Car crash in Anacostia kills pedestrian and injures five others

A pedestrian has died after being struck by a car Sunday as the result of a crash in Historic Anacostia. Authorities say 31-year-old Bronx, New York resident Abdul Seck was walking in the 2100 block of 16th Street SE around 3 p.m. when he was hit by a redirected car that had been rammed by another car “traveling at a high rate of speed.” Five other people were hurt.

Seck was taken to an area hospital and died after all life-saving efforts failed, D.C. police say. They arrested Southeast resident Dejuan Andre Marshall, 21, and charged him with second-degree murder. According to a release from the Metropolitan Police Department, Marshall was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Cruz westbound and collided with a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu at the intersection of 16th and V streets SE. The collision caused the latter car to run into Seck.

Officials with D.C.’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department shared photos of the crash’s aftermath on Twitter, saying one of the cars rolled over and two youth were harmed:

The District has now seen eight traffic fatalities in 2019, following an uptick in traffic deaths over the past few years despite the city’s Vision Zero initiative to eradicate them by 2024. On Friday, well-known bike advocate Dave Salovesh was struck and killed on Florida Avenue NE by a man who police say had stolen a van nearby. Residents installed a white “ghost bike” at the intersection where Salovesh was killed and are pressing officials for safety improvements.

Some are also calling for changes at the intersection in Anacostia where Sunday’s fatal crash happened. They say the intersection has long been risky and needs traffic-slowing measures.

Update, 6:00 p.m.:

Late Monday afternoon, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) tweeted that it would make changes to the intersection, and that “work will begin on this immediately.” It also tweeted that it reviews locations for possible safety improvements “whenever there is a senseless loss of life as a the result of a traffic crash.” The agency did not offer other details.

This post has been updated with additional information from DDOT.