Police ID Victims Of Two Separate Fatal Crashes In North Austin

NORTH AUSTIN, TX -- Police on Friday identified the victims of a deadly wrong-way crash and another from a separate fatal crash occurring just hours later in the same part of the city.

The incident occurred Sept. 10 at 2610 N. Capital of Texas Highway at 6:33 a.m. According to police, a Toyota Corolla was traveling southbound in the wrong direction of the northbound side of the street. The car struck, head-on, a 2012 Nissan Frontier pickup truck traveling northbound.

Witnessed reported seeing the Toyota entering the northbound lanes of Capital of Texas Highway from the northbound exit ramp at the intersection with West Lake Boulevard, police said. The driver and lone occupant of the Toyota, identified as Pete Zachariah Steward, 44, died at the scene.

The driver and lone occupant of the Nissan, identified Michael Keith Kollman, 55, was transported to South Austin Hospital to South Austin Hospital with life-threatening injuries and died the next day.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Toxicology results are pending to determine whether alcohol consumption may have contributed to the wreck.

Police said the case is still being investigated. Anyone with information is urged to call the Austin Police Department's Vehicular Homicide Unit Detectives at (512) 974-8544.

Law enforcement officials noted this marked Austin’s 48th fatal traffic crash so far this year. At this same point last year, there were 77 traffic fatalities. Tips can also be submitted by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.

Just hours after that fatal wreck, police reported to the scene of a second wreck at 8900 N. FM 620 at the intersection with Boulder Lane.

A preliminary police investigation indicates that a Pontiac was stopped in the designated left turn on Boulder Lane at FM 620 but later failed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming northbound traffic in executing a turn. A witness account and evidence are consistent with the conclusion that the Pontiac either stopped or slowed dramatically in the intersection during the turning sequence.

When the driver did this, a motorist driving a 2010 Chevrolet traveling northbound on FM 620 with a solid green light struck the passenger side of the Pontiac. The driver of the Pontiac, identified as Diego Coleman Lafranco, 19, was transported to Round Rock Medical Center, where he later died.

The other driver was uninjured, police said. Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, and were the sole occupants in their respective vehicles.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call police at (512) 974-8544. Those with information also can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android, police said in noting that the investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

The wreck marked Austin’s 49th fatal traffic crash and the 50th traffic fatality of 2016. At this time in 2015, there were 77 traffic fatalities in Austin, police noted.

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