Arlington police say a December road dispute that spilled off I-66 and onto neighborhood streets has now led to an arrest.
Zai Atwater, 24, of Washington, D.C., is charged in connection with a December 18, 2025 hit-and-run that injured two men near North Glebe Road. According to the Arlington County Police Department, Atwater faces charges of Malicious Wounding, two counts of Hit & Run, Assault & Battery, Reckless Driving and Driving While Suspended. He is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
It started around 7:17 p.m., when officers were called to the 1100 block of North Glebe Road for a crash with injuries.
Investigators say the suspect and one of the victims were both driving east on I-66 when they got into some kind of dispute. Police say the suspect followed the other driver off the highway and into Arlington.
Near the intersection of North Glebe Road and North Wakefield Street, the victim parked and got out of his vehicle. As he began walking, police say the suspect accelerated and struck him with his car.
As the driver fled, investigators say he hit a second man who was crossing North Wakefield Street in a crosswalk. That pedestrian was not involved in the earlier dispute.
Both victims — adult men — were taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. They have since been released.
Later that same evening, police located the suspect vehicle in Washington, D.C. Detectives say that during a detailed investigation, they gathered evidence confirming Atwater was behind the wheel at the time of the crash. Warrants were issued, and he was taken into custody in D.C. before being extradited to Virginia.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180.
For residents along Glebe Road and Wakefield Street, the incident is a sharp reminder of how quickly a highway confrontation can spill into neighborhood streets — and how dangerous that can be for drivers and pedestrians alike.