DC man charged in hit-and-run near National Mall that left tourist dead

Thomas Robertson | trobertson@wtop.com

July 27, 2023, 11:35 PM

The driver accused in a hit-and-run near the National Mall that left a tourist dead earlier this month has been arrested, U.S. Park Police announced Thursday. ... Benjamin Robertson, 33, of D.C., has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the July 12 crash, which happened at the intersection of 17th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW.

Police said Robertson was driving with expired tags. When Secret Service officers tried to stop him, he initially indicated he’d comply with the stop, then fled southbound on 17th Street, crossing a red light and striking pedestrians in the crosswalk, according to police.

Bing Wong, a 75-year-old tourist from Philadelphia, was killed. The Washington Post reported Wong was crossing the street with his 13-year-old granddaughter, who was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The Secret Service issued an alert to other area law enforcement agencies after the crash, leading to a multi-jurisdictional search for the driver. ... Robertson is being held without bond. He has a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 17.

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WTOP’s Abigail Constantino and Cheyenne Corin contributed to this report.

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

trobertson@wtop.com