One Seriously Injured in Hit-and-Run Crash on North MoPac in Austin, TX
Austin, TX -- March 23, 2022, one person was severely injured in a hit-and-run accident with an alleged reckless driver on North MoPac in Austin.
Authorities say the incident happened around 3:10 p.m. on the 8800 block of North MoPac near US-183. Preliminary investigation suggests the driver of a 2016-2020 white Lexus IS 300 was traveling recklessly on the roadway during a confrontation with one or more other vehicles. Reports indicate at one point near the US-183 ramp the driver put a hand out his sunroof to make a flip the bird at the driver of a Dodge pickup nearby.
After making the gesture the Lexus driver reportedly swerved through all traffic lanes to crash into the Dodge, then drove away. The impact knocked the Dodge off-course and it nearly flipped over the nearby concrete barrier.
The Dodge's driver suffered serious injuries in the wreck and was transported to a hospital.
Video of the incident was captured on a nearby officer's dash camera, but police are still searching for the runaway vehicle and its driver.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Hit-and-Run on North MoPac in Austin
Obviously it's always frustrating and disappointing to read about incidents like this one in the news. Whether this crash was motivated by road rage as it seems or something else was involved, it's clearly important to track down that hit-and-run driver and see just what he could have to say for himself about all this.
To that end, police must stay diligent and community members should come forward with any information they can provide about the suspect. It doesn't seem like anyone specific has been ID'd so far, but it's encouraging that authorities seem to know the approximate make, model, and color of vehicle they're looking for. Reports don't mention whether the dashcam footage caught plate numbers, but presumably if they had more progress would be made. Still, knowing what kind of car to look for is more than police often have at the outset. They'll likely need more to finish the job, however.
That's why it's important to share information with the community so they can keep an eye out for the vehicle and its operator. Keeping all the available information in the public eye often leads to someone connecting the dots and reaching out to a tip line. It has already been some time and it may take a little more, but if everyone stays vigilant and cooperates there's often a positive resolution.
Once the suspect is in custody hopefully investigators will find out what compelled them to abandon the scene and the person they seriously injured. They might simply have panicked, but in many cases something else (illegal contraband, outstanding warrants, drunk driving) contributed to their poor decision. Only time and thorough investigation will tell, but I remain confident justice can be served.
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