Women charged in unrelated hit-and-runs

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - San Marcos police arrested two women in a couple of unrelated hit-and-runs that left one man dead and three others injured throughout the weekend.

Jennifer McKernan, 21, is charged with felony failure to stop and render aid after a deadly hit-and-run in the 500 block of Wonder World Drive early Monday that killed a man from New Braunfels. Police released her from the Hays County Law Enforcement Center on $10,000 bond.

Tiffany Danielle Dahl, 25, is charged with five felony counts following a hit-and-run early Sunday in Downtown San Marcos that left three people injured, two of them seriously.

Dahl is charged with three counts of failure to stop and render aid and two counts of intoxication assault, all third-degree felonies. Dahl remains in jail on $75,000 bond.

New Braunfels man killed in hit-and-run

Just before 3 a.m. Monday, a police officer patrolling the ramp area of the south access road to the Wonder World Drive railroad overpass found Ricardo Rodriguez, 37.

A search of the area turned up debris from a red car, including several large pieces that included parts numbers matching a Nissan Versa.

Working through the night, the Collision Investigation Team learned Rodriguez was walking on the right side of the road -- trying to cross the Wonder World overpass -- when the car hit him before he could get there. The impact sent him sliding into the access road.

Patrolling several apartment complexes on Wonder World Drive, an officer's car happened to run over several pieces of plastic debris near an apartment complex. She got out to investigate and discovered it was consistent with what had been left behind by the suspect car in the deadly hit-and-run.

The officer called collision investigators and began searching through the complex. She was able to find a damaged car they traced to McKernan, and investigators said they linked the debris the officer found to the damaged car.

Police said they charged McKernan with the felony after they connected her whereabouts around 1 a.m. Monday and the damage to her car to Rodriguez's death.

Three injured in downtown hit-and-run

Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, emergency crews responded to a wreck involving a car and a person walking at Hopkins Street and LBJ Drive in Downtown San Marcos, where the driver of the car sped off.

EMS crews took a couple of men, ages 29 and 26, to University Medical Center Brackenridge after they were found lying on the street with traumatic injuries to the head and chest. Meanwhile, crews treated and released a 28-year-old woman with leg injuries.

Witnesses were able to tell police that a woman with blond hair drove the car, described as a blue, 1990s-model Chevy pickup with a broken windshield.

An officer on Interstate 35 and Wonder World Drive spotted the car, linking it to the hit-and-run.

Dahl is charged with three counts of failure to stop and render aid and two counts of intoxication assault.

Crowds expected for game

The accidents come one week before larger crowds and more foot traffic are expected in San Marcos for the Texas State-Texas Tech football game on Saturday.

San Marcos Police Department says they will step up patrols in hopes of preventing similar accidents.

"You will definitely see more law enforcement on the roadways and this is one of the things we will be addressing," said Cmdr. Penny Dunn.

San Marcos PD will be partnering with Texas State Police and Hays County Sheriff's Office to help control traffic and crowds.

Pedestrian safety tips

"The police department would like to remind pedestrians and drivers to look out for one another in the downtown area, especially in the late night and early morning hours," said Sgt. Winkenwerder. "There is significant pedestrian traffic downtown during those hours, and drivers need to be looking out for pedestrians. Likewise, pedestrians need to be looking out for vehicles and following the proper safety precautions."

• Cross only at intersections and crosswalks
• Cross only when pedestrian signal tells you to go
• Look in all directions before crossing
• If you had too much to drink, ask a sober friend to help you home

Pedestrian deaths in Austin

Pedestrian crashes have been on the rise. They rose sharply in 2011 citywide.

Some 17 people were killed in auto-pedestrian crashes in Austin in 2011, up from 10 deaths in 2010.

APD has documented 128 intersections citywide that are dangerous for pedestrians -- those with 3 or more accidents since 2008.

Police are being reassigned to the city's most dangerous areas for pedestrians. A new strategy focuses on groups of officers saturating areas where there have been a large number of auto-pedestrian crashes.

Most dangerous intersections in Austin for walkers

Congress & Cesar Chavez	8
5th & Lavaca	8
Lamar & St Johns	7
Congress & Woodward (Lightsey)	7
100 4th (E*W)	6
9300 I 35 S WF	6
Riverside Dr & Crossing Pl	6
Bluebonnet & Lamar	6
700 7th E	6
Congress & 4th	6
600 Congress S	5
Lavaca & 6th	5
Lamar & Manchaca Rd	5
Jollyville & Braker	5
Lamar & Rutland	5
1st St & Riverside	5
1600 Congress S	5
Jones & Manchaca	5
Barton Springs & 1st St	5
1300 Congress S	5
100 8th (e*w)	5
600 1st S	5
Barton Springs & Robert E Lee	5
Guadalupe & 38th St W	5
1700 Rutland	5
Congress & Barton Springs	5
Congress & Alpine/Pickle	4
Riverside & Tinnin Ford (also Burton)	4
1000 41ST ST E	4
Lamar & Rundberg	4
Congress Av & 7th St E	4
Congress & 2nd	4
100 Riverside (E&W)	4
5700 Manchaca	4
Riverside & Royal Crest	4
Riverside Dr & Montopolis	4
Nueces & 21st	4
Airport & 12th	4
Red River & 12th	4
500 San Jacinto	4
1200 Congress S	4
1100 AIRPORT BLVD	4
Congress & 3rd	4
Guadalupe & 5th	4
Capital of Texas & Waymaker	4
Barton Springs & Riverside	4
9200 North Plz	4
Capital of Texas & Wildridge	4
Guadalupe & 29th St	4
45th & Shoal Creek	4
800 Rutland	4
7th & San Jacinto	4
2400 Guadalupe	4
11066 Pecan Park Bl	4
Speedway & 30th	3
600 Barton Springs	3
Manchaca & Slaughter	3
45th & Red River	3
2000 Oltorf E	3
12100 Metric Bl	3
600 Red River	3
2300 Lamar S	3
San Jacinto & 4th	3
2500 Congress S	3
Parmer & Metric	3
MLK & San Jacinto	3
3900 Congress S	3
2500 Riverside E	3
Lamar & 51st	3
Congress S & Industrial	3
Barton Springs & Dawson	3
3500 Lamar S	3
2215 Town Lake Ci	3
I 35 SB Svc Rd & 6th St	3
Guadalupe & 2nd	3
Dean Keeton & Harris Park (Park Pl)	3
Congress & MLK	3
800 Rundberg W	3
Wm Cannon & Bluff Springs	3
I 35 SB Svc Rd & 7th	3
710 Ben White E	3
24th & Nueces	3
2200 Guadalupe	3
1st St & Ben White EB Svc Rd	3
San Antonio & 3rd W	3
Red River & 8th St	3
Lamar & Barton Skyway	3
7th & Red River	3
5th & West	3
1900 William Cannon W	3
1900 Oltorf E	3
Speedway & 35th	3
Guadalupe & Dean Keeton	3
Riverside & Grove Blvd	3
Congress & Oltorf	3
7th & Pleasant Valley	3
4400 Riverside E	3
1600 Barton Springs	3
12901 I 35 N EF	3
Wm Cannon & S. Congress	3
Manor & Susquehanna	3
Lamar & Morrow	3
8900 Lamar N	3
8071 Lamar Bl N	3
Riverside & Wickersham	3
I 35 NB Svc Rd & Ben White E eb	3
Guadalupe & 8th	3
500 6th E	3
300 MLK W	3
Rutland & Mearns Meadow	3
Brodie & Silk Oak	3
Nueces & 5th	3
Lamar & Lamar Square	3
6600 Elm Creek	3
500 5th W	3
400 7th E	3
2100 Burton	3
1900 Guadalupe	3
Congress Av & 5th St	3
2110 Slaughter W	3
Lamar & 10th	3
West Gate & Jones	3
San Jacinto & 6th St	3
500 Canyon Ridge W	3
2200 Oltorf E	3
11900 Jollyville	3
Lamar & Oltorf	3
9616 Lamar N	3