Austin, TX — May 25, 2024, Cynthia Boone and Miraj Parson were killed following a truck accident at around 9:18 p.m. on East Oltorf Street.
According to initial details released by the Austin Police Department, the collision happened just off the corner of East Oltorf and South Congress, near the McDonald’s.
It appears that 41-year-old Cynthia Boone and 18-year-old Miraj Parson were in a sedan going along Oltorf. Up ahead, police say that a semi-truck made a left turn across Oltorf, and the sedan crashed beneath the trailer. As a result, both Boone and Parson were killed.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Right now, there is no stated cause for the crash, and no charges or citations have been reported. However, the area where this happened doesn’t seem to have any traffic control for vehicles going on Oltorf. This suggests the truck would have had to yield to cross traffic. Does that mean the truck driver cut off the victims and caused this crash? I wouldn’t jump to conclusions without seeing clear evidence, but folks may not realize how challenging it can be to get that evidence.
Even if authorities came out today and blamed the truck driver here, there would likely be barriers between the victims’ loved ones and the justice they deserve. I had a case not long ago that’s a clear example of this. There, an 18-wheeler blocked highway lanes and caused a serious crash, but their employer put all the blame on the victim. They claimed the victim hadn’t been wearing their seatbelt, and they were speeding leading up to the collision.
Fortunately, I’ve dealt with hundreds of commercial vehicle accidents, and I knew the best counter to those blame-shifting tactics was evidence. We had independent accident reconstructionists look into things, and a few key factors stood out. One was a reconstruction of the scene and data from the victim’s vehicle which proved the victim hadn’t been speeding. Additionally, numerous EMS responders testified they had to cut through the victim’s seatbelt to get them out of the wreckage. And to drive things home, we proved the reflective tape on the truck was so dirty that it may as well have been invisible at the time of the crash.
It was only after making it clear as day their tactics would hold no water that the company finally decided to cooperate. I wish that had been an unusually challenging case, but our firm has had to overcome countless obstacles after crashes with even the most seemingly straight-forward facts. That’s why when I read about a crash like this, I have to wonder if its getting the attention it deserves. Police investigations have their own priorities. The victims and families involved need to ensure their priorities are being considered, as well.
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