AUSTIN, Texas — New details have emerged about the arrest of an 18-wheeler driver allegedly responsible for a deadly pileup on Interstate 35 in North Austin that killed five people last week.
According to court documents, Solomun Weldekeal-Araya was confronted by other drivers after allegedly trying to run away after the crash. Police later found him hiding in the cab of his truck.
Investigators believe Weldekeal-Araya was under the influence of central nervous system depressants when his truck failed to slow down for traffic, plowing through more than a dozen vehicles. The crash resulted in five deaths and injured 11 others.
Weldekeal-Araya faces seven felony charges: five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. He remains in Travis County Jail with a bond set at $1.2 million.
Safety concerns amid I-35 construction
The incident occurred in an area where the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been working on the I-35 Capital Express North project for two years.
Some Austinites say the conditions on I-35 could have been a factor in the deadly crash.
“It’s all that concrete on one side,” said Austin resident Carrie Watkins. “You can’t even go to the grass. Cars are coming at you. You have nowhere to go.”
Watkins said she regularly takes I-35 to get around but wishes she didn’t have to. With traffic and construction growing in the area, Watkins said drivers are at the mercy of each other.
“Speeding … they don’t have sympathy for you. They won’t let you over,” Watkins said. “It’s just a deadly, deadly highway.”
TxDOT declined to speak to KVUE about the I-35 Capital Express North Project. Work began on the project in 2023, which aims to add an HOV lane between SH 45 and U.S. 290. Instead, they sent us an update on progress made so far which includes demolition of the southbound mainlines over Walnut Creek as crews prepare to rebuild them.
Pablo Soberanes, who drives on I-35 daily, agrees the construction contributes to the traffic, but said it’s ultimately necessary to improve road conditions.
“The fact that there’s no shoulder in some areas … that’s pretty dangerous,” Soberanes said. “I just hope that construction gets done soon because the end results is what really what we’re after … having more lanes.”
TxDOT added that they review all fatal highway incidents to determine if safety enhancements are needed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash with a focus on the work zone design.