Arlington Man Sentenced in DUI Crash Seriously Injuring Pedestrian

Published on June 11, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2026

Arlington Man Sentenced in DUI Crash Seriously Injuring Pedestrian

June 11, 2026 Arlington, VA: On May 29, 2026, Essam Chalf was sentenced to seven years of incarceration, with five years suspended, resulting in an active term of two years, to be followed by five years of supervised probation.

On April 20, 2025, at approximately 11:24 p.m., Arlington County Police Department responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and North Stuart Street.

Upon arrival, officers located the victim, M.J., lying in the roadway bleeding from his head and suffering significant trauma. Evidence established that M.J. had been struck in a marked crosswalk and was found approximately 50 feet beyond the crosswalk after the impact.

The driver, Mr. Chalf, remained on scene. When officers made contact, they observed numerous signs of alcohol impairment. Mr. Chalf was arrested and transported to Virginia Hospital Center, where a blood sample was collected. Analysis by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.11, above the legal limit.

M.J. suffered extensive and severe injuries, including a dislocated shoulder; three severed shoulder ligaments and one partially torn ligament; a fracture to the shoulder socket; a fractured finger; extensive abrasions; and glass embedded in his forehead from the defendant’s windshield.

He was hospitalized for nearly a week and required multiple surgeries, including the permanent implantation of hardware in his shoulder. Since the crash, M.J. has undergone extensive physical therapy and additional procedures. Through determination and ongoing treatment, he has been able to return to work, though his recovery continues.

Our office would like to thank Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, Logan Stein, and Victim Advocate, Jennifer Robles for their exemplary work on this case.

“This crash was entirely preventable. The victim was doing everything right—walking in a marked, well-lit crosswalk—when a driver impaired by alcohol took away his sense of safety and caused him immense physical harm. Our office remains committed to holding impaired drivers accountable and protecting the safety of all roadway users, particularly pedestrians.”, said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti.

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