Will R. Hernandez-Villalta dies in fatal Fairfax County car crash
Fatal Fairfax County car crash death of Will R. Hernandez-Villalta
Virginia State Police are expected to file charges related to a collision on I-66 that resulted in one fatality and injuries to a second driver over the weekend. The incident occurred on Saturday, August 2, at 5:51 p.m. on I-66 West near Fair Lakes and Fairfax County Parkway.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find an old Nissan pickup truck ablaze on the left shoulder of the I-66 Express Lanes. Inside the burning vehicle was the driver, who tragically died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.
On Monday, August 4, Virginia State Police identified the deceased driver as Will R. Hernandez-Villalta, a 20-year-old from Manassas.
The collision also involved a 2016 Honda Pilot. Its driver, identified as Danielle M. McKinnon, age 38 and a Chantilly resident, and her teenage passenger were transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with what authorities described as non-life-threatening injuries.
According to initial findings, the crash began when Hernandez-Villalta’s pickup truck stopped suddenly in one of the travel lanes due to a mechanical failure. The Honda Pilot, driven by McKinnon, then collided with the rear of the stationary truck.
The official statement from Virginia State Police explained that the impact caused the pickup truck to leave the main travel lanes, hit the bollards separating the lanes, and enter the Express Lanes before coming to rest on the shoulder where it ignited. The Pilot, meanwhile, spun out of control after the collision and ended up in the main lanes.
The ongoing investigation by Virginia State Police confirms charges are pending.
During the early stages of the incident, the westbound express lanes were closed off; however, a connecting service road for Fairfax County Parkway remained open, allowing traffic to continue moving westbound.
