Man Who Survived Iraq, Afghanistan Killed in Crash

CORRECTION: We reported that Sgt. First Class William Scott Pitts served in Iraq and Afghanistan based on a Pitts's writings and a neighbor's comments. Today, National Guard headquarters said that while Pitts did work overseas, they found no record indicating Iraq or Afghanistan.


A Ft. Belvoir, Va., man who's served in two war zones was killed when a county Fastran bus slammed into a line of stopped vehicles Monday afternoon.

Police are investigating why the bus driver failed to stop at about 4 p.m. Monday on Route 1 near the gates of Ft. Belvoir. Several vehicles involved in the multi-vehicle collision were merely pushed off the road, but the Toyota Celica the bus struck first was crushed.

Eight people, including three passengers on the bus were taken to area hospitals, treated and released, but the driver of the Celica, 48-year-old Sgt. First Class William Scott Pitts, died instantly.

Pitts lived with his wife and three children in housing on Ft. Belvoir. He had been working at the National Guard headquarters in Crystal City, but prior to that he fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fastran, which transports social service clients, is operated by MV Transportation. A spokeswoman there said the driver has been removed from duty pending the outcome of an investigation. MV Transportation runs 51 Fastran buses. County statistics show in the past eight months those buses have been involved in 17 accidents compared to 20 for the fleet in fiscal year 2010.

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