A 39-year-old man was killed in a fatal hit-and-run collision in Downtown Austin in the early hours of Saturday, January 31, 2026. The Austin Police Department responded to the crash at approximately 2:48 a.m. at the intersection of the North Interstate 35 southbound service road and East 6th Street, just before the on-ramp to the highway.
Police identified the pedestrian who was struck and killed as Aaron William Johnson. He was in the roadway when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle did not stop and fled the scene immediately after the collision, leaving before officers or emergency services arrived.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services personnel performed life-saving measures on Johnson at the scene, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He was pronounced deceased at the location of the crash. This incident was recorded as Austin’s sixth fatal traffic crash of 2026, resulting in the sixth traffic-related fatality for the year.
The hit-and-run investigation caused significant traffic disruption in the area during the overnight hours. Authorities closed the southbound I-35 service road between Seventh Street and past the Sixth Street on-ramp to conduct their initial investigation. The closed roadway sections were reopened to traffic at approximately 5:30 a.m., about two and a half hours after the crash occurred.
The Austin Police Department’s Vehicular Homicide unit is leading the ongoing investigation. Police have not released a description of the suspect vehicle or the driver involved and are actively seeking information from the public. The incident is also being investigated as a failure to give information and render aid, a felony offense in Texas.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the crash or the fleeing vehicle to come forward. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program for information that leads to an arrest. Tips can be submitted anonymously by phone or online.