Austin Police have concluded preliminary investigations into two auto crashes earlier this week that left two people dead, bring the tally of road deaths year-to-date to more than twice the number at the same time last year.
The first deadly crash on Monday night involved a drunk driver and a motorcycle, though police say the driver’s intoxication did not appear to have caused the crash.
Mitchel Jacob Levy, age 25, lost control of his Yamaha motorbike just before the Howard Lane/Metric Boulevard intersection, sliding into the path of a Ford Explorer.
The impact of the crash caused the Explorer to lose control and roll on its side. Lisa Lene Aiken, the driver, was taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries. She was subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Levy, the motorcyclist, was pronounced deceased on scene.
On Tuesday night, 35-year-old Jennifer Tavares lost control of her vehicle on Southwest Parkway and crashed into a tree. This took place at about 2:30 in the afternoon.
These deaths represented Austin’s eighth and ninth fatal traffic crash of 2020, resulting in nine fatalities. At this time in 2019, there were four traffic fatalities.
Drunk driving crashes are 100% preventable. It’s up to YOU to make the right game plan. #EndTheStreakTX pic.twitter.com/PbgEbBvj4o— Texas Department of Transportation (@TxDOT) January 29, 2020
