Austin PD takes so long to respond to DUI crash, driver sobers up

Defunded Austin PD takes so long to respond to DUI crash, driver sobers up and walks free

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A couple hit head on by a suspected drunk driver in Austin, Texas, said it took 2.5 hours for police to respond to the crash – allowing the driver to sober up and avoid charges.

Purciful said she was driving with her husband Dustin and two children down Jollyville Road in North Austin at around 4 p.m. after a day at the aquarium when a male driver cut across two lanes of traffic and slammed into them head-on.

"Head on, didn’t hit the brakes, airbags deployed, screaming kids, smoke, adrenaline, we started screaming, and got the kids out of the car," Purciful told Fox News Digital about the crash.

The military family quickly realized the driver, a male in his 70s, was intoxicated. Purciful says that the "first thing" a bus driver on the scene told her was that the man "smells like alcohol" and was "refusing to get out of the car."



"He sat in the car for over 30 minutes and then when he got out of the car he fell to the ground and was making weird noises and just acting weird," Purciful said.

According to the couple, the police officer who responded to the scene after 2.5 hours said that only five officers were working that area, and the suspect was given a sobriety test, passed and was not arrested.

"Everyone could smell alcohol on this man," Purciful said. "He openly admitted what he was drinking. He told my husband he was drinking High Noons. It isn’t just me making accusations he was just straight-up coming out and telling us and there was no remorse."



The Austin Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that they received the 911 call at 4:18 p.m. and the first police unit was not assigned until 6:11 p.m. because "that sector and surrounding sectors were busy assisting with other emergency calls." The first officer arrived at the scene at approximately 6:35 p.m., the department said.

"Even at fully-staffed capacities, due to the incidents and calls that our officers attend, we may not always have enough officers to be at every call once they came in," the statement said.

"Our officers work hard every day to handle the high volume of calls that we may receive and answer them accordingly with the resources we have on hand," the statement added. "Unfortunately, this service level differs from the level we hope to provide our community. Still, we consistently review our processes and assess how we can improve in serving the city of Austin and those who choose to visit."