VIRGINIA STATE POLICE BEAT: DWI charged to Paul A. Espinoza for wrong-way booze cruise on Beltway that smashed into Maryland driver and sent three to hospitals
At 3:04 a.m. Thursday (Nov. 28), Virginia State Police Trooper A. Jones received a call about a wrong-way driver traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-495 near Braddock Road. Troopers were immediately dispatched, but within seconds the 2016 Nissan Leaf that was traveling the wrong way struck head-on a 2016 BMW X6. The damage from the vehicles created a substantial debris field across the northbound lanes of I-495.
The impact of that crash caused the Nissan to run off the road and into the guardrail. The driver of the Nissan, Paul A. Espinoza, 31, of Annandale, Va., was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Espinoza was charged with DUI.
The BMW spun out in the lanes and struck a northbound 2015 Toyota Camry. A fourth vehicle, a 2011 Toyota Prius, struck the debris. Neither the driver of the Camry nor the Prius was injured.
Based on further investigation and additional witness statements, the trooper was able to determine that one of the BMW’s four occupants, a passenger named Mohammed Abdullah Bin Khurayyif, 30, of Ontario, Canada, exited the vehicle after it crashed and was standing in front of the BMW when the BMW was struck from behind by a northbound 2018 Honda Civic. The BMW then struck Bin Khurayyif.
Bin Khurayyif is still being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. The driver of the BMW, Wail Abdullah A. Almogbel, 24, of Rosedale, Md., and the other two adult male passengers in the BMW were also transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The driver of the Honda Civic, Erin M. Kelly, 60, of Alexandria, Va., was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. She was wearing a seat belt.
The crashes remain under investigation. The Virginia State Police Fairfax Division Crash Reconstruction Team is assisting with the crash investigation.
