Scooter Rider Killed in Car Accident off I-35 in Austin, TX
Austin, TX — May 29, 2022, an adult on a scooter died in a collision with another vehicle on the I-35 service road in south Austin.
According to reports the incident happened just before 10:00 p.m. on the southbound service road near Ben White Boulevard. Preliminary investigation suggests only that the victim was riding an electric scooter in the area when another vehicle hit them.
The scooter rider was pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Scooter Accident off I-35 in Austin
After reading about the circumstances of this accident I have a feeling some folks instinctively blamed the victim for their injuries. That's not to pick a fight with anyone, but rather to recognize that many people are prepared to assume the worst when scooters, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, or just about anything that isn't a car or truck is involved in a crash.
Before anyone jumps to such conclusions, however, as always I suggest patience and prudence. So far there are still a lot of missing answers about what happened. What was the scooter rider doing in the area? Where did they come from before getting on the service road? Did they lose control somehow? What about the other vehicle's driver? Were they paying attention? Were they unable to stop or steer clear of the scooter? What's visibility like in that area at night? How were road conditions? Weather? Could or should something have gone differently to avoid the collision?
I'm not making any accusations here. It could be that police will ultimately find a simple explanation for what occurred. I just see that someone lost their life here and obviously that deserves careful investigation. At the very least the victim's loved ones deserve the whole truth. Finding it's the first step and will help determine if there are others.
