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Illegally Parked SUV Closes Connecticut Ave. SUV broke down, driver went to sleep

Updated 1:23 PM EDT, Tue, Jan 13, 2009

Related Topics: Cleveland Park

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WASHINGTON -- A "suspicious" car shut down Connecticut Avenue in northwest Washington for almost two hours Tuesday morning.

Connecticut Ave. Closes for Illegally Parked SUV

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Connecticut Avenue was closed for a while Tuesday morning because of an SUV parked illegally with its flashers on.

Turns out an SUV was just illegally parked.

The SUV was found with its flashers on in a driving lane in the 2900 block of Connecticut Avenue between Porter Street and Cathedral Avenue in the Cleveland Park neighborhood.  Police could not find the owner.  Bomb-sniffing dogs were called in.  Police noticed something suspicious in the SUV, which escalated the event.

Concerned that the driver might be in danger, police searched the woods nearby with the assistance of a helicopter.

After about two hours, officials deemed the vehicle, which had Florida tags, to be safe and Connecticut Avenue was reopened at about 7:45 a.m.

The Cleveland Park Metro Station was closed for more than an hour.  It reopened just after 7:30 a.m.

The vehicle's owner was eventually found.  He had been sleeping in an apartment building at that location.  Apparently the car had broken down.  After getting a jump from officers, the man moved the SUV, which had been ticketed, to a legal space.

Comments (15)

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  • prcauch Tuesday, Jan 13 at 7:32 PM FLAG COMMENT Nah, my bet is that it was a drill, practice for mext week.
  • What Tuesday, Jan 13 at 4:08 PM FLAG COMMENT Thanks for my excuse for being late this morning. I just forwarded this to my boss. She said the person should be fined stiffly and ordered to pay percentage of the cost the city incurred responding to the incident. That is the clean version. You do not want to hear what she really said.
  • UVC Tuesday, Jan 13 at 3:13 PM FLAG COMMENT I live in Howard Co MD and work in VA. I heard that Conn. Ave was closed and 16th had a water main break I wondered into 270!!!! BIG MISTAKE.... 2 hours and 15mins later I finally got to work LATE!!! Why didn't just TOW the vehicle once the bomb squad cleared it? I am sure it would have avoided problems to MANY of us this morning. Plus residents told police is a LOCAL resident! The closing was overboard! The owner should be t ... MORE >
  • Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1:39 PM FLAG COMMENT You think he would have been charged for driving under influance of he had not taken a NAP-- you think Doh
  • Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 13 at 1:37 PM FLAG COMMENT That is stupid. My Son would have had the car towed and been in jail I bet for abandond vehicle and blocking trafic. Wonder how he got over. Sleeping OOOO k. Stupid with 4way flashers on . Ya ok

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