A 38-year-old man struck by a vehicle on the northbound I-35 frontage road in New Braunfels on Friday night has died, city officials said, turning an already grim scene into a fatal crash investigation.
The collision happened around 8:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of I-35 North. First responders rushed the man from the roadway to Seton Hays Hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead on Sunday.
According to WOAI, New Braunfels police and fire crews found the man in the roadway and provided emergency care before transport. The station reports that authorities have not yet released the victim’s name. Their report also notes that the New Braunfels Police Department’s Traffic Unit is handling the case.
The driver involved stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, and no charges are anticipated at this time, according to KSAT. Officers briefly shut down the frontage road while they processed the crash site, then reopened it after collecting evidence. NBPD has confirmed that the Traffic Unit is conducting a full investigation.
State and national context
Pedestrian deaths remain a stubborn safety problem in Texas and across the U.S. Drivers struck and killed 7,148 pedestrians nationwide in 2024, a slight decrease from 2023, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association’s latest report, cited by GHSA.
In Texas, officials and researchers have repeatedly pointed out that people walking or biking make up roughly one in five traffic deaths statewide, a statistic that features prominently in safety campaigns by the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT.
Investigation and how to help
Investigators with NBPD’s Traffic Unit are expected to reconstruct the crash, looking at factors such as lighting, vehicle speed and any potential impairment, as reported by WOAI. Police have not released the victim’s identity.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Braunfels Police Department non-emergency line at (830) 221-4100, according to the city’s website at newbraunfels.gov. Authorities have not provided additional details about the vehicle or its occupants.
Crashes like this highlight how dangerous it can be to walk along high-speed frontage roads at night. Officials continue to urge drivers to slow down and stay alert, and to remind pedestrians to use crosswalks and reflective gear whenever possible. This story will be updated as New Braunfels police release more information.
