The truck driver accused of causing a massive pileup in Texas — which left five people dead, including an infant and a child — showed signs of intoxication after the devastating crash, according to court documents.
Solomun Weldekeal Araya is facing five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault in connection with the deadly chain-reaction crash in Austin, police said. He was allegedly behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, and hauling a load for Amazon, when it plowed into more than a dozen vehicles in the southbound lanes of I-35 on Thursday around 11:38 p.m.
Austin-Travis County EMS confirmed three adults, one baby and a child were pronounced dead at the scene. Another 11 people were injured in the crash, some of them critically, and transported to area hospitals.
None of the victims’ names have been released.
Witnesses said Araya did not appear to brake at any point before he slammed into the stopped traffic in front of him, according to an affidavit obtained by KVUE. He later told authorities the crash occurred because another vehicle cut him off, adding that he had not consumed any alcohol prior.
A preliminary breathalyzer exam showed Araya had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.00, but police said he still failed a field sobriety exam. He also showed “all six signs” of intoxication, including bloodshot and watery eyes, mumbled speech and an unsteady gait, according to the documents.
Araya is being held at the Travis County Jail and he is due in court next week for a previous speeding violation in Wilmer.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on X that it has opened a safety investigation into the crash. It will “include experts in highway, survival and vehicle factors; human performance; and motor carrier factors.”