Car slams into bus stop, 1 dead

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The driver of a silver Lexus crossed two lanes of traffic and slammed into a bus stop near Wheatsville Co-Op in Central Austin, leaving at least a man in his early 60s dead and another woman in critical condition.

The accident occurred around :7 p.m. on Sunday night. According to witnesses on the scene, the car, which was south-bound on Guadalupe, crossed all lanes of traffic, hit a car and then hit two people at a Capital Metro bus stop. The car continued to drive until it ran into a dry cleaner's sign down the street.

The driver of the Lexus, who ended up wedged between a pole and a dry cleaners sign, was pulled from her car. According to first responders on the scene, the driver of the vehicle had no obvious injuries. Austin police said the driver of the car was in custody for questioning and declined medical treatment.

As of now, what caused the accident remains under investigation.

"The lady lost control of the vehicle and she swerved over and hit that pole," explained David Duncan, who helped pulled the driver from her car.  "Me and my friend pulled her out of the car.  She seemed OK, just a little bit dazed.  I don't know what happened with the car, but there were sparks flying underneath it before she hit the thing.  She might have popped a tire or something."

Duncan told KXAN  they had to pull the woman, who police have yet to identify, out of the car through the back door.  He said the front doors were crushed and both air bags deployed.

"She is OK," said Michael Messer, who also came to the driver's aid.  "I hope he is OK.  The ambulance came pretty quick.  Hopefully, the best comes out of this."

Investigators spent more than three hours taking photographs and interviewing witnesses.  Dozens of people were out on the street and eating at restaurants at the time of the accident.

Traffic was diverted as officer shutdown Guadalupe between 30th and 32nd Streets.  That area will remain closed until after midnight. 

Police are asking drivers to be careful in the area. While KXAN news crews were on the scene, two minor accidents occurred as drivers were paying more attention to the flashing lights than they were the car in front of them.

The identity of the deceased man has not been released.  Police are waiting until his family is notified.

We've also attached video to this story provided by viewer Whitney Fields, who lives across the street from the Wheatsville Co-Op.