Officer injured in car accident

By Elisa Glushefski

Published: March 17, 2008

A 44-year-old lieutenant with the Prince William County Police Department is in serious condition after a pickup truck collided with his motorcycle head-on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

According to police, Lt. Phillip E. Harrover Jr., who was off-duty at the time, was driving his 2006 Kawasaki mo-torcycle north on Nokesville Road near Piper Lane in the Manassas area around 4 p.m. when a 2004 Toyota Tacoma traveling south crossed the sold double yellow lines and crashed into him.

Harrover was thrown from his motorcycle, hitting a 2003 Jeep Wrangler, said Officer Erika Hernandez, police spokeswoman.

He was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital with severe injuries, Hernandez said. He was is listed in stable but serious condition as of Monday evening.

The driver of 2004 Toyota Tacoma that crashed into the motorcycle allegedly tried to flee the scene, but other driv-ers on the road blocked him in with their vehicles until police arrived, Hernandez said.

Police identified the driver of the Toyota as 30-year-old Obidio Arita-Najera, of 2289 Walnut Branch Drive in Culpeper.

He was charged with driving under the influence, unreasonable refusal to take a blood or breath test, felony hit and run and maiming resulting from driving while intoxicated, Hernandez said.

Police believe the Honduran national is in the country illegally, Hernandez said, and his information has been pro-vided to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Arita-Najera is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court June 4, police said.

The driver of the Jeep Wrangler, a 41-year-old Warrenton man, was not injured during the crash.

Staff writer Elisa Glushefski can be reached at 7036-878-8062 or .