An 89-year-old Alexandria artist was killed Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while walking across the Duke Street near Cameron Station Blvd.
Police were notified of the incident at 7:52 a.m. Alfredo DaSilva was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver of the car that struck him stayed at the scene, was interviewed by police and has not been charged.
“Initial investigation indicates Mr. Alfredo DaSilva, a 89-year-old Alexandria city resident, was crossing Duke Street when he was struck by a motor vehicle,” Alexandria police said in a statement. Mr. DaSilva succumbed to his injuries at the scene.”
Members of APD’s Crash Reconstruction Team are investigating the crash.
DaSilva, a highly accomplished artist who was born in Bolivia on Feb. 20, 1935, held one of his last public discussions of his work to a writer’s group at the Charles Houston Recreation Center in 2017.
DaSilva’s career as a painter took off after he won the top prize from the Salon Nacional de Pintura of Buenos Aires in 1959. His career took him to Washington, D.C., where he conducted a one-an show at the Pan American Union, followed by a Guggenheim fellowship in New York City in the early 1960s. His later career was marked by further awards for his work, including the grand prize at the II Biennale of Bolivia INBO in 1977.
Police are asking that anyone who saw the crash contact Officer Jessica Johnson at 703-405-2787.
A tragic loss of life on Duke Street this morning.
Our Police Department will investigate and determine the factors that led to this crash.
We can and must prevent these deaths.https://t.co/AG7p2SfF9T
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) January 26, 2020
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