UPDATE: The 13-year-old male driver of the stolen vehicle in this fatal crash was
released from the hospital this evening. He was immediately taken to the Police
Department and interviewed. He has been charged with Theft of Property, Evading
Arrest, Directive to Apprehend, and Murder. He was transported to the Taylor County
Juvenile Detention Center.
The 14-year-old male was transported to a Lubbock hospital for treatment of burns to his body. The 15-year-old male was treated at Hendrick for non-life-threatening injuries. After further investigation, Traffic Investigators determined the 13-year-old deceased was not ejected in the crash as was originally reported.
The names of the individuals will be withheld due to their ages. This investigation is ongoing.
Original Release:
Ambler Avenue Fatal Crash Investigation
ABILENE, TX – The Abilene Police Department Traffic Division is working a fatal crash involving a stolen vehicle and four juveniles, one of whom died after being transported to the hospital.
On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 3:09 a.m., a 2018 Audi S5 coupe was reported to have been involved in a crash by the vehicle's Bosch system (similar to OnStar). It was indicated the crash was in the 1300 block of Ross Avenue, but responding officers were unable to locate the involved vehicle.
At approximately 3:40 a.m., a concerned parent reported their son and others live-streaming on social media in a stolen Audi. It was believed the juveniles were en route to the Dallas area.
At approximately 3:50 a.m., the owner of the stolen Audi called to report his vehicle missing from his home in the 1200 Block of Highland Avenue.
At approximately 3:57 a.m., the Callahan County Sheriff’s Department reported a theft that just occurred at a Clyde convenience store. It was believed that the juveniles in the stolen Audi were involved in this theft. At that time, the last known direction of travel was westbound toward Abilene.
At approximately 4:07 a.m., Abilene Police officers located the occupied vehicle at a north side hotel near Highway 351 and Interstate 20. The stolen Audi collided with an unoccupied patrol vehicle. A second officer at the scene activated the vehicle's emergency lights in an attempt to stop the stolen vehicle. The driver of the stolen Audi failed to stop and exited the hotel parking lot – fleeing westbound on Highway 351 toward Ambler Avenue. Officers did not actively pursue the stolen vehicle, which was reportedly last seen westbound on Ambler Avenue.
At approximately 4:09 a.m., this stolen Audi was involved in a major vehicle accident at the intersection of Ambler Avenue and Treadaway Boulevard. The vehicle crashed at a high rate of speed – striking a traffic pole. The officers and MetroCare, who were nearby, immediately assisted by rendering aid, extracting injured, and with fire suppression.
There had been four juvenile occupants in the vehicle:
- 13-year-old male, who was driving the vehicle.
- 13-year-old male passenger, who is deceased after being ejected from the vehicle. (Reported runaway)
- 14-year-old male passenger.
- 15-year-old male passenger. (Reported runaway)
The 13-year-old driver of the stolen vehicle faces multiple felony charges. There may be other charges related to this incident, pending the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Abilene Police Department’s Investigations Bureau at (325) 676-6610.
Respectfully,
Rick Tomlin
Public Information Coordinator