Cassandra Coffey Killed in Hit-and-Run on Montopolis Dr in Austin, TX
UPDATE (December 21, 2022): Sources have identified the victim of this accident as 55-year-old Cassandra Coffey.
Austin, TX — December 16, 2022, a female pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run vehicle on Montoplis Drive in Austin.
Authorities say the incident happened around 2:30 a.m. at Montoplis and the the Bastrop Highway (US-183) service road. Preliminary investigation suggests a vehicle of unknown make and model was southbound on the service road when the driver made a wide turn toward southbound Montopolis. The vehicle entered the grassy median where investigators believe it struck the pedestrian. After the impact the driver fled the scene without stopping.
The victim suffered fatal injuries in the accident.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
It's always frustrating and disappointing to read about incidents like this one in the news. Whatever compelled the driver to leave the scene, it's clearly important to track them down and see that they face consequences. It doesn't seem like there are many leads so far, but if investigators share any details or developments they find with the public someone may spot the runaway vehicle and call a tip line.
In the meantime authorities should continue looking for witnesses, forensic data from the scene (sometimes vehicles leave behind telltale debris), or maybe even video footage from nearby traffic, home, or business cameras. It may take time, but if they remain diligent and the community cooperates with their search there could still be a positive result.
When a suspect is in custody hopefully investigators will find out what compelled them to abandon the scene and the person they 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 could say, but the victim's loved ones deserve to know the whole story.
