Friends identify man killed by alleged drunk driver on Highway 290
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friends of the man who was hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver early Wednesday morning are now identifying him as 58-year-old Adam Attebury. Friends say he was homeless and lived near where he was killed.
The crash happened on Valentine's Day at Highway 290 and William Cannon near an auto body shop, where employees say Attebury stopped by every day to chat.
"He was such a big part of our community over here it just was not fair to me that nobody knew who he was, nobody knew his story," Amber Brasseaux said. She works at a business nearby and says Attebury was one of her best friends.
People working in the area, and people living in homeless camps near the highway, stopped while KXAN gathered video of the scene Tuesday to share their stories of Attebury -- all fondly remembering him. Others brought flowers and placed them near the road.
Brasseaux said Attabury was a veteran, and had family buried nearby, which is why he chose the location he did. She wants the community to know how much he meant to her.
"I just want everyone to know that he had a name, he was a person and he did not deserve what happened to him," Brasseaux said.
Police suspect alcohol played a role
KXAN previously reported that Austin Police arrested a man in connection to the crash on a charge of intoxication manslaughter, according to a search warrant.
Police say 41-year-old Jacob Sussman was driving and rear-ended another vehicle, then hit a man walking near the road. Police did not identify the man at the time.
Records showed law enforcement performed field sobriety tests on Sussman at the scene. A judge also signed a warrant to have his blood drawn for additional testing.
"He might have messed his own life up but he messed ours up as well. Not only just me and my co-workers and my friends that work on this strip but the homeless community as well is also mourning Adam's loss," Brasseaux said.
Travis County records indicate Sussman has been released from jail. KXAN reached out to an attorney representing Sussman and has not heard back.