Retired Texas State Professor Killed in Crash

Retired Texas State University professor Dr. Hal Tucker Blythe, 85, was pronounced dead Sunday after being struck by a vehicle in a San Marcos HEB parking lot.

About the Fatal San Marcos Pedestrian Accident

The Hays Free Press reports Blythe sustained serious injuries after being hit by a car in the parking lot of a HEB on West Hopkins on February 26.

The 93-year-old driver told police he lost control of the vehicle after his foot slipped of the brake and onto the accelerator as he was backing out of a parking space.

The vehicle sped backwards, colliding with another vehicle in the parking lot before striking Blythe, who was removing an item from his trunk. The 93-year-old man’s vehicle then continued past Blythe before hitting a second vehicle which was forced into two other parked cars.

Blythe was rushed to University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Austin, Texas via EMS. He succumbed to his injuries four days later.

The San Marcos Collision Investigation Team have completed an investigation; no charges were filed against the driver.

Texas Pedestrian Accident Statistics

• According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 3,399 people lost their lives on Texas roadways due to auto accidents in 2012 – up 10.82 percent from the 3,067 deaths recorded in 2011.
• Of those, 481 deaths were the result of pedestrian accidents – a 13.2 percent increase from 2011.
• According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 percent of all pedestrian deaths and 11 percent of all pedestrian injuries recorded in 2010 involved pedestrians over the age of 65.