San Marcos High School alum killed in New Year's traffic altercation in Denton

A former Martindale resident and San Marcos High School graduate was shot and killed Friday in a traffic altercation that occurred following a New Year’s Eve party in Denton.
Sara Mutschlechner, 20, was pronounced dead at the Denton Regional Medical Center Friday after being taken off of life support.
Emergency personnel responded to a gunshot victim at about 2:06 a.m. Friday in the 1700 block of North Elm Street.
The officers found Mutschlechner lying on the ground outside of a four-door sedan that had crashed into an electrical pole.
Witnesses told police Mutschlechner was the designated driver and had not been drinking that night.
Three other adults were inside the victim's vehicle at the time of the incident, which occurred when a dark-colored SUV, Toyota or Lexus, drove up next to the sedan on North Elm Street, according to a news release.
Words were exchanged between the occupants of the two vehicles, after which one of the occupants of the SUV fired several rounds toward Mutschlechner hitting her in the head. The victim’s vehicle then ran into the assailant's SUV before crashing into an electrical pole, according to a news release.
The dark-colored SUV involved in the shooting fled the scene. Witnesses said the vehicle was occupied by five-to-six men. A news release reports that at least two of the men attended a New Year’s Eve party earlier that morning.
Another passenger in the vehicle suffered minor injuries from the crash and was taken to Denton Regional Medical Center along with Mutschlechner, who was in critical condition at the time of the crash, according to a news release.
She was placed on life support at the hospital, but Mutschlechner ultimately was taken off of life support and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police learned that Mutschlechner was at a party with about 60 other people for New Year’s Eve. Investigators would like anyone who attended that party and took photos or video to contact Investigator Eric Beckwith at 940-349-7974, according to the news release.