Crime & Safety
Police ID Pedestrian Killed In South Austin Last Weekend
Sean Gayle, 30, was crossing mid-block along the 800 block of West Slaughter Lane last Friday evening when a car fatally struck him.
SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — Police on Tuesday identified the pedestrian killed over the weekend after being struck by a car in South Austin.
Sean Gayle, 30, was killed while crossing mid-block along the 800 block of West Slaughter Lane on Friday, Nov. 4, at around 8 p.m. A preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a black, 2017 Ford Fusion was traveling eastbound in the center lane of the road when the driver hit Gayle. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the motorist remained at the site until police arrived.
Police said the case is still being investigated. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call the APD Vehicular Homicide Unit Detectives at (512) 974-8544. Those with information about the incident also can submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.
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Police said the deadly accident marked Austin’s 63rd fatal traffic crash and the 68th fatality of 2017. At this time in 2016, there were 68 fatal traffic crashes and 70 traffic fatalities, police added.
The incident was the second pedestrian death to occur last weekend. The day after Gayle was killed in South Austin, Juan Estrada, 55, was fatally struck by a car in nearby Buda, Texas. Police said the man was standing on the roadway in the 13900 block of South Interstate 35 on Saturday, Nov. 25, just before 10:15 p.m. when he was struck by a that had just exited the SH 45 ramp while merging onto South I-35 southbound when Estrada was struck.
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Estrada was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver remained at the site awaiting police.
In light of what appears to be an uptick in pedestrian deaths on Austin roadways, the Texas Department of Transportation unveiled an awareness campaign this week dubbed "Be Safe Be Seen." The initiative aims to address pedestrian fatalities and injuries along Interstate 35 and other areas of Austin, including construction zones. The TxDot campaign comes amid a grim backdrop of 5,897 pedestrian fatalities occurring throughout the U.S. last year, including 29 in Austin alone, officials said.
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