Fatal North Austin Wreck Leads To DWI Arrest

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Police on Tuesday identified the driver killed after being struck by another motorist at a North Austin four-way-stop that led to an arrest for drunk driving.

The incident on Saturday took place just before 1:15 a.m. along the 3700 block of North Interstate 35 northbound service road, according to a police advisory. Police said an investigation showed that Khairullah Danish, 41, was driving eastbound on 38 1/2 Street in a black, 2009 Toyota Corolla when he arrived at a traffic signal flashing red in all directions.

Danish, police said, came to a complete stop before proceeding through the intersection when he was struck by 24-year-old Christian Ramos, who was driving a gray, 2013 Mazda CX-9 when he failed to yield.

Medics arriving at the scene administered life-saving measures before Danish was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A subsequent investigation showed Ramos to have been intoxicated at the time, according to police. He was placed under arrest on a charge of intoxication manslaughter, with bond set at $100,000, police said.

A GoFundMe drive has been launched to help defray funeral costs and help the family of Danish, originally from Afghanistan who was father to seven children, according to the fundraising page. "Sad news, hopeless situation for Khairullah Danish family," the person launching the drive wrote, adding the man was the household's sole breadwinner as he drove for Lyft and Uber after a role as interpreter/translator for coalition forces in Afghanistan. Danish's wife stayed home with the children and speaks no English, according to the GoFundMe page.

"He came with the hope of better life for his family," the page reads. "Unfortunately, he lost his life in a car accident last night on January 9th, 2021. We ask for help to cover his funeral ceremony expenses and for his hopeless survive [sic] family members currently with no income source. Please contribute as much as you can."

At last check, the fundraiser had raised $26,342 among 600 donors toward a $50,000 goal. Visit the GoFundMe page to donate.

The incident marked Austin’s first fatal traffic crash of 2021, police said, resulting in one fatality. At the time in 2020, police added, there were three traffic fatalities.

Editor's note: GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.