On June 12, 2025, at 9:19 p.m., a collision occurred involving an SUV and a motorcycle on South Pleasant Valley Road in Austin. The motorcyclist, Eliasib Cortes Vargas, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The SUV driver, Thomas Ajanel Chan, has been arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated. Further charges are under consideration. This incident marks the 43rd fatal crash in Austin for the year 2025, resulting in 47 deaths. In comparison, by this date in 2024, there had been 34 fatal crashes with 35 fatalities.
The investigation is ongoing and details may change as more information becomes available. Authorities urge anyone with information about the crash to contact the Austin Police Department’s Vehicular Homicide Unit at 512-974-8111. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program at austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.
Information from this article can be found here.
