Beltway Crash in McLean Snarls Traffic

Three people were injured Monday afternoon when a passenger vehicle was trapped under a tractor trailer truck at the south end of the American Legion bridge that carries the Capital Beltway over the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia, said the Fairfax County Fire Department.

All Beltway lanes are not open.

Fairfax crews arrived first on the scene and started the rescue of those entrapped under the tractor trailer, said a spokesman for Fairfax Fire. They were joined by crews from the Montgomery County fire department.

One person with life threatening injuries and another with minor injuries and a third with injuries were taken to the hospital by Montgomery County fire, according to  the Fairfax fire spokesman.

The accident involving three vehicles, was reported to Virginia State Police at 1:42 p.m. caused severe traffic back ups on both sides of the river.

Here are more accident details from

Update, 3:40p.m.: The State Highway Administration reported via its Twitter account that all lanes on the outer loop are back open, but delays are continuing back to Maryland Route 355. SHA is advising drivers to use the Woodrow Wilson bridge as a detour.

Update, 3:30 p.m.: Reston Patch editor Karen Goff, who was on the scene, reports that the accident was near Exit 43 for the George Washington Parkway. Traffic was backed up for at least five miles into Maryland. The right lane was opened around 3p.m.

Original post: A crash on the Virginia side of the American Legion bridge is causing backups stretching into Maryland, according to Alert Montgomery and the State Highway Administration.

Alert Montgomery is reporting all westbound lanes are closed at the American Legion bridge. A spokeswoman for the Maryland State Highway Administration said the backups were caused by a crash on the Virginia side of the bridge. A Medevac helicopter was called to the crash site, but more information wasn't immediately available.