MANASSAS, Va. — A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with multiple felonies after a vehicle crash and alleged driving under the influence incident during a holiday event in Old Town Manassas.
According to the Manassas City Police Department, officers were investigating a vehicle crash at about 7:43 p.m. on December 5, 2025, during the city’s Santa Lights and Tree Lighting community event.
Police said the driver ignored officers directing traffic at the intersection of West and Center streets and proceeded through the intersection onto West Street, striking road-closure fixtures, a stationary police cruiser and a uniformed officer.
The officer sustained a minor injury. A second uniformed officer narrowly avoided being struck and was forced to take evasive action, police said.
After striking the police cruiser, the vehicle appeared to become inoperable.
When officers approached, the driver again ignored commands to stop and accelerated westbound, swerving onto a sidewalk and striking a street sign before turning onto Prince William Street.
The vehicle struck additional road-closure fixtures and two police cruisers that were blocking the roadway before coming to rest at the intersection of Prince William and Liberty streets.
Officers then took the driver, Jackson Burnley Harlow, into custody. Police said Harlow was determined to be intoxicated. He was held without bond.
Harlow is charged with two counts of attempted malicious wounding, disregard of a law enforcement officer’s signal to stop resulting in endangerment, driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.20 percent, obstruction of justice, and two counts of hit-and-run involving unattended property damage exceeding $250.
