Austin police detectives are asking for the public’s help tracking down a pickup driver who took off after rear-ending another vehicle on Monday, Jan. 16, 2026. The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of E. Cesar Chavez Street and Attayac Street. The other driver suffered minor injuries and did not need to be taken to a hospital, according to police. Detectives say the suspect vehicle was a newer-model, dark blue or black pickup with LED headlights that left the scene without calling 9-1-1 or stopping to exchange information.
APD Detectives Search for a Suspect in Connection to a Collision Involving Bodily Injury - https://t.co/mrOEjDm4Op pic.twitter.com/sd9guGHevk
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) March 13, 2026
What Police Say
APD has assigned the case number 26-0161279 and is asking anyone who saw the collision, especially residents or drivers with dashcam or doorbell footage, to get in touch with investigators. In a post via the Austin Police Department, officials described the crash as a rear-end collision, with the pickup continuing westbound after the impact instead of stopping.
How To Help
Anyone with information can call Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or submit a tip online. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000, according to Capital Area Crime Stoppers. For press or departmental questions, contact the APD Public Information Office at 512-974-5017.
Where It Happened
The crash took place near the Plaza Saltillo and Attayac block of East Cesar Chavez, a busy east–west corridor through downtown where APD regularly responds to collisions. City traffic logs show recent reports at E. Cesar Chavez and Attayac, a pattern that helps explain investigators’ strong interest in any nearby video or eyewitness accounts. Officials point to the Austin-Travis County traffic report for recent entries at the intersection.
Legal Note
Under Texas law, leaving the scene of an accident that causes injury can carry criminal penalties. Transportation Code § 550.021 requires a driver involved in a crash that results in or is reasonably likely to result in injury to stop and render aid. Failing to do so can be charged as a felony in cases of serious injury or death and can bring jail time and fines in other injury cases, according to the statute.
The investigation is still active. Detectives are urging anyone with footage or information to preserve it and contact Crime Stoppers or APD so investigators can follow up as they work to identify the pickup and its driver.
