Crime & Safety
Police ID North Austin Driver Killed After Hitting Utility Pole
Matthew Lutomski, 24, was driving along Research Boulevard when he exited onto service road just north of McCann Drive and lost control.
NORTH AUSTIN, TEXAS — Police on Wednesday identified the driver killed after running into a utility pole in North Austin last week.
The incident occurred on Nov. 29 just before 8 p.m. along the service road of Research Boulevard and McCann Drive. According to police, Matthew Lutomski, 24, was driving a 2008 Subaru southbound on Research Boulevard when he exited onto the service road just north of McCann Drive. It appears he lost control of the vehicle, striking a metal utility pole on the driver's side.
Lutomski was pronounced dead at the scene.
Find out what's happening in North Austin-Pflugervillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Previous story: Driver Killed After Crashing Into Pole In North Austin
The Austin Police Department continues to investigate the case. Anyone with information regarding this case should detectives at (512) 974-6935. Those with insight also can submit tips by downloading the police department's mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.
Find out what's happening in North Austin-Pflugervillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The incident marked Austin’s 70th fatal traffic crash of 2018, resulting in 71 fatalities this year. At this time in 2017, there were 64 fatal traffic crashes and 69 traffic fatalities, police said.
The incident is the third fatal collision along Research Boulevard in recent days. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, a man in his 40s died after the car he was in crashed at the Payton GinRoad/Research Boulevard service road northbound just before 9 p.m. A surviving crash victim, a man in his 20s, was rushed to Dell Seton Medical Center with injuries not deemed to be life-threatening.
Before that, on Oct. 12, a car passenger died after being struck by another vehicle. The incident occurred just before 6 pm. along the 12700 block of Research Boulevard frontage road when a driver exited a private driveway and attempted to maneuver onto the far left lane. In so doing, the car struck another vehicle traveling southbound on that lane. The passenger in the other vehicle that was hit was identified as Ronald Hadnot, who was 52 years old.
>>> Image via Shutterstock
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
