Driver Dies After Crashing Into Tree In West Austin

AUSTIN, TX — Police on Friday identified the driver who this week lost control of her vehicle before slamming into a tree, causing her death.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 28, just after 2:30 p.m. along the 5800 block of Southwest Parkway in West Austin. A preliminary investigation revealed a gray, 2006 Honda Accord was traveling eastboud along the 5800 block of Southwest Parkway when the driver lost control, officials detailed in a press advisory.

The vehicle left the roadway before crashing into a tree on the south curb line, police said. The driver, Jennifer Tavares, 35, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident brings the number of fatal traffic crashes so far this year into the double digits. The crash marked the 10th fatal crash this year resulting in an equal number of fatalities compared to four such incidents at the same time last year, police said.