SAPD: Mayor's driver not at fault in accident that left woman brain dead

Police investigate the scene of a collision involving Mayor Ivy Taylor's SUV Saturday evening at the intersection of East Houston Street and North Hackberry. Police investigate the scene of a collision involving Mayor Ivy Taylor's SUV Saturday evening at the intersection of East Houston Street and North Hackberry. Photo: By Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News Photo: By Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close SAPD: Mayor's driver not at fault in accident that left woman brain dead 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department said Wednesday it concluded an investigation of the April 18 traffic accident involving Mayor Ivy Taylor and found that Taylor’s driver had the right of way.

On Monday, a lawsuit was filed against the city and Taylor’s driver, accusing the driver of running a red light and causing the accident that left one woman brain dead.

Today, the city issued a news release saying the driver of Taylor’s city-owned vehicle was not at fault.

“The San Antonio Police Department has completed its investigation into the April 18 traffic accident and concluded that the police officer who was driving Mayor Taylor had a green light at the time of the collision and was not at fault in the accident,” said Interim San Antonio Police Chief Anthony Trevino.

According to the news release, investigators reached that conclusion after reviewing video from a VIA bus that was approaching the intersection of North Hackberry and East Houston streets.

“The video allowed investigators to determine the light cycle, indicating that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident drove through a red light causing the collision,” the news release states. “Investigators have also determined that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was unlicensed and uninsured.”

The news release said that investigators also analyzed the black box from the city-owned Lincoln Navigator and found that the vehicle was traveling 36 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone. It stated the black box of the other vehicle was too damaged to determine the vehicle’s speed.

City Manger Sheryl Sculley has requested that SAPD turn over the results of the investigation to the Texas Department of Public Safety for an “independent, third-party review.”

“This was a tragic accident and our sympathies go out to those involved in the accident and their families. While I have the utmost confidence in SAPD to fairly and thoroughly investigate the accident, I think it is important to have an independent agency review the findings to ensure that the public shares our confidence in the results,” Sculley said.

The wreck occurred around 4:30 p.m. April 18 at the intersection of North Hackberry and East Houston streets.