test and driving while intoxicated (second offense). He was released on July 28 on a $1,500 unsecured bond.

The driver goes to court on August 31.

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About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.