FCPD Investigates Woman's Death in Car Accident

Fairfax County police are investigating a Tuesday night car crash that killed a 20-year-old woman.

Natalie Miranda, a Falls Church resident, died around 7 p.m. on Wednesday night from injuries she received in the crash.

On Tuesday, at about 12:35 p.m. Miranda was driving her 1991 Honda Accord north on Cherokee Drive, near I-395. Two male acquaintances, 17 and 18 years old, were in the car with Miranda. She then let the 17 year old, who does not have a driver's license, drive the car.

North of Patuxent Way on Cherokee, the teenage driver accelerated the car and lost control. The car drifted into the southbound lane, then back into the northbound lane, before spinning counterclockwise. It struck a 2008 Toyota Highlander, whose driver, a 44-year-old woman, had stopped her car when she saw the Honda's erratic movement.

After hitting the Highlander, the Honda went down an embankment next to the road. While the 44-year-old woman and the 17-year-old driver were not injured, Miranda and the 18-year-old male were transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital. While the male passenger's injuries were non-life-threatening, Miranda died Wednesday evening.

The crash is now being investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department, according to FCPD spokesperson Officer Shelley Broderick. Speed contributed to the crash, Broderick said, and alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the accident.

According to Broderick, FCPD has not yet determined the relationship between Miranda, the driver, and the other passenger in the car. No determination about criminal charges will be made until the investigation is complete, according to Broderick.