At least five people lost their lives, and more than a dozen others sustained injuries in a car crash in Texas, which authorities believe was caused by a drunk driver. The Austin Police Department (APD) announced on Friday, March 14, that 37-year-old Solomun Weldekeal Araya had been arrested and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault in connection with the incident. A mugshot of Araya was released, but police did not provide further details on how the crash occurred or how he was identified as the suspect. Araya remains in custody at Travis County Jail, and it is unclear whether he has legal representation.
The crash took place on Thursday, March 13, at approximately 11:23 p.m. local time on southbound Interstate 35. According to Austin-Travis County Medical Services, multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck, were involved in the collision. Several individuals were trapped in their vehicles, prompting emergency responders to work quickly at the scene. Officials later confirmed that five people—a child, an infant, and three adults—were pronounced dead.
A total of 17 people were reported injured, with 11 transported to local hospitals. Injuries ranged from minor to critical, with three of the injured being children. One child was taken to Dell Children’s Medical Center with potentially life-threatening injuries, while the other two had minor injuries. Authorities said the crash involved an 18-wheeler with a ruptured saddle tank, but the vehicle did not catch fire. However, another car involved in the crash did ignite. A bystander used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames before the Austin Fire Department arrived.
Emergency responders described the scene as chaotic, with wreckage spread over nearly a tenth of a mile. Despite the complexity, officials managed to transport all critical patients from the scene within approximately 40 minutes.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a safety investigation into the crash in collaboration with the APD. Their team will analyze multiple factors, including highway conditions, vehicle safety, human performance, and motor carrier regulations.
