Two people died on Austin roads Thursday night, bringing this year's count to 75. What the city's safety data shows
A bicyclist was killed on Loyola Lane and a 17-year-old motorcyclist on Menchaca Road. Austin recorded 99 traffic deaths in 2025, and city staff say serious injuries are falling faster than deaths.
Two people were killed in separate crashes in Austin on Thursday night, Oct. 29.
- Around 6:51 p.m., a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle in the 8400 block of Loyola Lane, near Decker Lane in East Austin, and died at the scene. Police said he was entering the roadway when he was hit. The driver stayed and is cooperating, CBS Austin reported.
- Around 10:37 p.m., a 17-year-old motorcyclist died after striking an SUV that was pulling out of a business in the 11200 block of Menchaca Road, near Ravenscroft Drive in South Austin, according to CBS Austin. Bystanders performed CPR. That driver also stayed at the scene.
The Austin Police Department said the Menchaca crash was Austin's 73rd fatal crash of 2026, with 75 people killed. Both crashes remain under investigation. Anyone with information can call APD's Vehicular Homicide Unit at 512-974-8111.
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The bigger picture
The city's preliminary count for 2025 was 99 traffic deaths and 301 serious injuries, according to Austin Transportation and Public Works. Deaths rose about 2% from 2024, while serious injuries fell 28%. Counts differ slightly by source: FOX 7 reported 98 deaths in 94 crashes for 2025, using APD figures.
The city's 2025 report also said:
- Pedestrian deaths fell from 39 to 30.
- Serious injuries to motorcyclists fell from 62 to 44, and to bicyclists from 27 to 21.
- Major intersection projects are linked to a 38% drop in fatal and serious-injury crashes, and protected intersections to a 42% drop.
- About 65% to 75% of Austin's traffic deaths happen on state-owned roads.
We could not confirm whether Loyola Lane or Menchaca Road at these locations is a city or state road.
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What our records add
Staff told the council the trend is improving. At the March 5 Mobility Committee, a transportation official reported a 22% decrease in serious injuries and deaths combined compared with 2024. At the Oct. 1 committee meeting, Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri pointed to the intersection improvements done through the Vision Zero program.
The council keeps approving safety projects without dissent. On Oct. 8 it awarded a $1.43 million construction contract for the Rutland/Parkfield roundabout, a federal Safe Streets for All project, 11-0 on consent. In May it backed Travis County's federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant application, adding city intersection projects, 9-0 with two members absent.
Auditors are looking at the program. At the May 20 Audit and Finance Committee, Council Member Ryan Alter cited the city's Vision Zero commitment to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries during an audit discussion on pedestrian safety. In January, the committee heard questions about how to measure whether tools like speed cushions reduce serious injuries and deaths.
What's next
APD posts each fatal crash on its traffic fatalities page. The city's Vision Zero program publishes its yearly report early in the following year; the 2025 figures came out in February. The council's Mobility Committee hears regular transportation briefings, and our South First and Radam Lane story shows how one safety project moves from plan to construction.