Vehicle destroys sign in front of Mount Vernon
The main sign welcoming visitors to the Mount Vernon estate at the end of the George Washington Memorial Parkway was destroyed last weekend after being struck by a vehicle.
The sign, which sits on a triangular strip of grass in front of the traffic circle at the end of the parkway, was hit with enough force to break parts of the brick foundation and damage the two large posts the sign was mounted between.
Two witnesses told Covering The Corridor they saw an SUV flipped over behind the sign around and a large police presense late last Saturday. One of the witnesses, who asked that his name not be used, said the SUV “was up on its nose in front of the sign” when he drove by around 11:30 p.m., and then was on its roof behind the sign when he drove by at midnight — perhaps the result of a tow truck pulling the vehicle off the sign and its base.
It’s unclear if there were any injuries, or if any charges were filed against the driver. A spokeswoman for Mount Vernon said the sign sits on National Park Service property and referred questions the Park Police. A Park Police spokesman did not respond to emails and a phone call seeking more information.
The sign is located about 150 feet off of the roadway. A pair of tire tracks leading to the sign are still visible; it appears that the vehicle entered the grass from the southbound side of the parkway and drove straight into the sign.
This original story has been updated to include information provided by witnesses who saw the wreck.
It was last Saturday night and there was an SUV upside with taillights facing Northbound direction of GW Parkway. Not sure how it happened. Police were there when I drove by around 11:45 PM.
Thanks, will update the story shortly! We also just heard from another witness.