According to police, the sedan driver refused to cooperate with the trooper’s attempts to move the vehicle to a safer location on the shoulder. During this interaction, a Jeep Cherokee struck a tractor-trailer that had stopped due to the sedan blocking the travel lane. The collision caused the Jeep to spin and hit the trooper’s patrol car, then struck the sedan and the trooper.
The trooper sustained minor injuries and was transported to Fairfax INOVA Hospital for evaluation. The patrol car’s emergency lights were activated during the incident.
The sedan driver, Erica D. Bernard, 43, of Albright, West Virginia, remained in the vehicle when struck. Bernard was treated for minor injuries and has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, obstruction, possession of a Schedule I or II substance, refusal of a blood/breath test, and improperly stopping a vehicle on a highway.
The driver of the Jeep Cherokee, Joanna F. Hatch, 35, of Arlington, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Both Bernard and Hatch were taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.