AUSTIN – Bill Colbert was killed after a drunk driver ran a red light on Saturday, November 14.
Just before 2am on Saturday, Bill Colbert, 60, was on his way home after performing a show with his band Donn and the Station Masters when 21-year-old Anthony Anania crashed his black Mercedes Benz into Colbert’s Chevrolet Prism at the intersection of Slaughter Lane and MoPac Expressway. The impact from the collision caused the Prism to spin and strike another vehicle, driven by Colbert’s bandmate, William Starrett.
Austin Fire Department extracted Colbert from his vehicle. He was later transported to University Medical Center Breckenridge, where he was pronounced dead at 2:41am.
After the collision, Anania reportedly got out of his car and approached Starrett’s vehicle, saying, “I blew through the light, sorry man.”
Anania admitted to having at least four drinks that night at Moon Tower Saloon on Manchaca Road before getting behind the wheel. His bond is set at $100,000 and he’s being charged with intoxication manslaughter. TABC is currently conducting an investigation to determine if Anania was over-served.
(photo courtesy of KVUE)
What happened to Bill Colbert is not only devastating, but it’s also entirely preventable. In the United States, 28 people die each day as a result of drunk driving. That’s over 10,000 people who needlessly die each year from something that could have been prevented. If you decide to go out, have a designated driver to make sure you get home safely. Call a local taxi, utilize Lyft or Uber to take you home. A small fee from a car-sharing service is a far greater investment than willingly endangering someone’s life or spending time in jail for intoxication manslaughter.
This has been the most tragic year for drunk driving-related fatalities in Austin – the death of Bill Colbert marks Austin’s 81st fatal traffic crash of 2015. At this time in 2014, there were 47 traffic fatalities. Thirty-nine crashes have been reported at the intersection of Slaughter Lane and MoPac, including Colbert’s. Of the cases, two crashes involved a DWI and one involved a city vehicle.
Please be mindful and courteous when driving. Tragedy can be prevented.
