2-Year-Old Girl Dies Days After 116 MPH Fairfax County Crash That Killed Parents Xiomara Herrera and Alejandro Rodriguez Castillo

A 2-year-old girl has died days after a devastating high-speed crash in Fairfax County that also claimed the lives of both her parents, authorities confirmed.

The toddler had been critically injured in the violent single-vehicle crash that happened shortly after midnight on May 17 along the I-66 Express Lanes near Chain Bridge Road. Fairfax County police announced that the child died from her injuries on May 21 after spending several days hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators said the child’s mother, 30-year-old Xiomara Herrera of Falls Church, was driving a Mercedes GLA 250 eastbound on the I-66 Express Lanes when the crash occurred. According to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, the vehicle exited toward Chain Bridge Road at an extremely high speed before continuing through an intersection, striking a median, and then crashing violently into a barrier.

Authorities revealed that data recovered from the vehicle showed the Mercedes had been traveling at approximately 116 miles per hour just five seconds before impact.

“We know that from what we downloaded from the motor vehicle after this fatal crash,” Chief Davis said during a press briefing following the incident.

Herrera was pronounced dead at the scene. The child’s father, 27-year-old Alejandro Rodriguez Castillo of Sterling, was seated in the front passenger seat and later died at a hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.

Police said the 2-year-old girl was not restrained in a car seat at the time of the collision. Authorities also stated that neither parent appeared to have been wearing seatbelts.

An 8-year-old family friend who was also inside the vehicle survived the crash with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe the child may have been restrained, though not properly secured. The child remained hospitalized for several days following the collision.

Officials emphasized that the tragedy highlights the importance of proper seatbelt and child safety seat use.

Recommendations from safety experts state that children age two and younger should ride in a rear-facing car seat equipped with a five-point harness.

Since 2023, Fairfax County has recorded 12 deaths involving unrestrained vehicle occupants, according to Chief Davis. Four of those fatalities have occurred this year alone.

“We think it’s a time to better educate, and that includes enforcement, our community,” Davis said. “Because many of these crashes are survivable if seatbelts and child safety seats are being used properly.”

“But they’re not survivable if you’re not restrained,” he added.

The Fairfax County Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit continues investigating the fatal collision. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the crash to contact investigators at 703-280-0543 or Crime Solvers anonymously at 866-411-TIPS.