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A Tesla crashed and caught fire on the Dulles Access Road in Tysons on Wednesday, May 20, sending its driver to the hospital and bringing westbound traffic to a crawl during the afternoon rush.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units were dispatched at 5:03 p.m. to the westbound lanes near Route 7, also known as Leesburg Pike. The driver was taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Emergency communications and the fire department initially characterized the incident as a multiple-vehicle crash. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the crash itself involved only the Tesla, while fire officials reported that two other vehicles sustained minor damage.
Airports Authority police diverted traffic and investigated the scene as firefighters extinguished the burning vehicle.
All westbound lanes of the Dulles Access Road and three lanes of the Dulles Toll Road, or Route 267, were closed during the response. The disruption slowed traffic heading toward Dulles International Airport to a crawl.
The fire was out by about 7:30 p.m., though congestion persisted. Authorities said the closure lasted approximately two hours while crews worked to make the scene safe.
The crash remains under investigation. No charges had been filed as of Thursday morning, according to the Airports Authority.