‘He was going places’: Austin chef killed in downtown hit-and-run crash

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man who was hit and killed by a car in downtown Austin last week was a passionate chef, according to his family.

The Austin Police Department identified the victim as Cody Shelton, 26. The crash occurred in the early morning hours on March 12 at Seventh and Red River streets, APD said, and a second pedestrian was also injured and taken to the hospital.

“He had a lot of life to live. He had goals. He had dreams. He was going places,” said Shelton’s aunt Angel Scallion.

With a passion for cooking, Shelton landed himself a spot at Arlo Grey — a downtown restaurant owned by a renowned chef. Shelton is originally from Fort Worth.

“He had a passion and went after it,” Scallion said.

APD said Tyrone Thompson, 23, was arrested in connection with the crash. Travis County jail records show Thompson is facing a few charges, including an accident involving death, a second-degree felony, and driving while intoxicated.

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KXAN contacted Thompson’s attorney, who said he could not comment on the case.

Shelton’s family said they went through this once before, but last time, Shelton survived.

“Back when he graduated high school, he was actually hit by a car here in Fort Worth,” Scallion said. “He was in ICU for two months, and we didn’t think he was going to make it through that, and he did.”

A GoFundMe is set up for Shelton’s funeral expenses. According to the page, the family is hoping to raise enough money to bring Shelton’s body back home to Fort Worth.

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