A Polaris Slingshot driver died at a hospital after a violent single-vehicle crash on San Antonio’s Northwest Side on Monday afternoon, according to police. The driver, identified by San Antonio police as 43-year-old Troy Lime, was thrown from the three-wheeled vehicle when it left the roadway in the 7700 block of Tezel Road and came to rest on the grass. First responders rushed him to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Emergency crews were called out just after 3 p.m., and a San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson told KSAT the driver may have suffered a medical issue. In a preliminary report, San Antonio police said Lime lost control of the Slingshot, which crossed into the southbound lanes before leaving the road. Investigators said there are no criminal elements tied to the crash. Police identified the vehicle as a Polaris Slingshot and said the department’s investigation is ongoing, according to KSAT.
What a Slingshot Is
The Polaris Slingshot is an open-cockpit, three-wheeled roadster that is typically registered as an autocycle rather than a standard passenger car. Manufacturer materials describe it as an open-air, side-by-side two-seat vehicle, and automotive coverage notes it does not have airbags or the crumple zones that most cars rely on for impact protection. Those design choices can raise the risk of a driver or passenger being ejected in a high-force crash. For more on the design, see materials from Polaris and coverage in MotorTrend.
State Rules And Helmet Guidance
Under Texas law, autocycles are treated much like motorcycles for key purposes, including titling and protective-headgear rules, although there is an exception for autocycles with a partially or fully enclosed cab. The Texas Department of Public Safety notes that helmet requirements and exceptions for autocycles track the motorcycle rules, and the state Transportation Code contains a specific section on protective headgear for autocycles. For details, see guidance from Texas DPS and the Texas Transportation Code.
Tezel Road Has Seen Serious Wrecks Before
This stretch of Tezel Road has been the scene of other serious crashes on the Northwest Side, including a rain-related fatal wreck last June. That earlier incident, reported by Hoodline, highlighted ongoing safety concerns along the corridor as the area continues to see high-speed traffic and weather-related collisions. Read the previous coverage on the rain-related Tezel crash.
SAPD has again emphasized that there are no criminal elements tied to this week’s collision and said its Traffic Investigations Division is handling the case. Authorities have not released additional information about what caused the Slingshot to leave the roadway. The initial account and the department’s preliminary findings were reported by KSAT, and this story will be updated if officials share more details.
