News

Victim identified after Tuesday’s fatal 5-vehicle crash on I-495 in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Virginia State Police have released the identity of the 69-year-old Massachusetts woman killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 495 in Alexandria on Tuesday (Nov. 5).

Lauren Johnson-Lavender, a nurse from Mashpee, Massachusetts, died at the scene after the car she was traveling in, a Lexus SUV, was rear-ended by a Dodge Ram at around 5:35 p.m., according to VSP. The Lexus was stopped in traffic, and once hit by the Ram created a domino effect and it then rear-ended a Ford F-150.

VSP said that the Dodge Ram went “airborne.”

“The Ram, meanwhile, went airborne after striking the Lexus and struck the F-150, as well as a GMC Savana and a Nissan Rogue,” VSP said in a release. “The Ram eventually came to rest on its side.”

Three people involved in the crash were transported to area hospitals, and charges are pending, VSP said.

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.