Man faces felony charges after crashing into taco truck and fleeing scene: court documents

AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin A man has been charged with a crime after police say he crashed into a taco truck and fled the scene. As a result of the accident, an employee who was working inside was injured.

Patrick Whitney, 58, was charged with third-degree criminal mischief with serious bodily injury, according to court records.

Court documents say Austin police officers responded to an “emergency accident call” shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 at a Taco Express trailer. The text message states that a vehicle has crashed into a trailer and that there are injuries.

When officers arrived, they found fresh damage to the right rear of the trailer, crumpled metal trim and broken headlight covers. Inside the trailer, kitchen appliances were pushed forward and dishes and napkins were strewn about.

Officers spoke to one employee who was bleeding from the nose and had a cut on the bridge. He told officers he was stocking up on water bottles when he felt the impact of the crash. He was hit in the nose by a metal rack of water boxes, and then a microwave oven fell from the refrigerator and hit him in the head.

The employee told officers that the driver who hit the trailer was a regular customer named Patrick.

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Another employee working at the cashier’s window told police he saw a gray four-door Volkswagen collide with the side of a trailer. He said he couldn’t get out of the front door because of the accident, so he jumped out the cashier’s window.

The worker then confronted the driver, who said, “I’m not going to stay here for that,” and started to drive off. The employee described the driver as a white, bald and thin middle-aged man and provided officers with a photo of the driver’s license plate and video immediately after the crash.

This video shows the driver behind his car inspecting the damage to both his car and the trailer. After talking with the employee, he got into his car and drove off. The employee said he ran after the driver, yelling for him to stop, but the driver did not.

A search for the license plate led investigators to Whitney, court documents said. Officers went to his home and spoke with Whitney, who admitted to hitting the grocery trailer. When asked why he didn’t stay and provide his insurance and contact information, Whitney said “they all spoke Mexican and they all came outside and surrounded my car, so I got scared and left.”

Whitney’s car also had fresh damage to the front right side, including a broken headlight.

The owner of the trailer also provided video from a nearby food trailer showing a gray Volkswagen slam into the rear right side of the trailer with an employee standing in front of the driver.

A third-degree felony in Texas is punishable by two to ten years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

Whitney’s first court appearance is scheduled for November 15.