By rssfeeds-admin Edgar Viera, who was at a nearby store and heard the crash, claimed an 18-wheeler was going 80 mph and did not stop for half a mile as it hit other vehicles.
The exact speed of the 18-wheeler is not yet known, and Austin-Travis County EMS told KXAN the scene spread across about 1/10 of a mile on the interstate near Parmer and Howard Lane.
Viera said traffic was already completely stopped when the 18-wheeler crashed into another truck, which slowed it down.
Witnesses described seeing cars in shambles and the injured lying on the road.
“We decided just to run and just start helping out the people,” Viera said. “We saw cars smashed in together. We saw babies passed away. We saw people passed away.”
First responders told KXAN five people died, including three adults, a child and a baby. Eleven others were hurt.
APD said Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was arrested and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with vehicle involving serious bodily injury in connection with the crash
A first responder source said preliminary evidence showed a semi-truck hauling for Amazon caused the crash; however, the driver is not an Amazon employee. Amazon told KXAN it was looking into the situation and will cooperate with law enforcement, adding “this is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved.”
KXAN reached out to the semi-truck company involved in the crash. The owner of ZBN Transport LLC said Friday afternoon there’s been no contact with its semi-truck driver. The company told KXAN Araya has been with the ZBN Transport LLC for about four months, and there have not been any prior issues with him. Additionally, the company said it conducts background checks, and nothing showed up for Araya.
Viera said several other drivers on the road stopped and started pulling people out of the cars.
He said one of the people helping went toward the front of the crash with a fire extinguisher trying to put out some of the vehicles that caught flame.
Viera described opening up one vehicle where a family was driving from Dallas to Mexico for spring break. He said the boy inside was OK but upset, while his father was unconscious in the front seat. Viera said it was just one of many vehicles full of people hurt.
“We didn’t have the proper tools to open the vehicles, so we just did what we could,” Viera said. “It was hard to see this.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened a safety investigation into the crash. The investigation will be in coordination with APD.
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