Deadly crash on I-35 in N. Austin: What we know about fatal semi-truck collision

A deadly semitrailer crash Thursday on Interstate 35 in North Austin has spurred a series of questions from the public and news media.

Some of those should be answered Saturday afternoon when the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the collision, is expected to hold a news conference.

One person has been arrested in the collision that killed five people, including an infant and a child, and injured at least a dozen others. At least 17 vehicles were involved and the crash occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on southbound I-35 near Parmer Lane, police initially said. An Austin police officer later wrote in an affidavit that 19 vehicles were involved.

Semitruck driver Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was charged with several counts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in connection to the crash. It was confirmed Saturday that he worked was driving a load for Amazon but worked for a Dallas-based transport company.

Social media is abuzz with photos and video from the scene but little else is known about Araya or what exactly led up to the crash.

A search warrant affidavit filed by Austin police provided a bit more information. Here's what we know and what we're trying to figure out:

Deadly I-35 truck crash: What happened?

Police responded about 11:21 p.m. Thursday to the 12900 block of North Interstate 35 southbound, according to the affidavit. A 2016 Volvo 18-wheeler — believed to have been driven by Araya — in the center lane failed to brake as traffic slowed. The truck then crashed into several other motorists, police say, killing five and injuring a dozen.

Araya was reportedly the only person in the truck. He told authorities at the scene that a car cut him off and that he tried to stop but the brakes "did not activate," police wrote in the affidavit.

Who was injured in the I-35 crash?

A total of 17 people were hurt in the crash, five of them fatally. In the affidavit, police say the injuries range from "major" to "life threatening." They were transported to several different local hospitals, according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services.

The victims have not yet been identified but police say two minors, including an infant and child, and three adults were killed.

What do we know about the alleged driver?

Araya resides in Dallas, according to public records, and reportedly delivered Amazon packages for a third-party company named ZBN Transport. The owner of ZBN Transport confirmed to the American-Statesman that Araya had worked at the company for about four months.

Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson, confirmed the truck driver was hauling a load for Amazon.

"This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved," she told the Statesman on Saturday. "We're looking into this further and will cooperate with all investigations."

Was the truck driver intoxicated at the time of the crash?

Authorities indicated in the affidavit that Araya was swaying but seemed "very calm and relaxed given the situation." He failed at least one portion of six sobriety tests, according to the affidavit. A detective who spoke with Araya agreed with the original responding officer that Araya displayed signs of impairment.

"(The detective) believes the driver is under the influence CNS depressants and is not capable of operating a vehicle safely," the affidavit says. Araya blew a 0.00 on a preliminary breath test but it's unclear if he underwent and additional drug testing.

What questions do we still have?

Questions persist around the identities of the victims, the driver's background and training and even the company he was working for at the time. The Statesman is trying to gather more information about Araya's background and employment.

Most of this information should come out as court proceedings take place but questions we're asking is: Did the truck driver have a valid commercial drivers license; if so, where did he obtain it? Was he under the influence of any substances — illegal, pharmaceutical or otherwise — at the time of the crash? Did road conditions, including ongoing construction, or other external factors play a role in the crash?

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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