AUSTIN, Texas — Police now say a woman who allegedly struck several pedestrians with her car before hitting a food truck and causing a fire did not have any known relationship to any of the victims.
The incident happened around 4:21 p.m. in the 2500 block of Elmont Drive on Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, police were still searching for the suspect.
The Austin Police Department said officers received a call from a woman about a disturbance on Elmont Drive near South Pleasant Valley Road. The woman told police her phone was stolen, but officers couldn’t find any suspects at the time.
Around 10 minutes after officers made the initial report and left the scene, a high-priority call came in about a crash at the same location.
When officers arrived, they found four people who appeared to have been run over along with the food truck, which had caught fire. Two of the people were taken to the hospital following the crash, with only one suffering serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said after further investigation, it appeared the woman who called about the phone theft was upset with the suspect and tried to run the person over. She then hit the person, along with apparent innocent bystanders before hitting the food truck, pinning a person between the food truck and the car.
The suspect then threatened a person at the food truck with a knife, according to APD.
In an update on Tuesday, police said the person she accused of having her phone did not have possession of the phone, which has not been accounted for.
Police initially believed the person accused of stealing the woman’s phone was the father of the suspect’s child, but APD now says the suspect did not have any relationship to any of the victims.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic woman, approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 180 pounds. The vehicle is described as a gray or tan Toyota SUV.
The woman faces charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, as well as failure to stop and render aid after a crash.
Meanwhile, authorities with Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department were able to treat the victims and put out the fire. Authorities did not identify any of the victims but said they were all adults.
This is believed to be an isolated incident with no active threat to the public.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact APD at 512-974-5245 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.