Two vehicles collided Saturday at a major Hill intersection, leaving one person in each vehicle trapped. Both were extracted by DC Firefighters.
The accident happened around 11 p.m. June 21. Officers immediately received reports of a traffic accident at the intersection of 14th Street and Potomac Avenue SE, near the intersection with Potomac Avenue SE.
Police say one vehicle failed to stop at the red light at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Potomac Avenue SE. As a result, the driver of the striking vehicle struck a second vehicle. That second car had a green light to travel across Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
One vehicle came to a stop in the crosswalk on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, right across the double lanes from the AT&T store. The other came to a stop on the sidewalk in front of 1352 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
DC Fire and EMS responded, extracting a passenger from each vehicle. They transported two men and two women to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Fortunately, no injuries were reported to occupants of the home or public space.
The intersection of Potomac and Pennsylvania Avenues SE has been under construction since February 2025. The goal is to improve traffic safety by replacing the complicated intersection, which had multiple markings and crosswalks that confuse users and endanger pedestrians.
The intersection is being replaced with a traffic circle or ellipse. Three 12-foot lanes of traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue SE will travel around the ellipse, with all street approaches controlled by signal.
It is not clear if new configurations due to construction played a role. The driver of the striking vehicle was arrested and charged with Possession of an Open Container of Alcohol (POCA).
The full police report for POCA is still pending as of Monday morning. This story will be updated.
