A traffic incident in South Austin turned tragic Thursday night when a pedestrian was struck by a car and later died from the incurred injuries. Julie K. Kotrla, 34, has been apprehended and charged with Collision Causing Death, Austin Police Department reports indicate. The collision occurred around 10:08 p.m. on the 3400 block of South Congress Avenue—the very artery of Austin that pulses with the lifeblood of the city.
According to CBS Austin, the victim, Tony Almanza, was found in the center turn lane, having sustained a severe head injury. Despite efforts to quickly resuscitate him, Almanza succumbed to his injuries less than an hour later at South Austin Hospital. Witnesses told authorities they had seen a white Jeep Cherokee pausing only briefly at the crime scene before driving off, a fleeting moment of hesitation in the shadow of permanence.
Further down S Congress Avenue, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers managed to find and detain a vehicle that fit the witness descriptions. During the investigation, Kotrla admitted to hitting Almanza and afterward trying to report the collision after arriving home, citing an absence of phone service as the reason for not calling 911 immediately. However, Detective Foster refuted this defense, stating "that all cellular phones can call 911 regardless of service status," as documented in the arrest affidavit filed.
Auto-Pedestrian Incident at S Congress Ave / Lightsey Rd (22:08). #ATCEMS & @AustinFireInfo are on scene of a reported pedestrian struck by a vehicle. #ATCEMSMedics reporting they have CPR in progress on an adult patient. Expect #ATXtraffic delays in the area, more info to follow pic.twitter.com/ndw8k6WsHY
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) September 6, 2024
The Austin-Travis County EMS shared updates via X about the night's events, initially reporting CPR in progress at S Congress Ave and Lightsey Rd, and concluding with the somber news that an adult patient had been transported to St. David's South Austin Medical Center with life-threatening injuries amidst heavy traffic delays. Tragically, this online post was outlining the last sequence of Almanza's struggle for life—a structure of echoes too often reverberating through our streets.
The investigation by the Austin Police Department is ongoing, and officials are currently seeking anyone with information about the incident to step forward.
