At least 63 people have died so far this year as a result of being injured in Austin traffic, but that death toll is six fewer than the total reported during the same months in 2021, the city’s worst year for traffic deaths ever recorded.
Last month, five people died in Austin traffic. That July total was one fewer fatality than the traffic deaths recorded in the same month last year. However, by the end of July 2021, Austin police had tallied 69 traffic deaths for the first seven months of that year, according to police records.
Of those who died last month, three were men, one was a woman and another person has yet to be identified, police records show. Two of the people died from injuries received in single-vehicle crashes, one person was a pedestrian, another died after colliding with an 18-wheeler and the other person was killed in a crash involving another vehicle.
18-wheeler crash in North Austin
The most recent fatal crash in Austin was on July 29 in the 15100 block of North Interstate 35, according to authorities.
Anthony McGruder, 47, was driving north when he struck an 18-wheeler from behind, Austin police said. McGruder died at the scene of the crash.
McGruder’s death marked the third 18-wheeler-related fatality of this year, preliminary police records show. Austin had as many as a dozen 18-wheeler-related road deaths in all of 2021.
Rollover crash caused by drunken driver, police say
Minutes before midnight on July 26, authorities responded to a collision on the corner of Burleson Road and FM 973 in Southeast Austin.
Investigators believe 28-year-old Randall Cavazos, who had been drinking, ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle driven by 46-year-old Priscilla Juarez.
Juarez died at the scene of the crash, police said. Two passengers driving with Juarez were taken to the hospital, one with critical injuries and the other with injuries not considered fatal.
Cavazos and his passenger were not seriously injured, police said. Cavazos was arrested for intoxicated manslaughter and intoxicated assault.
At least eight of the fatal crashes this year involved alcohol, preliminary police records show. Four other cases are still pending toxicology results, police say.
Man riding lawn mower struck, killed by vehicle
A man was killed at about 8:40 a.m. July 25 while cutting grass on the shoulder of the service road in the 6000 block of South I-35, police say.
Investigators say the man was riding a lawn mower when a vehicle hit him. The man, who was not identified, died at the scene of the crash.
The driver of the vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. Authorities are still investigating the incident.
The fatal crash was still considered a pedestrian death, even though the victim was riding a lawn mower, marking the 26th pedestrian fatality on Austin roads as of July 31. Austin police at the end of last year had tallied 45 pedestrian deaths.
Two single-vehicle crashes in overnight hours
Authorities say a man was killed in a single-vehicle crash after speeding recklessly at about 2:30 a.m. July 18.
The man, who was not immediately identified, crashed at the intersection of FM 969 and Decker Lane, according to police. Investigators did not say how many people were in the vehicle, but did say all of the passengers were taken to the hospital.
The driver was the only person to die in the crash, according to authorities.
The day before, at about 2 a.m. July 17, authorities were called to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport property in response to a reported crash.
Austin police believe a woman, who was not immediately identified, veered off the road and crashed into a tree. She died at the crash scene, according to authorities.
Authorities so far have tallied 12 single- vehicle crashes this year, according to preliminary Austin police records.
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