A public safety systems administrator for Alexandria, Virginia, died Monday morning after his SUV struck a traffic pole at the intersection of North Kings Highway and Telegraph Road in the Huntington section of Fairfax County.
Robert Bloom, 61, of Alexandria, died at the scene.
On Alexandria’s website, the city said it was “devastated by the loss” of Bloom.
“In 2020, Bob led Alexandria to become the first city in the United States to enable staff to answer 911 and 311 calls from home. This helped DECC (Department of Emergency and Customer Communications) reduce the risk to staff from COVID-19 and ensure continuity of service to the community,” the city said.
“Bob was an extremely dedicated and talented professional, whose 30-year career in public safety demonstrated a deep commitment to saving lives and serving people. His technical expertise, industry knowledge and practical experience helped protect first responders and the communities they serve.”
Before coming to Alexandria, Bloom worked for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Baltimore City and in telecommunications.
Police said Bloom, the only person in the 2018 Honda CRV, struck the pole while going westbound on North Kings Highway around 9:24 a.m. A second car was damaged by debris but the driver was not hurt.
Police continue to investigate what happened. Anyone with information is asked to call 703-280-0543.
The crash closed the intersection near the Capital Beltway for several hours as police investigated.
