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The chaos began around 2:40 p.m. Jan. 6 along the eastbound lanes of the interstate near Eisenhower Avenue when troopers were investigating two crashes.
A third crash happened behind them, and one of the drivers involved—a Hispanic man—sped off from the scene after briefly stopping, state police said.
The driver, now identified as Victor Caneza, 38, made it less than a mile before getting into another crash, troopers said. He then ditched his car and fled on foot, crossing both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-495 before disappearing into a wooded area.
Caneza allegedly crawled through a drainage pipe underneath the interstate, evading officers for nearly three hours.
Troopers spotted him in a narrower section of pipe but were unable to follow as it tightened to an 18-inch diameter, and despite commands in both English and Spanish, Caneza refused to stop, police said.
Fairfax County Police deployed a drone into the pipe but encountered signal issues.
Eventually, officers discovered an exit about three blocks from where Caneza had entered and a local resident reported seeing someone emerge from a manhole roughly 30 minutes earlier.
State Police are now seeking Caneza on warrants for felony hit-and-run and felony eluding.
The investigation remains active.
This is a developing story. Check Daily Voice for updates.
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