Crash kills Austin High graduate, her mother in South Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - A crash in South Austin killed an Austin High School graduating senior and her mother just one day after her graduation.

18-year-old Miraj Parson and 41-year-old Cynthia Boone died at the hospital following the crash on Saturday, May 25 in the 500 block of E. Oltorf Street.

Austin police officers responded to the crash around 9:18 p.m. which involved a tractor trailer and a sedan. As the tractor trailer made a left turn out of a shopping center, it was struck by the sedan.

The sedan's driver and one of its passengers were pronounced dead at the hospital and later identified by police as Parson and Boone.

The other two passengers in the sedan were taken to the hospital as well with serious injuries. The driver of the tractor trailer remained on scene, was not impaired or injured, and is cooperating with the investigation, Austin police say.

A GoFundMe campaign launched by Parson and Boone's family says Parson had been accepted to Austin Community College with plans to transfer to Colorado University. She was also part of Austin High's Classical Academy and the Black Student Alliance.

Her mother, Cynthia, had also graduated from Austin High in 1980.

Donations to the GoFundMe will go towards honoring the lives of Parson and Boone. The memorial service is scheduled for June 8 at 10 a.m. at Sweethome Missionary Baptist Church.

This crash is being investigated as Austin's 31st fatal crash of 2024, resulting in 32 fatalities. On the date of this crash last year, there were 37 fatal crashes resulting in 37 fatalities.

Anyone with any information should contact APD's Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.