<sh>Crash Kills Greenbriar Woman
<bt>A 40-year-old Greenbriar woman was killed, early Sunday morning, in a single-vehicle crash on I-66. She's been identified as Diane Marie Brownlee of Plaza Lane. According to Virginia State Police Sgt. Wallace Bouldin, she was driving alone in a 2000 Isuzu Trooper, Nov. 14, around 4:54 a.m., when the tragedy occurred. She was traveling westbound on I-66, 1/4 mile west of the Route 50 exit.
"Her vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway, struck the guardrail and overturned," said Bouldin. He said Brownlee was not wearing a seatbelt so, when her SUV tipped over, she was ejected through the sunroof and was killed instantly. Furthermore, said Bouldin, "It appears that alcohol was a factor in this particular crash."
<sh>Guilty Plea For Escape
<bt>A Fair Oaks man pleaded guilty last week to a charge of escaping with force. He is Stephen A. Hawkins, 44, of 11733 Fairfax Woods Way in Fairfax.
Fairfax County police responded July 3, around 1 a.m., to the 2500 block of Heath Place in Reston after a woman there reported seeing a man exposing his genitalia on her deck. Police said the man, later identified as Hawkins, struggled briefly with the responding officers before being arrested.
Police charged him with assault on a police officer, peeping into an occupied dwelling and indecent exposure. The assault charge was later reduced to escaping with force and, on Sept. 20, the grand jury indicted him for this offense.
Last Monday, Nov. 8, in Circuit Court, Hawkins pleaded guilty to the escaping charge. Judge Dennis Smith then set his sentencing for Jan. 28. The indecent exposure charge was dropped, Oct. 13, in General District Court. At that same time, Hawkins was found guilty of peeping and fined $100.
<sh>Sobriety Checkpoint Results
<bt>Fairfax County police officers from the Sully District Station conducted a sobriety checkpoint from Saturday, Nov. 6, at midnight to Sunday, Nov. 7, at 3 a.m. All motorists were stopped, and the drivers were checked to assure their abilities to drive had not been impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Approximately 568 cars passed through the checkpoint conducted on two southbound lanes on Route 29 prior to I-66. No motorists were arrested for driving while intoxicated. One motorist was issued a summons for driving without a license.
<sh>New Residential Community OK'd
<bt>The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a new residential community for Chantilly. The developer is Poplar Tree LLC, and the homes will be built on a 25.4-acre parcel formerly known as the Lewis property.
It's along the south side of Poplar Tree Road, next to St. Timothy Catholic Church, and 49 homes are planned. Initially, nearby residents were concerned about the new neighborhood because of road, traffic and pedestrian problems, but those connected with the application took them seriously and agreed to do something about them.
For example, at the far north end of the property lies a dangerous curve on Poplar Tree Road, and the developer has promised to make that curve less severe. Furthermore, because of the high traffic volume at the intersection of Poplar Tree and Lees Corner roads, VDOT will put in a traffic signal at Poplar Tree and Autumn Glory/Lees Corner.
The developer has also promised to preserve several large oak trees, plus fence in and preserve an existing gravesite on the property. And at the community's request, it will install additional pedestrian connections to allow people to reach the sidewalk on Poplar Tree Road and St. Timothy.
Neighbors wanted their children to be able to get to Rocky Run Middle School and St. Timothy School without having to cross the street. Because of the project, a cul-de-sac will be removed and then Autumn Glory will go straight through.
<sh>Blood Donations are Sought
<bt>The Inova Blood Donor Center in the Centremed I Building on Route 29 in Centreville (across from the Centreville Multiplex Cinemas) is in urgent need of blood donations — especially O positive or negative, as well as A and B. They're accepted Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. For an appointment to give blood, call 703-322-1970, or drop in at your own convenience.