Police release more details about fatal I-395 crash caught on video

D.C. police have identified the driver who was killed in a dramatic crash on Interstate 395 this weekend that was caught on video.

Police said Van Thomas Lee, 28, was driving a Hyundai Elantra around 7:45 p.m. Sunday when it careened off an overpass and landed in oncoming traffic below.

Dashcam footage of the crash was shared with WTOP by a driver.

Police said the Hyundai was traveling south in the 9th Street Tunnel approaching the split in the roadway to either continue traveling on 9th Street or go west toward I-395/Maine Avenue. The Hyundai began to take the westbound ramp, but then struck the jersey wall twice and crashed over the wall, toppling onto the lanes below.

The car landed on the rear of a Lexus ES350, flipped upside and skidded on its roof before coming to a stop, police said. After being struck, the Lexus also flipped onto its roof and hit a Chevy Equinox.

Lee was ejected from the car in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A passenger in the Hyundai and the driver of the Lexus were both taken to the hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call police at 202-727-9099 or text your tip to 50411.

Jack Moore

Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.

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