A tragic hit-and-run in Downtown Austin during the early hours of Tuesday morning claimed the life of a 26-year-old man and left another person critically injured. The Austin Police Department (APD) announced Wednesday afternoon the arrest of 23-year-old Tyrone Thompson, who is believed to have been involved in the fatal incident at East Seventh and Red River streets, as well as another crash shortly after. According to KVUE, Thompson was taken into custody on unrelated charges stemming from the subsequent Travis County crash.
Making their sorrow known, the victim's aunt Angel Scallion described her nephew Cody Jordan Shelton as someone who "loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved sports," in an interview obtained by CBS Austin. Shelton had moved to Austin to chase his culinary dreams and worked at the downtown restaurant Arlo Grey. While stricken by grief, Scallion also expressed a sense of empathy for Thompson's family, acknowledging the different kinds of pain they must be enduring.
The arrest came amidst South by Southwest (SXSW), a festival currently unfolding downtown, which drew masses and increased the city's bustle. Following the horrific event, SXSW issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the accident and sending thoughts to everyone affected by the untimely death. This incident marks Austin's 13th fatal crash in 2024, which contrasts with the 20 fatal crashes that had occurred by the same date in 2023.
Shelton's family is grappling with a profound loss, remembering a young man whose life was unfairly truncated, previously surviving a similar incident. "He had a lot of life to live, you know, and it was cut short for him," Scallion told CBS Austin. A GoFundMe account has been established to aid with funeral costs for the family. Meanwhile, Thompson remains in the Travis County Jail without bond, facing several charges including driving while intoxicated and a felony charge of an accident involving death.
Authorities encourage anyone with information regarding this case to reach out to APD's Vehicular Homicide unit or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
