Austin has seen more than 30 deadly auto-ped crashes so far in 2022

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin has seen more than 30 deadly auto-pedestrian crashes so far in 2022, a trend local EMT's say is troubling and largely preventable. 

Two auto-pedestrian crashes happened within 24 hours: one on South Congress Friday night and one on N. Lamar Saturday night. 

Around 11 p.m. Sept. 30, an adult was struck by a vehicle on South Congress, just south of Ben White Boulevard. Medics performed CPR, but the victim was pronounced dead after 20 minutes. Within 24 hours, another pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene after a crash on N. Lamar Boulevard at Beaver Street in North Austin.

At 34, Austin has seen two more deadly pedestrian, bike and scooter crashes so far in 2022 than at this time last year. That number is concerning, considering last year saw the highest overall number of deadly crashes in Austin ever.

"100% of collisions are 100% preventable," said Capt. Christa Stedman with ATCEMS.

About two thirds of this year's deadly auto-ped crashes have happened at night and nearly half have been hit and runs like in East Austin two weeks ago.  A pedestrian was fatally struck while crossing Airport Boulevard at Oak Springs Drive, and the driver took off.

In August, Weston Holtz turned himself in two weeks after fleeing the scene of a crash that killed 70-year-old Sandra Nielsen in the Circle C Ranch neighborhood.

"We've certainly had cases where there have been auto pedestrian collisions and the driver has left the scene and 911 doesn't get called until that next bystander just happens upon that person. So we don't know if that's been minutes, hours, days," said Capt. Stedman.

Sometimes it’s a case of people walking where they’re not supposed to like on I-35 near Cesar Chavez in August where two vehicles fatally struck a person.

"We have seen an increase in auto pedestrian collisions on major thoroughfares," said Capt. Stedman. "They've just essentially tried to play Frogger across a highway 999 times out of a thousand. They are not going to be successful doing that."