Woman sought by Pr. William police found dead

The Prince William County woman who crashed her car into a tree and left an open container of alcohol and her 8-year-old daughter behind as she fled the scene was found dead Tuesday afternoon, county police said.

Julie Ann Kroll, 39, of Woodbridge, was found dead just before noon in a wooded area near a creek just off the intersection of Fontaine Court and Beaumont Road in Dale City. Kroll was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Dec. 16 in the 3300 block of Beaumont Road and had not been seen since, authorities said.

Police said they do not believe Kroll was killed or killed herself, but they would not say how they think she died. Her body has been sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy.



Julie Ann Kroll. (Prince William County Police.)

Kroll left her daughter at the scene of the crash, according to police, who said the girl is now being cared for by grandparents.

Police had obtained arrest warrants charging Kroll with felony child neglect, driving on a revoked operator’s license and driving with an open alcoholic container, authorities said.

Witnesses reported seeing Kroll driving recklessly, police said, and officers found an open alcohol container in the car.

The girl told police she was trying to get out of the moving car because her mother was driving drunk, authorities said.

This post has been updated since it was first published.

-- Matt Zapotosky