555-Heaven

Justin Benedict

A Life Remembered Justice for Justin
  • husband friend survivor avid bibliophile caroonist kindred spirit
    Justin Benedict

  • Justin Benedict



  • The Wit of Justin Benedict
  • The Wit of Justin Benedict
  • The Wit of Justin Benedict
  • The Wit of Justin Benedict
  • The Wit of Justin Benedict
  • The Wit of Justin Benedict

A Stunning Injustice

The driver of the truck that killed Justin Benedict was found NOT GUILTY of reckless driving in court in an Alexandria, VA courtroom. Since that horrendous verdict, multiple drivers who injured pedestrians have claimed that "the sun was in their eyes" when they ran over people.

The Accident

Friday, November 20, 2020 was one of those beautiful fall afternoons we savor just before the busy holiday season launches. Justin Benedict kissed his wife, Christine, goodbye as he headed out the door for a walk. This would be their final farewell. He crossed South Washington Street at Wilkes Street. Moments after he stepped into the crosswalk, Justin was struck and fatally injured when a driver failed to yield at the clearly marked crosswalk with a blinking "walk" signal.

The Driver

For Toni Tribbet Medick, the driver of the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that struck Justin, this was just another accident in a lengthy record of vehicle & traffic incident charges spanning the past two decades. The grievous bodily injuries Justin sustained when his body was knocked to the ground would soon end his life. The entire incident was captured by the gas station CCTV camera, confirming that full responsibility for this needless loss of life rested with Toni Medick.

A Life Remembered

Justin's life was neither lived nor lost in vain. His quirky, deeply philosophical, irreverent yet warm and caring spirit lives on in so many who were touched, challenged, and made stronger by his presence in their lives. Click the graphic above to learn more about his life.

Justice for Justin

Justice delayed is justice denied. For Justin Benedict, justice has been a slow, uncertain and circuitous process. New legislation passed has the potential to support a just outcome. Click the image above to review the facts of the case to draw your own conclusions.

Community Advocates

Learn about the efforts of dedicated VA lawmakers and tireless public safety advocates. For more information on what our community is doing to improve pedestrian safety, please visit Alexandria Families for Safe Streets website.
“We need to reorient our thinking as to what is a success.
A success is someone who's touched the lives of so many people and made them laugh when they were sad.”
- Christine Axsmith, Justin Benedict's widow
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero in 2015 to inspire and transform DC’s roadway safety efforts, and set our sights on a goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries on our streets. Since then, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has shifted to designing streets that are safe for everyone, working closely with community members to identify problems and build solutions.


 His wife, Christine Axsmith knew the depth of Justin’s love for humanity, but especially the underdogs. Their couches were constantly occupied with homeless artists, writers, actors and other creative types down on their luck. Justin’s own creativity was boundless. A prolific writer, his work ranged from essays to his novel “Sober Nerds” to his comic strips on VagrancyComics on Blogspot. He video blogged irreverent puppet shows at Progressive Puppet Theater.