City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
Contact: Public Information Office 512-974-5017 Email
Today, with great sadness and deepest condolences, the Austin Police Department (APD) announces Senior APD Officer Lewis "Andy" Traylor has succumbed to injuries sustained in an on-duty motor vehicle crash.
Interim Police Chief Chacon said, "Andy was an incredible officer, husband, father and friend and he will be missed by all of us."
Officer Traylor, was with the Austin Police department for 9 years.
Austin Cops 4 Charities and the Austin Police Department have been and will continue to support the Traylor family during this difficult time. Austin Cops 4 Charities is accepting donations for his family at this link AustinC4C.com.
Initial information regarding this crash:
On July 28, 2021 at approximately 2:10 a.m., a serious injury crash occurred at approximately the 7800 block of FM 969.
Austin Police Officer Traylor was responding to a priority one call for service. He was traveling westbound on FM 969 when a tractor-trailer made a U-turn in front of his police vehicle. The police vehicle and the tractor-trailer collided. The police vehicle and Officer Traylor were pinned underneath the tractor-trailer.
Austin-Travis County EMS, APD officers and the Austin Fire Department responded to the scene. They provided life-saving measures to Officer Traylor. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured, remained on scene and is cooperating with this investigation.
Portions of the FM 969 roadway were shut down due to this crash.
It is unknown at this time if charges are pending. This is preliminary information and it’s early on in the investigation. Anyone who has information regarding this incident please contact the Austin Police Departments Vehicular Homicide Unit at 512-974-8111.
Initial media brief regarding this crash may be viewed at this link https://fb.watch/75g_AGAitO/
This is Austin’s 64th fatal traffic crash of 2021, resulting in 69 fatalities for the year. On the date of this crash in 2020, there were 49 fatal crashes resulting in 54 fatalities.
Photo of Senior Austin Police Officer Lewis "Andy" Traylor