Basic Facts

Crash date: May 5, 2026

Crash location: Interstate 35 near 18th Street in Waco, TX

People involved:

  • Sandip Patel, 54
  • Unidentified Volkswagen driver, 35
  • Unidentified Ford driver, 24

Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? Unknown

Did authorities recommend criminal charges? Unknown

Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? Unknown

Accident Report

Waco, TX — May 5, 2026, Sandip Patel was killed in a car accident at about 10:30 p.m. on Interstate 35/Jack Kultgen Freeway.

Authorities said a pedestrian was trying to cross the interstate near South 18th Street when he was hit by a southbound 2012 Volkswagen Passat and a 2107 Ford Focus.

The pedestrian, 54-year-old Sandip Patel, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to authorities.

The driver of the vehicles, who remained on the scene after the crash, are not facing any charges at this time, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the McLennan County crash.

How Did This Accident Occur?

Drivers don’t expect to see pedestrians on the interstate, but that doesn’t mean this crash couldn’t have been avoided. Was the area well lit? Was the vehicle driver distracted, perhaps by a cell phone? Were any other vehicles able to steer around the pedestrian? These are the kind of questions that authorities must consider as they work to reconstruct this accident.

The answers will come from witness statements, cell phone records, physical evidence, data from the vehicle and any available video of the crash.

This investigation must be thorough, so the pedestrian’s family does not have any lingering questions about what happened on I-35.

Did you witness this accident? Tell us what you saw in the comment section.

Table of Contents