Speeding Charges Filed After Fatal Pedestrian Crash

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by RestonNow.com June 27, 2018 at 10:15 am 31 Comments

The driver involved in a fatal pedestrian crash that happened in late May is facing a speeding charge.

According to a Fairfax County Police Department release, Michael Peter Fruitman, 67, of Herndon was charged with speeding 20 mph above the posted speed limit of 40 mph. Fruitman was issued a summons pending a future court date.

On May 21, Glanetta Miller Nunn, 71, of Reston was hit by a car and killed as she tried to cross Reston Parkway at Bluemont Way. Fruitman, the driver of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra that hit her, was traveling northbound on Reston Parkway. He remained on site as police investigated the incident. Nunn was pronounced dead at the scene.

Information about a second fatal pedestrian crash that happened in early June has not yet been released. In that incident, a 63-year-old pedestrian was hit and killed by a car at the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Fountain Drive.

Photo by Fairfax County Police Department

Mike M

Hard to believe Fruitman was going 60 mph. Might be even harder to prove. This sounds like the charges are political. So, press charges to satisfy the mob. Then fail in court later with a whimper and hope no one notices. By the way, I guess the victim was not in a crosswalk?
- John
  
  https://media.giphy.com/media/XsUtdIeJ0MWMo/giphy.gif
- Greg
  
  There are three crosswalks at that intersection. The missing one is on the south side crossing Reston Parkway.
  
  And, of course, the there is inadequate and very feeble lighting at that intersection. When it works.
  
  https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9601515,-77.3546142,67m/data=!3m1!1e3
  - GeorgeReston
    
    Uh, that’s the wrong intersection. She was hit south of there … at the intersection of Reston Pkwy and Bluemont Way. A lot of people cross Reston Pkwy there because there are a lot of high rise and low rise condo buildings on the east side of Reston Pkway and the Town Center (with all its shops and restaurants) is located on the west side of Reston Pkway. People cross from the east to west (and back again) ALL THE TIME. There is absolutely no problem with the lighting at that intersection.
- PGG
  
  To this day, not one time is mentioned if this woman was crossing in a crosswalk or with the light or against the light. Nobody knows that part. If someone does, I’m interested. It’s very sad.
- Guest
  
  Proof is in how far his car made her body & stroller fly from the point of impact!…. & he only gets a speeding ticket smdh
  - Mike M
    
    Not sure that’s proof. I think any defense attorney could flay that “evidence.”
- Chkitout1
  
  Sounds more like they’re making the driver a scapegoat. I would like to see how they came to the conclusion the driver was speeding at 60 MPH.
- Chuck Morningwood
  
  I’m no expert on this, but if he locked up his brakes and left skidmarks, you can infer speed based on a number of different factors.
  
  Or maybe another driver witnessed it and said, “Jesus Christ. I was doing 60 at the time, and that jackwad passed me like I was standing still when he nailed that old lady”.
  
  Or maybe not.
  - Greg
    
    Cell phone records are one source, as could be the car’s computers.
    - just wondering
      
      I am wondering about cell phone records, it could be the root cause of many problems on the road today.
      
      privacy laws may shield the accused. cell phone tower traffic can be intercepted and analyzed but again, privacy laws come into play.
      
      although its easy to prove drunk driving I never hear anyone getting charged with distracted driving with proof resting on their cell phone activity.
Greg

Not a criminal law expert, but he killed someone with a vehicle and gets a speeding ticket?

I believe that vehicular homicide requires intoxication, so apparently that was not a factor.

What happened to reckless driving? Can’t prove 21 MPH over the limit?

Also, the speed limit changes too often in too many places on VA 602 / 608 (the roads with various names through Fairfax County) between Leesburg Pike and Lee Highway and people speed along all sections of it when it’s not congested.
- Guest
  
  The speed limit does change on that road, but he was beside the town center. No way anyone should go 60 mph past the town center.
- John
  
  A police officer can give you a reckless even if you’re going exactly the speed limit. The 21 mph over is merely one reason that a police officer *may* issue a reckless ticket. If you’re at a complete stop and your wheels squeal as you “launch” from a stop, but never exceed the speed limit, that can be considered reckless driving.
  
  The speed limit changes as the road conditions change. People speed because too many drivers sit in the left lane and do not allow others to pass. So they get frustrated and start driving like maniacs in order to get around the slower drivers who are violating left lane laws.
  - Del Mueller
    
    People speed because too many drivers are “sitting” in the left lane?? Not in this area. People speed because of traffic delays or are just too impatient. I can be going 5 mph over the posted speed limit and drivers will fly around me.
    - John
      
      If you’re in the left lane on any divided highway and someone wants to pass, the law says move right.
      - Del Mueller
        
        That is true John and I do get over. My point is that we don’t live in SW Virginia with a low population density. So many times around NOVA even on the divided highways both lanes need to be used to move the traffic, we can’t give up the left lane simply to allow speeders to fly by. Too much traffic volume to go down to one lane.
      - GeorgeReston
        
        Reston Parkway is NOT a divided highway. It’s a street. The left lane is not a passing lane. Cars make left turns from the left lane. He should have seen her. It’s a wide street … no obstructions. If the guy was going 20 over the speed limit, he should be charged with negligent homicide or something similar. A speeding ticket for killing a person is a travesty.
      - Greg
        
        Then what is that grassy curbed thing in the middle of Reston Parkway? From Leesburg Pike to the toll road…no curbs south of there until after the fire house.
      - GeorgeReston
        
        Are you talking about the median strip? For God’s sake it’s ankle high. There’s no way it obstructed Fruitman’s view. And the woman was 71 years old. It’s not like she darted out in front of him.
      - Greg
        
        I didn’t say a thing about blocked views, height, god, ages, or obstructed views.
        
        Try reading more carefully and critically.
      - Greg
        
        And, for the ignorant:
        
        divided highway
        
        noun NORTH AMERICAN
        
        a road with a median strip between the traffic in opposite directions and typically two or more lanes in each direction.
      - GeorgeReston
        
        So every street with a median strip is now a highway, huh? That’s brilliant.
      - GeorgeReston
        
        What is your point? It’s a city street. That it’s divided by a median strip doesn’t mean it’s not a city street. Some people here are talking as if Reston Parkway is a highway and that slower traffic should keep to the right. That’s just ridiculous. These are people who don’t live in Reston and have no idea what they’re talking about. Traffic is often backed up in the left lane on Reston Parkway heading north by people making a left onto Bluemont Way to get to the Town Center. There are a lot of residential buildings (e.g., Stratford condos) on the east side of that intersection. A lot of people who live there cross Reston Parkway to get to the Town Center. It’s an unobstructed intersection. There’s absolutely no excuse for hitting someone who’s crossing the street there.
    - John
      
      § 46.2-842. Driver to give way to overtaking vehicle.
      Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase the speed of his vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle. Any over-width, or slow-moving vehicle as defined by § 46.2-1081 shall be removed from the roadway at the nearest suitable location when necessary to allow traffic to pass.
      
      Code 1950, § 46-227; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-211; 1979, c. 361; 1989, c. 727.
  - Greg
    
    Can you please cite the relevant code?
    - John
      
      what relevant code? You can google Va code as easily as I can.
      - Greg
        
        Just as I suspected.
        
        Have a nice life.
      - John
        
        Look right above this comment, and then have a nice life.
    - John
      
      § 46.2-852. Reckless driving; general rule. Irrespective of the maximum speeds permitted by law, any person who drives a vehicle on any highway recklessly or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless driving.
      § 46.2-852. Reckless driving; general rule – Virginia Law
      https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-852/
GeorgeReston

I live in north Reston and work south of the toll road. I’ve been driving that stretch of road 2x a day for the last 14 years. You have to be doing something horribly wrong to hit a person at that intersection. It’s a wide open view absolutely free of any obstructions… no trees, no parked cars … nothing. I can believe the guy was doing 60 or was distracted or something. As the population of Reston has been allowed to skyrocket, the traffic on Reston Parkway and other roads has gotten congested. People get impatient. They speed and run red lights. Regardless of whether this woman was crossing in a cross walk or whatever, the guy should have been paying attention. She sure as hell didn’t deserve to get hit.

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