AUSTIN, Texas — Northbound lanes of Interstate 35 were closed at Wells Branch Parkway after a crash early Friday morning.
The Austin Police Department confirmed that a car caught fire during a two-vehicle crash on I-35 before 3 a.m. Friday. A man, identified as 27-year-old Carl Anthony James, was trapped inside the vehicle, but fire crews were able to pull him out.
Austin-Travis County EMS took James to a hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries. Police later confirmed that he died at the hospital.
As of 5:10 a.m., the Texas Department of Transportation said northbound I-35 was closed at Wells Branch Parkway due to the crash. Traffic was detouring to the frontage road at Exit 247.
Police also confirmed that while an officer was directing drivers to leave I-35 just north of Howard Lane, another car slammed into the patrol vehicle. No one was hurt in that collision.
No additional information is available at this time.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police at 512-974-8111 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 512-472-8477.
This is Austin's 54th fatal crash of 2022, resulting in 55 deaths for the year.
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