Virginia Teen Charged With Drag Racing After High-Speed Chase on Beltway

The unlicensed driver hit speeds of more than 130 mph, police said

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A 17-year-old boy in a Subaru was arrested and charged with drag racing Sunday following a chase on the Capital Beltway that reached speeds of more than 130 mph, officials say. 

Virginia State Police said a trooper saw a group of vehicles headed west on Interstate 495 at Exit 176 for Telegraph Road, in Fairfax County, at about 12:05 a.m. The drivers slowed down to about 20 mph and lined up as if preparing to drag race. 

Three of the vehicles sped off when the trooper pulled behind them. They did not stop when the trooper activated his lights and sirens.

The 17-year-old, of Woodbridge, eventually exited the Beltway at the Braddock Road exit, ran several red lights, did a U-turn in a parking lot and crashed into an SUV at an intersection, police said in a news release.

Two troopers then “purposely made contact with the pursuit vehicle in order to bring it to a stop,” police said. The teen then crashed into a brick column and came to a stop.

The teen sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. Three adult passengers in the Subaru were not hurt. The driver of the SUV the teen struck was treated at the scene for minor injuries. 

The juvenile, who was not named, was charged with drag racing, driving without a license, eluding polic, and hit and run. An investigation is underway. 

Copyright The Associated Press
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