Woman Killed After Rear-Ending Disabled Tow Truck In South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — Police on Wednesday identified the woman who was killed after driving into the rear of a tractor trailer that was broken down on a highway shoulder over the weekend.

The incident occurred just before 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, along the 9800 block of North Interstate 35, according to a police advisory. An investigation found that a Freightliner truck that was towing a semi-trailer was on the shoulder of the highway when the driver of a black Ford Edge plowed into the rear of the disabled vehicle.

The driver, Allison Hollingshead Banks, 34, was transported to St. David's Round Rock Medical for treatment of her injuries, but died two days later at 11:25 a.m., police said.

The incident marked Austin’s 80th fatal traffic crash of 2019, police said, resulting in 82 fatalities this year. At this time in 2018, officials added, there were 71 fatal traffic crashes and 72 traffic fatalities.