A driver in a 2023 Burke crash that killed a 17-year-old has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Jose Zelaya was driving at 87 mph when he struck the car driven by Rebekah Zarco, who died of her injuries. She was a recent graduate of Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax County.
The accident took place on July 18 just after 9 p.m. Zelaya was driving a 2014 Cadillac XTS4 westbound on Burke Centre Parkway. He struck the 2023 Kia Forte driven by Zarco, who was turning left as she exited the Burke Centre Shopping Center parking lot.
Zarco was also driving her younger brother and two friends. The Kia Forte burst into flames, and bystanders tried to pull the occupants from the vehicle, NBC4 reported. The three passengers were injured but survived the crash.
Plea Deal and Family’s Reaction
Zelaya delivered his plea in court on December 8. Prosecutors presented case evidence, including witness statements that Zelaya appeared to be racing along Burke Centre Parkway. The black box recovered from his car showed he was driving at 87 mph in a 40 mph zone when he hit Zelaya’s car, NBC4 reported.
A judge will decide Zelaya’s sentence at a hearing in March 2026. Based on the plea agreement, he could serve between one and six years.
“As a father, this plea agreement is extremely hard to see as justice. Bekah was 17, had just graduated high school, was excited to start college, and her future was taken by a 42-year-old man driving with extreme disregard for human life on a neighborhood road in his own community,” William Zarco, Rebekah’s father, said in a statement.
Safety improvements have been made at the crash site to prevent a left turn onto Burke Centre Parkway, NBC4 reported.
Feature image courtesy NBC4
