AUSTIN, Texas — A 17-vehicle crash on Interstate 35 in Austin on Thursday night has left at least five people dead and several others injured.
The fatal crash led to the arrest of 37-year-old Solomun Weldekeal Araya, who now faces five charges of intoxication manslaughter for each victim. He faces two additional charges of intoxication assault.
Of the five people who died, three of them were adults and two of them were children, including an infant.
A spokesperson with Austin-Travis County EMS said first responders received a call around 11:23 p.m. on Thursday about a crash involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck, on I-35 between Parmer Lane and Howard Lane.
Austin-Travis County EMS said they treated 17 patients at the crash site, some of them pinned in their vehicles, and transported 11 of them to area hospitals.
Here is the status of all the injured victims and where they were taken to:
- Two adults to St. David’s Round Rock with life-threatening injuries
- Three adults to Dell Seton - two with life-threatening injuries, one with minor injuries
- Three children to Dell Childrens - one with potentially life-threatening injuries, two with minor injuries
- Three adults to Seton Medical Center with minor injuries
- One adult refused transport
Southbound I-35 was closed for several hours and officially reopened at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
Watch the full news conference from first responders:
The Austin Police Department said anyone needing to speak with its Victim Services Division about the crash can call 512-974-5037 or email victim.services@austintexas.gov. Counselors will be available to assist.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
