News

Alexandria man dies in crash on Mount Vernon Memorial Highway

By James Cullum
Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Police are investigating whether a 79-year-old Alexandria man suffered a medical emergency when his Ford Explorer crashed into another vehicle on the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway on Saturday morning (March 14).

David Owens, the driver of the Explorer, was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m. in the area of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway and Grist Mill Woods Way in Mount Vernon.

Police said that Owens was driving eastbound, crossed into the westbound lanes and crashed head-on into a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado. When emergency crews arrived on scene, he was in cardiac arrest, according to a radio dispatch.

The driver of the Silverado suffered non-life threatening injuries and also was taken to the hospital.

Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash, according to police’s preliminary investigation.

Anyone with information on this incident can contact the FCPD Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.

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.