An 18-year-old woman was struck and killed while getting out of her stalled vehicle on U.S. Highway 281 in San Antonio, according to a background report. Her car had stalled on the highway, and she was hit by a driver as she exited the vehicle.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has since offered guidance for motorists who find themselves stranded on a major roadway, as reported by KSAT. Troopers say drivers facing a breakdown should stay calm, pull off the road as far as possible, and turn on their flashers or hazard lights. DPS also advises motorists to stay until law enforcement arrives.
If a driver must exit a disabled car, DPS recommends doing so on the passenger side, or whichever side faces away from moving traffic, the outlet notes. That guidance echoes a broader state law: under Texas Transportation Code § 545.157, drivers on multi-lane highways are legally required to move out of the lane closest to a stopped emergency, towing, utility, or TxDOT vehicle with flashing lights, or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit, according to TxDOT.
Stiffer Penalties, Wider Protections
Texas lawmakers raised the stakes for violating the Move Over law in 2023. House Bill 898 pushed standard fines up to $1,250 for a first offense and as high as $4,000, with possible jail time, for violations that cause serious bodily injury, per TxDOT. The law's reach expanded again in September 2025 to cover animal control and parking enforcement vehicles.
Roadside Fatalities
The broader numbers behind roadside breakdowns are sobering. More than 2,100 people nationwide were struck and killed while stranded or working along roadsides between 2019 and 2023, according to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research.
Timing compounds the risk. Reduced visibility and slower driver reaction times at night significantly raise the odds of a hit-from-behind collision.
Earlier Fatal Collision on US 281
This is not the first fatal pedestrian incident on US 281 in San Antonio in 2026. Hoodline reported a pre-dawn fatal collision near Josephine Street in April.
San Antonio drivers stranded on area freeways also have a free resource available around the clock. TxDOT's Highway Emergency Response Operator program covers 261 miles of San Antonio-area freeways, and stranded motorists can call 210-732-HERO for dispatch. The service can relocate disabled vehicles, provide jump-starts or fuel, and set up traffic control at incident scenes, sparing drivers from having to step directly into traffic lanes themselves.
