brianne carter has the reaction to it. forms. brianne carter has the reaction to it. >> they are going to make the police officers more visible at stations just like this one here. gallery place. look at this. you can see one, two, three, four metro transit cars outside. something many will see more often in the everything rush hour. >> two days after a shooting on board a green line train metro is increasing the number of the police on trains, buses and at stations. >> probably a good idea. >> metro transit police chief says plans include reassigning 17 responsible for securing the cash from the fair machines to the traditional police and the patrol duties. transit police partner with an outside firm to handle revenue responsibility. in the everything rush hour, metro will increase by 100% by the overlapping shift and what they call the power hour deployment. >> we have officers that are day work and everything. we overlap the dayward ship and the evening ship. we will pay them two or three overtime to have an impact. >> they ar

brianne carter has more. what is behind the move? brianne: more than $9 billion deficit. it has to do a contributing factor to this. how much you are paying to fill up the gas tank. with the fuel prices down, so is the fuel tax revenue. they are getting. they are proposing fewer buses like this on the roads. >> how are we supposed to live if we don't have transportation to get there? >> one after another, prince william county and the manassas city residents spoke out about the proposal to splash service on the prtc commuter and the local businesses. 12,000 riders use the buses daily. the transit agency looking to cut it by 12% and raise fare bis 5%. the reason? short fam that they say is cut for the falling fuel tax revenue and reduced federal funding. >> if anything the bus service needs to be expanded and not cut. i appreciate the current situation. >> for 57% of the riders buss are the only way to get armed. >> this rider doesn't drive and relies on buses. >> i want to maintain my independence and go where i want to go and do what i like to do. >> want a chance to wei

brianne carter is live with the developments. brianne: david eisenhauer and natalie keepers are facing charges in connection with the murder and held without bond. 18-year-old virginia tech student david eisenhauer remains behind bars after making his first court appearance on first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of nicole lovell. >> it is heart-breaking to hear this could happen in virginia tech. >> this was eisenhauer last year at wild lake high school in columbia. >> i hate to lose. but i will. i am okay with second place if i run a fantastic time. brianne: said to be a star middle distance runner. tonight, the principal is in shock. >> he did very well here. while this is a great school. he did well. >> natalie keepers is also in jail charged helping dispose of the body. the neighbors describe her as nice. her high school principal is stunned. >> a valued member of our school community. strong academic students. >> brian: -- brianne: they found her body after she vanished after pushing a dresser from her be

brianne carter is live with more on on the search for the gunman. brianne: a barbershop employee said the three masked men stood here in the entrance of the barbershop and opened fire. take a look here at this image. this is what the internationa employees tell us the area where a man and his 2-year-old were sitting at the time that gunfire rang out in broad daylight. everyone in the barbershop dropped to the ground when the shots were fired. the man was struck more than once according to police. the man and his 2-year-old son were taken to an area hospital. we understand that according to employees they both suffered non-life threatening injuries. they don't believe this was a random act. tonight the search is on for suspects and people in the area are concerned. >> this is devastating. i hope the baby will be okay. >> we just go to get your children or your frapped children's haircut and someone shoots in a barbershop. they have no regard for life at all. >> now police tell us the search is on for the masked men. they ran down the street here. they

reporting live, brianne carter, abc7 news. >> thank you. metro passengers who ride orange, the silver and the blue line may experience delays after 10:00. they are replacing 400 feet of rail on the smithsonian station. it will take tomorrow night from mcpherson and federal center station in southwest. it will improve safety and reliability. leon: just ahead at 6:00 -- she is 102 years old and -- 106 years old and she got to meet the president. you might remember her from a "7 on your side" story. we caught up with her after the big white house visit and her dance there. >> she has moves. also ahead at 6:00, more than a dozen bald eagles found dead on the eastern shore. mystery coming up. leon: one republican candidate not in nevada yet. making a pit stop here. john kasich's visit to george mason university stirring up controversy. we will tell you about it. michelle: the u.s. and russia agreed to enforce a cease-fire in syria. in the change to previously aboarded creasefire, they are going to act as guarantors and the monitor and cessation

brianne carter is live along eighth street. how are things going? >> well, michelle, it depends on the time of day. we have seen five or six people waiting on a platform like this to get on the streetcar to dozens already on board the new transit option. many people we talk to today say they are not using it to commute. they just want to hype on and chec streetcar. we did notice that people are getting used to the streetcar doors. if you want to get on board you need to push a button on the door to open if someone is not getting out from the direct door. others getting used to the route for where they can get on and off. right now the service is free. in the next six months ddot expected to announce a fare structure. many riders say that is what they are waiting to see, what does it cost to get up and down "h" street. we ask the first-time rider what is they think is worse. >> i think they can keep it going free and get the transfers to the regular metro. brianne: others said they think pricing to thes but would be fair. we put the streetcar to the

it is a holiday and if in fact please do.y home reporting live, brianne carter. jummy: we have much more coverage coming up this entire hour. make sure you stay with abc seven and the stormwatch team as we track this winter weather. you can stay connected by downloading our app to your phone or tablet. coming up, we of course have continuing coverage of the winter storm. doug hill will be the -- back with the latest on phase two of the system. -- sam: i am sam sweeney in springfield. i drive to the hoop. i drive a racecar. i have a driver. his name is carl. but that's not what we all have in common. we talked to our doctors about treatment with xarelto®. xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. xarelto® is also proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. for people with afib currently well managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. you know, taki

brianne carter covering metro with details on this. brianne: just within the past month or so we have h assault, robbery and a shooting that happened this week. one at the gallery place metro station. today the police chief saying crime is on an uptick. now a plan announced to combat it all. metro leaders are going to put the extra officers within the patrolling of the system. they will be added to train, buses and station. i will have 17 officers responsible for securing money from the fair boxes to the traditional police and the patrolled duty. transit police will warter in with outside firm to handle the revenue responsibility. in the evening rush hour they will increase the number of officers on duty by 100%. in overlapping the shift with the daytime and the night officers. the riders always ask why isn't there an officer on every car on every train? today the metro police chief addressed it. the trains and the platform. mezzanine. putting it in every car, 900 rail cars that is not a realistic expectations. brianne: more than 900 ra

brianne carter picks up a team coverage with a check on metro crime. brianne: metro transit police chief calling this a very rare occurrence. what happened here today on board of a train. now we also understand there was a metro transit police officer by the buses when all of this happened. the police in place and the technology that tonight police are touting in quickly being able to track down those they believe to be responsible. >> we always want to reassure riders we have a safe system. this is an anomaly event. i can't recall one that where a shooting occurred on a train. >> they call the one today on board the green line train rare. but reportedly it has happened in the past. according to the "washington post" in 2003 a woman was shot and wounded on a green line train in what may have been an accident. in 1993, a man was shot in the shoulder on an orange line train. today's shooting, however, part of a growing number of crimes involving the teens on the system. just in the past month a group of teens was arrested after assaulting a man at gallery

brianne carter has the fallout. brianne: pope francis making these comments on his way back his trip to mexico. say hee did not specifically approved contraception, he said of under suchegnancy circumstances is not an absolute evil. the zika virus has caused en to delay travel to infested countries. >> if they feel that they got the guidance they want, then great. brianne: making pope francis also rejecting abortion as a solution to zika. he said that is a crime and an absolute evil. coming up at 5:00, local catholics respond. brianne carter, abc 7 news. michelle: thank you. in the meantime, a political battle between pope francis and donald trump. the pontiff calling out the donald on his plan to build a in theparating mexico united states. here is the quote. today, donald trump fired back. the mexican government said the pope a tremendous amount of stuff about trump is not a good person. as i am walking up to, they said mr. trump, the pope made a statement about you. i said the pope? what did the pope say? i like t

there is no place in the public. >> in hyattsville, brianne carter, abc7 news.on your side" when it comes to the four c's. ten minutes ago troubleshooter horace holmes gave us a quiz now we talk about buying the diamonds. he is back with a look at the answers. horace: the biggest one and the shiniest one is the most expensive. not necessarily so. here are the answers. quiz number one. the answer is "a," on the left. quiz number two, guesses? >> you're right. >> quiz three? answer is b. watch us tonight on 11:00. interesting story. leon: just sent horace to the store for you. >> i can do what! alison: thank you. leon: all right. show you how 7 is on your side. call the team. alison: still to come at 5:00. >> this make us realize how lucky we are. >> the girl high school basketball team partnered up with the special olympics. how they are building the life-long friendships. >> a fistfight got hot and heavy when this guy pulled out a knife. can you now pull him out of the shadows? the wall of justice is next. leon: a green war. new orders from the pentagon for the

brianne carter has more. how is it looking this evening?>> well, the full service is up and running but not on the streetcar. they have a number of the brand ambassador to get used to the new system. >> he got on the streetcar for the first full day of service. many riders told us they want to see what if hype is about. >> i would use this. 30 minute to ride the two-mile stretch. we want to know is it faster to walk? my photographer rode the tracks and i walked alongside. it took me more than ought minutes to go ten blocks it took the streetcar half that time. >> you beat me. >> but even if it is faster many riders say the real question cost remains. >> something we watched for to see if the cars were on the track slows down the streetcar. back to coast. it will be free for six months. if saying if they have to pay after that, they would like to see something similar to pricing of the bus. reporting live, brianne carter, abc7 news. leon: thanks. the question is do people want to pay to save four minutes? >> this is a slow one for some spots

brianne carter takes us aboard. brianne: smooth sailing so far today as we got a preview on the new streetcar. i'm standing a at stop along the line. i'm all by myself but officials hope it will c if you take a look here this is where they will have the treat car to be the announcement of where you are going to get on and off. it launches tomorrow at 10:00. you can see there is a lot of space inside. each one of the cars as they make their way down h street. now one of the things we notice when riding is the streetcar had it come to a stop. if a driver parked on the side has a door open. the streetcar comes to a stop. driver gives them a honk and they hope to close the door to get the streetcar on its i. they have put out information to make sure that they don't do that. advising people not to double park. advice for people as well who will use their bike in any of the lanes. they advise using the alternate routes as well. what do people along h street think about the streetcar? will they be using it when it official

reporting live, brianne carter, abc7 news. michelle: thank you. now to the other big story this afternoon, startling claims about a birth control device that may be linked to death of hundreds of unborn babies. jonathan: "7 on your side" looked into essure for months and found this may be a bigger than sought problem. joce sterman in the newsroom with what young women and expecting mother this. this is the online reporting forum for the f.d.a. you can search any of the problem that have been reported to the government about this. they can be reported by patients themes so the stories may not be corroborated. they may come from manufacturers and doctors. looking at the data. it knew of five fetal deaths linked to essure but other groups looked into more detail and they say they uncovered hundreds more. essure problems started on facebook. women joined for a common cause, complaints over the birth control devices. the 27,000 women belonging to the group now seeing signs of hope thanks to congressman mike fitzpatrick. >> thaw have been ignored by the

that is where brianne carter is live with the latest on the story. brianne: in the last half hour we talked to an employee here of the barbershop who says he has wor he was here when the shot rang out. that man and the 2-year-old son was sitting in a chair beyond the open sign in the barbershop. he said three masked men walked in to the doorway. that is when they opened fire. everyone in barbershop including a number of people waiting to get the haircut dropped to the floor once it happened. the man and the 2-year-old boy were struck. the barbershop employee says the man and the child have been in the shop before. the man was struck more than once but we believe the man and the boy are expected to be okay. we don't believe it is a random act, police in the area are concerned. >> i have been in the barbershop. that is while it's scary. i have kids of my own. what i was walking out and they were running in there or running out? are looking for a vehicle they believe to be connect told the three men they are looking for. the vehicle last seen heading dow

as brianne carter reports that was the subject of a hearing today. ianne: two metro trains landed after a near commission. >> a combination of things that went wrong at a terrible location and a terrible time. the system did work. we should never get that far in the system. brianne: metro officials say it happened wednesday outside the smithsonian station. switch problem caused an empty orange line train to reverse and head back to new carrollton. the metro officials say the co federal triangle. instead he thoughthe was able to come here to the smithsonian station where a train was sitting on the tracks. >> were there distractions from the operator's standpoint or the controller standpoint? that is under investigation. >> metro officials say moving back to the operator they ran a red light signal. >> under no circumstances is an operator to go past a red signal. brianne: metro officials say the moving train was only going 10 miles per hour and the train operator was able to stop as soon as he saw the other train. >> if we get in the reverse move, befo

brianne carter is joining us with a compromise brianne: a compromise and also a historic move. eastbound lanes of 66. you can see the traffic moving. but for any of you driving in the morning you know there are choke points along here. now according to lawmakers in virginia they have a plan to try to alleviate that. earlier today virginia governor terry mcauliffe saying the relief will come as they widen interstate 66 inside the beltway. the bipartisan agreement would widen the eastbound lanes of 66 from the dulles connector to exit 71 in boston. this project is part of a budget amendment that needs to make its way through the general assembly. the price tag is $140 million. currently the solo drivers are not allowed to use the lane in rush hour. will pay the toll to get on. tolls set for 2017 are still expected to be that way. while construction on the widening is underway. take a listen to what the governor had to say. governor mcauliffe: this agreement will accelerate the widening of the choke point while beefing up transit improvement for the brianne: the officials said the

jonathan: brianne carter has been tracking road conditions this afternoon. michelle: we know you got out with vdot crews. what did you encounter while you were out there? jonathan: brianne? brianne: the plow driver movedded the snow. you can see that on the roads. if you take a look on the roadway the slush that is left behind is going to be the concern now for all of the more than 4,000 pieces of equipment that are out on the roads here in northern virginia. take a look at the video. behind the scenes. with the plow truck and the officials today out there on the road. they say the crews have been working hard to get the road clear. now the concern is the wet and the slush left behind. they are concerned with freezing rain moving in and the cold temperatures, that that is the problem moving in the afternoon and the evening. so to using salt but mixing in sand for the mixture as well to try to add a little extra traction on the road. they say with the ice, there is really no treatment out there. they tell drivers don't be fooled. it does not mean that it is no

here is brianne carter. : a couple of hours make a difference. a lot of slush on the roads people woke up to today. wet pavement. a lot of road spray as well. some roads, there may be potential for flooding. lots of windshield wipers on, not because of precipitation, but because of the road spray. no ice we are seeing remaining. mobile track seven reporting 48 degrees outside. quite a bit of water. standing water in some areas. weÑ will keep an eye on the ros throughout the day. jummy: our team coverage continues this entire hour on abc 7 news at noon. we will have reports throughout the area. you can stay connected on our stormwatch app, from your phone or tablet. .oming up, on alert from tornadoes to snow. continuing coverage of the weather. jummy: more on the messy storms dropping snow, ice, and rain. 15 states on alert from north carolina to maine. the storm is being blamed for thousands of accidents. elizabeth: the national weather service will be on the ground, looking into 17 reported tornadoes from florida to louisiana, that left homes a

brianne carter is on the rail line and those questions are not easy to answer eight days out. brianne: it really depends on who you're talking to about all of this. take a look at the tracks. we see they are empty. just cap moving along them. in just over a week the streetcar will be moving up and down and you will start to see people waiting here at the station. construction, testing, and delays, riders will finally be able to get on the d.c. streetcar. startger service will february 27, but will initially run every day but sunday. a spokesman for vdot tells abc7 the car will run a limited schedule for an introductory period for brianne: for the first two months you -- first few months you will be able to ride for free. what isn't clear is after the six months is up, how much it will cost to ride and what payment system it will use. spokesperson says it will be comparable to the d.c. circulator. >> it makes sense. brianne: sam lives right off of h street and he says right now butoes not land to use it if the service is extended to other neighborhoods, he could . streetas exten

brianne carter has new information tonight on these cases in our area. brianne: in the last hour, abc7 news has learned there has been three confirmed cases in d.c. as you mentioned including one pregnant woman. we understand in speaking with a spokesperson for the d.c. department of health one case was discovered in 2015. the other two in 2016. in each of the cases they involve people who traveled outside the u.s. the two people who traveled here in 2016 visited south america and central america. the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention now issuing travel advisories for 28 countries and territories. warning pregnant women to avoid travel to the areas if possible. the d.c. department of health say they are working with the c.d.c. to monitor and track cases as well. coming up tonight at 5:00, what people traveling here to d.c. and the d.c. residents are saying. plus, what you can do to try to help protect yourself if you are traveling abroad. reporting live, brianne carter, abc7 news. michelle: thank you. we have a lot of information on zika, ho

brianne carter has update on the condition and a look at what happened there. brianne: well, police now say they are looking for three masked men. the police are still on the scene after this happened at 2:00 this an. look here where the police are coming out of the building. that is where this is located. three masked men walked in and shoot a man and a 2-year-old little boy. the shooting happened in broad daylight. around 2:00 this afternoon. police say there were a number of people in the barbershop and the police right now are talking to the witnesses. investigators do not believe this was a random crime. just in the last hour we heard from police saying both the man and his little boy, those injuries are not non-life threatening. tonight the police asking for the public's help. >> we had a white s.u.v. in thsc potentially with folks with masks on, or if you have information we'd appreciate you contact us. brianne: the investigation ongoing. the search for the suspects continues as well. coming up tonight at 5:00, hear from a woman who tells us she has been

our brianne carter is about to take the first ride on the streetcar so you can watch on abc seven news at four clock. -- at four clock. -- at 4:00. doug: but sunday will warm up nicely. a look outside from all the, virginia in loudoun county. we had a few snow showers in flurries blowing around briefly. not surprising with the gusty flow of cold wind out of the west. , andw the clouds break up the cloud cover will stay pushing off to the east and southeast. 39 at reagan national as we speak, 36 in frederick, baltimore is at 38. spotse of the warmer reported in fredericksburg. we have had wind gusts as high as 35 miles per hour in washington, 33 miles per hour in leesburg, so it is going to be augusta afternoon and that will drive the windchill temperatures down a little bit. the air temperatures will will make it feel colder as we head through the afternoon and evening hours. futurecast, we can check out the feels-like temperature's. right now chills are running in that early 20's. late this afternoon, it is going to stay on the chilly side. late tonight, early tomorrow morning, chills

brianne carter is in the mobile track 7 and mad her way there -- made her way there. or nearby. what is going on? brianne: well, we just got here. i'll get you out live. police here. lassy court in lorton area. they told us they war called out here from if man suffering from emotional distress. he is the only person in the home but there is no threat to the public. people in the area are still allowed to come and go from the homes. a large mispresence. here on the scene. this man suffering from emotional distress and we w alison: few of us want to admit when we are starting to feel the effect and the sign of aging. in maryland a push is underway to make sure we're all still if it to be behind the wheel as we get older. kevin lewis went to annapolis and get details. kevin: in 2014, michael and josie's daughter lauren was hit and killed on a sidewalk. the driver an 83-year-old man. >> he confused the pedals of the brake and the accelerator. he hit her and killed her. kevin: today the family testified in a renew the license more frequently. >> it's common knowledge. once you reach a

brianne carter has details on this. what is the story? brianne: >> this is a plan to widen 66 inside the beltway. the bipartisan agreement will add the tolls in 2017 and then widen it later. the ongoing debate to block the tolls altogether. not everyone is behind the new compromise. manassas delegate bob marshall stood in the room as governor mcauliffe made an announcement holding a sign that read stop $17 tolls. >> it may be a done deal but i intend to fight it. >> the a article board of supervisors said we are disappointed with the news of the amended plan from i-66. for construction, officials say they expect it to happen in the next 18 months. the project expected to be completed in leon: get ready for the lanes to close on the outer loop of the beltway. the maryland state highway administration closing down four of the six lanes along the stretch below the brantly boulevard overpass. the lanes should be open at 5:00. we will be watching. that work was supposed to happen monday night but delayed because of the weather. alison: tonight

brianne carter is here with us now with the new information. brianne: they released more than 2,000 documents this an. this is part of the ongoing investigation into the deadly amtrak crash that killed eight and injured more than 200 on may 12. the documents include the transcripts from two interviews with the train engineer. brandon bostian told the investigators he has a foggy memory. the last memory is passing the philadelphia station. the next thing he remembers is standing in the cab as the train derailed. he told the investigators i pushed the throttle forward to accelerate from 70 to 80. i don't remember anything from that point until after the train was in the curb. later in the ongoing interview he told the investigators, "i remember holding on to the controls tightly and feeling like okay, well, this is it. i'm going over." also released in the more than 2,000 pages today the phone records. the records show no call or text made, no data transferred on the phone either. no alcohol or drugs found in his system. he told investigators he

brianne carter, abc7 news. leon: thank you. only on 7, a neighborhood plagued by the odor of natural gas. the area around the elementary school reached out to us for help. you montgomery county reporter kevin lewis is live there. what is going on? >> they are just out here to fix an issue on the street. you can see the fresh black top on the roadway here. the smell of through her neighborhood. >> after i started noticing we had problems i kept walking and going am i getting crazy here? but it's not just me. >> she crafted this map. 19 in total marked a spot where someone complained about the natural gas. >> this is a problem not only because every once in a while something blows up but this is releasing methane in the air which gets involved with global warming issue. >> washington gas says it is aware of the matter but stresses there is a big difference between a gas leak and the smell of gas. to that point the utility the map suggests but they contend one is too many. >> the gas leaks are in the street. or the line under the

brianne carter has more at 5:00. check this out. a geyser in northwest washington after a water valve malfunction sending water shooting in the air. the unplanned water fountain at the corner or 14 and k-street only lasted a few minutes before the water crews were able to cut the water and repair the valve. we had a lot of problems yesterday. what are we seeing on roads today? jamie: this is the aftermath. flooding in mainly fairfax county. i want to start with a crash. if you live in centreville, heads up or if you're trying to get to centreville it is rough on 66 westbound. the crash near route 29 with the two left lanes are blocked. the stretch heading outbound is 35 minutes from the fairfax county parkway continuing closer to 234. i want to take a live look at the backup to show how congested we are. this is 66th right here route 28. so before you get closer to rout 29 and again it's in fact bumper to bumper. pat hole patches. we heard from the national parks service they will continue through throughout the evening rush. northb

brianne carter is looking into metro crime rates as this is just one incident that has many commuters wondering whether they are safe when they get on a train or a bus. jonathan: don't miss update on the breaking news stories especially not in front of the television set. you can sign up for the text alerts at wjla.com. you will get the information as we get it sent straight to your phone. michelle: we want to turn now to the weather. the first wave of rain moved through. but the same system that set off tornado warnings in the south is on the move. chief meteorologist doug hill following that closely. when does that arrive and what can we expect out of it? doug: the rain in advance of the storm system to arrive tomorr during the day and the afternoon with the heaviest rain fall. national weather service issued this for tomorrow morning at 10:00 and it runs through the day tomorrow night to the early morning hours of thursday for the areas in green. areas south and east. less rainfall is expected. if you add on to that anne arundel and prince george county. rain in the area will move

brianne carter is live at the national mall with the latest on this. brianne: that pregnant woman and the two other people with confirmed cases according to d.c. department of health all traveled outside of the u.s. the central or south america. the first case discovered in 2015 and the other two discovered in 2016. there have been two confirmed cases in virginia as well. i could lead to birth defects in pregnant women. c.d.c. issued traveled a vies are for 28 territories warning pregnant women to avoid travel in areas if possible. the d.c. department of health says they are working with the c.d.c to monitor and to track cases here. reaction tonight from the people here in the nation's capital. >> if it were an area that was maybe more underdeveloped i might be more fearful. >> it's a shame. >> the d.c. department of health says you need to know there is no immediate health threat for people here if you have not traveled outside of here. there is no vaccine or immediate treatment for people who contract zika. but there are things if you are traveling to

transportation reporter brianne carter is covering metro tonight to explain. what is the cig caps here? brianne: well, leon, that issue of running red signals is an issue highlighted here by the federal transit administration late last year. this is a safety directive given to metro. the f.t.a. has safety oversight over the authority. pervasiveness and the seriousness of the problem they were making recommendations to make sure that didn't happen again. after in 2015 they had more of the red signal violations than in 2013. they followed the guidelines to get the employees out of the position. we noted that is what metro has done now. they say an investigation is ongoing. it's important to note that metro has been working on this problem since it was highlighted late last year. back to you. leon: all right. thank you. stay with us, folks. coming up at "abc7 news at 5:00" -- hitting hard. see the storm that just went through our area and what it is doing to other part of the country. alison: plus, five years after the deadly tsunami in japan, the unusual fares so

reporting live along h street, brianne carter, abc7 news. alison: one more note here. if mayor bowser has her way the h street line is just the first section of the 22-mile priority streetcar system. the city's ultimate goal is to build a 37-mile system that will reach each of the city's eight wards. leon? leon: alison, another mode of transportation having real issues in the area tonight, breaking news now. a serious accident on u.s. 1 in alexandria. look at this here. this is news chopper 7 live over the scene where five vehicles were involved in a crash. this is on route is just past russell road in fairfax county if you know the area. all the southbound lanes are blocked at the height of rush of delays if you are going through the area. five people have been sent to the hospital. some of them with serious injuries we're told. our sam sweeney is on the way to the scene on mobiletrak7. as soon as he checks in we will get an update on route 1. in the meantime, d.c. public service commission rejected the proposed pepco-exelon merger but in doing so they did leave open

. -- brianne carter took this from mobiletrak7. you are now in alexandria and what a difference four or five hours does make. brianne: that is the key we said all along. what a difference it has made throughout the day. take a look from the mobiletrak7. this is the majority of what we see on the roads. a little slush left to the side. either wet or the dry pavement depending where you are driving. but most of the major roadways, it's now drying out. that is the good news as we hour. federal workers are going in late today, going to be heading home this evening. we are going to keep a close eye on the roads and what they are shaping up to look like. but again, the sun coming down and the wind picking up and drying out the roads. back to you. jamie: traveling on metro, here is what you need to know. orange, blue, silver lines expect delays. they have speed restrictions near stadium armory. as far as the big picture right now, you can see not too much really to worry about. one heavy spot on the inner loop as well as the outer loop in

in southwest washington, brianne carter, abc7 news. michelle: still ahead -- i lead the 11 o'clock news with stories of gun violence. and like many of you, my family lived through the beltway sniper crisis. in congress, i'll fight to expand background checks on guns and ammunition, ban assault weapons, and mandate gun safety locks, because too many kids die from accidental shootings. let's show the nra we're not afraid of them; as democrats,