Several injured after pursuit of carjacking suspect leads to serious crash in Herndon
HERNDON, Va. - A police pursuit of a carjacking and assault suspect led to a serious crash involving multiple vehicles in Herndon on Wednesday, Fairfax County police said.
The crash happened at about 8:35 p.m. at the intersection of Centreville Road and Frying Pan Road.
Investigators said this all started when the suspect, 28-year-old Brandon Stefon Vinson, of Adelphi, Maryland, knocked on the door of a home in the 6100 block of Early Autumn Drive in Centreville. Vinson hit the young child who answered the door and then he fled the scene in a car that was reported stolen as a result of a carjacking in Hyattsville at about 6 p.m. Wednesday night.
Police were contacted at around 7:45 p.m. about the assault.
After leaving the scene of the assault, the suspect then crashed into a pickup truck at Stone Road and Lee Highway and ended up carjacking that driver. He then stole a trailer and attached it to the truck.
Officers located the suspect fleeing in the stolen pickup truck and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. This led to short chase that ended in a crash with a van at Centreville Road and Frying Pan Road after police said the suspect ran a red light.
Police said Vinson ran from the intersection. After officers caught up with him, Vinson then assaulted both officers in an attempt to try to get away again. He was eventually taken into custody.
A mother and five children inside the van were taken to the hospital following the crash. A child was ejected from the van and had to be flown to the hospital in critical condition. The other victims also were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Two officers who were injured by the suspect suffered minor injuries and are expected to return to work, according to police.
Vinson was also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries he sustained in the crash, police said.
Vinson is charged with carjacking, speed to elude, two assaults on police officers and receiving stolen property.
Police said officers had to be called to the hospital on Thursday afternoon when Vinson tried to wrestle out of his handcuffs.