DPS trooper fatally hits pedestrian lying in roadway near state Capitol, authorities say

[TexasTowelie]

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper early Thursday struck a pedestrian who was lying in the roadway near the state Capitol, authorities said.

Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded at 3:46 a.m. to the corner of West 13th and Colorado streets, where DPS troopers tried to treat the pedestrian at the scene.

But the man, described by authorities only as 50 years old, was pronounced dead, according to DPS spokesman Victor Taylor. The pedestrian's identity was not released.

The trooper who struck the pedestrian was on patrol at the Capitol, heading north on Colorado and turning onto 13th Street when the trooper encountered the man, Taylor said.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2021/04/15/dps-trooper-hits-pedestrian-lying-roadway-near-state-capitol-authorities-say/7235112002/

For those unfamiliar with that area of Austin, the victim was lying on a short one block street in front of the Cloak Room bar which is adjacent to the Capitol.

[Lithos]

1. Umm....

I drive that at least once a month (Pokemon) - it's a fairly wide street there and it's fairly well illuminated - even at night.

So, I have to ask - was the DPS trooper a distracted driver? Have to ask given many DPS troopers would be starting/ending their travels to/from the State Capital. There is a right turn at that intersection which leads to an underground garage.

L-