Driver indicted in July 4th pedestrian death

A Cottonwood Shores man accused of striking and killing a pedestrian with his truck at Lakeside Park after the Fourth of July fireworks has been indicted on second-degree charges of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle as well as manslaughter and accident involving death.

Thomas Joseph Pfeifer Jr., 33, was indicted by a Burnet County grand jury on Wednesday, Sept. 5, and was taken into custody on Sunday, Sept. 10. He is set to be arraigned before Judge Allan Garrett at 9 a.m. Oct. 27. Pfeifer has hired local defense attorney Eddie Shell to represent him.

The community fireworks show had ended and people were walking to their vehicles from Lakeside Park in Marble Falls when, at about 10:20 p.m. July 4, Cynthia Lee Young, 60, of Spring Branch, was struck by an eastbound pickup on Yett Street at the intersection with Main Street. Her family managed to cross the street safely.

“Traffic leaving the celebration in Lakeside Park was down to not even an a trickle of stragglers when this occurred,” said Marble Falls Police Detective Capt. Tom Dillard. “We had begun our debriefing at the mobile command center when we heard shouts for help. We were able to get to the victim quickly and she was still alive when she was transported to the helipad at Marble Falls Fire Rescue.”

Unfortunately, Young, who was a corrections officer with the Comal County Sheriff's Office, died at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Marble Falls. An autopsy was performed by the Travis County Medical Examiner's office.

Although the driver fled the scene, witnesses were able to give enough information to quickly identify Pfeifer as the person who was behind the wheel. He surrendered later that night and was jailed on a second-degree felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident causing death. He had been free on a $10,000 surety bond prior to being indicted.

MFPD Capt. Glenn Hanson said witnesses told police Pfeifer ran a stop sign and that he appeared to be intoxicated.

Young began her career at the Comal County Sheriff’s Office as a member of the nursing staff in 2009. She later transitioned to corrections officer in 2012 after medical services were contracted out.
The office of Comal County Sheriff Mark W. Reynolds posted a statement on social media: “Cynthia always had a smile and was a valuable member of the Sheriff’s Office. She was loved by many. We shall miss her a lot. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this time of great sorrow.”

In 2014, Pfeifer completed probation that followed a plea agreement on a felony drug charge. He also was arrested in October 2014 on felony criminal mischief charges after allegedly throwing a large rock at a vehicle on Northwood Drive in Marble Falls, causing nearly $1,700 in damages, which is a state jail felony. There is no record of how that case was resolved in Burnet County court filings.