A University of Alabama student is facing 19 felony charges, including two counts of manslaughter, following a three-car collision that killed two people and injured four others in Austin, Texas, Friday night.
As of Monday evening, Nicholas Michael Justin Wyzykowski, 21, was being held in the Travis County (Texas) Jail on $185,000 bond following the fatal crash. In addition to manslaughter, Wyzykowski is also charged with four counts of aggravated assault causing bodily injury, among others, according to jail records.
KXAN, a television station in Austin, reported that Wyzykowski was driving a Chevrolet Avalanche at speeds between 80 and 100 mph, witnesses told police, when he rear-ended a Toyota Prius. The Prius veered into oncoming traffic and struck a Toyota Camry head-on.
The driver of the Prius, Margaret “Peggy” Howard, 60, was killed in the crash. Her son, Cale Howard, 18, died later in the hospital, according to KXAN. Steiner Ranch Elementary School in Austin listed Peggy Howard as a kindergarten teacher on the school’s website.
Three occupants of the Camry and a third occupant of the Prius suffered broken bones and were taken to the hospital, KXAN reported.
Wyzykowski abandoned his vehicle and left the scene, but police later found him at a nearby apartment complex. He was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. When given a sobriety test for medical purposes, Wyzykowski had a blood alcohol content level of .27, more than three times the legal limit of .08.
Previously, Wyzykowski was arrested on Oct. 20 in Tuscaloosa County for domestic violence in the third degree, according to county records.
A UA spokeswoman confirmed that a man with the same full name as Wyzykowski was enrolled in the fall semester. The 2012 Corolla yearbook listed Wyzykowski as a member of the University’s Sigma Pi fraternity chapter. The Austin American-Statesman also reported he is the same man listed as a student in UA’s online directory.
