AUSTIN, Texas — It is a tragedy that has now spurred an on-scene investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived on Friday to look into the fatal multi-vehicle collision on I-35 that killed five people and injured 11 others.
“They’re more than just a statistic,” NTSB vice chairman Alvin Brown said. “They are our mothers and our fathers and our friends.”
Brown said the NTSB has put together a team to investigate every aspect of the crash, led by senior highway safety investigator Kenny Bragg. So far, they have documented the scene using a drone.
According to an affidavit obtained by KVUE, witnesses reported that an 18-wheeler driven by Solomun Weldekeal Araya failed to brake before slamming into stopped traffic and allegedly hitting 19 cars.
According to police, Araya showed signs of intoxication following the crash.
“We will also be looking into the truck driver’s employment history as a commercial driver,” Bragg said. “His entire driving history to include crash history and traffic violations as well as his medical history.”
With 11 people hospitalized facing severe to life-threatening injuries, We Are Blood’s Nick Canedo said the organization has seen more than 100 donations pour in this weekend.
“I know that many of them were motivated by trying to give back in the aftermath of this tragedy,” Canedo said. “When a traumatic incident like this occurs is really when we need excess of donations to be able to help patients.”
As the community pitches in to help, Brown is determined says the NTSB team will stay as long as it takes.
“[We will] find out what happened and why it happened so that we can make recommendations to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” Brown said.
The NTSB expects their next update to happen within the next 30 days. If you are interested in donating blood, click here.