Manassas Motorcyclist Dies In Police Pursuit: Cops

FAUQUIER COUNTY, VA — A Manassas motorcyclist died Monday after a police pursuit in Fauquier County, according to Virginia State police. Jose Manuel Delgado Alva, a 22-year-old Manassas resident, died after his motorcycle crashed on Route 29.

Deputies in Fauquier County said they attempted to stop a motorcycle that was travelling northbound on Route 29 on Monday, June 28. In a news release, authorities claimed the motorcycle was "driving in a reckless manner."

Near the 10600 block of Marsh Road, a deputy activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the motorcycle, the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook. Authorities said the motorcycle did not stop, and the deputy began to pursue the motorcycle.

The motorcycle continued onto James Madison Highway, where other police officers assisted in the pursuit.

"As a result, the motorcyclist was involved in a traffic crash in the 7600 block of the Eastern Bypass," the sheriff's office wrote. The motorcycle, a 2007 Suzuki GXR, attempted to turn into a crossover near the Comfort Inn Drive, but lost control, according to Virginia State Police.

The motorcycle travelled through the median and into the southbound lanes of Route 29, where it struck two cars: a 2017 Chevy Cruse and a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country. The drivers of the two cars reported minor injuries, according to the sheriff's office.

Delgado Alva, who was operating the motorcycle, died at the scene of the crash, according to Virginia State Police. He was wearing a helmet.

The incident is currently being investigated by Virginia State Police, at the request of the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office. "The Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting an internal review of the incident as per our policy," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.

From 1996 to 2015, an average of one person died each day in a crash related to a police pursuit across the country, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.