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Trooper C. Aziz is seen speaking to Erica D. Bernard, 43, of Albright, WV, who was stopped in the northbound lanes near Exit 52 in Fairfax County around 3 a.m. Tuesday, June 11, Virginia State Police said.
Moments later, Joanna F. Hatch, 35, of Arlington, pulls up in a Jeep Cherokee and hits a tractor-trailer that had stopped due to the travel lane being closed by the sedan, State Police said.
The impact of that crash caused the Jeep to spin around and strike the trooper's patrol car, which then struck the sedan, which then struck the trooper.
She falls to the ground, but calmly stands right back up and walks over to the Cherokee.
The trooper sustained minor injuries and was taken to Fairfax INOVA Hospital for evaluation. His patrol car was positioned behind the sedan with its emergency lights activated.
Bernard, who was still seated inside the vehicle at the time it was struck, was also treated for minor injuries sustained in the crash.
Bernard 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. Hatch was charged with DUI.
Both Bernard and Hatch were transported to Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
"THIS is what impaired driving does," Virginia State Police caption the video.
"[Virginia State Police] Trooper C. Aziz, amazingly, didn't end up w/any broken bones, but she still has a long road to recovery after a DUI driver slammed into the back of her patrol car while she was stopped out w/a DUID driver on I495 in FFX Co. on 6/11/24."
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