On Thursday, March 13, a fatal multi-vehicle crash in Austin, Texas, took the lives of five people, including a child and an infant. A day after the incident took place, the police confirmed that they arrested an individual in connection with the crash.
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statement issued by the Austin Police Department confirmed that they arrested Solomun Weldekeal Araya. He has been charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter, one per each fatal victim. He was also charged with two counts of intoxication assault.At the moment, no details surrounding the cause of the car crash have been revealed. According to NBC News, Araya remains in custody at Travis County Jail. It is unclear whether he has legal representation, as jail records do not list an attorney.
Multi-Vehicle Crash
At around 11:23 p.m. on Thursday, the multi-vehicle car crash took place at I-35 going southbound, as per PEOPLE. Several vehicles and a semi-truck were involved in the crash. After police arrived at the scene and provided rescue efforts, they confirmed that five people were killed. These included three adults, a child, and an infant.
A total of 17 others were injured, with 11 of them ending up hospitalized. Of those 11, three children were taken to the hospital, with one of them suffering life-threatening injuries. Additionally, four other adults suffered similar life-threatening injuries.
According to CBS Austin, an 18-wheeler suffered a fuel tank rupture. While the vehicle itself did not catch fire, another car nearby did. However, a bystander was able to use a fire extinguisher to prevent a tragic outcome.
Captain Krista Stedman with the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, called the incident "chaotic."
"This incident was incredibly chaotic, and it was spread out over about a tenth of a mile," Stedman said, as per ABC News. "We were able to get all the critical patients off the scene within about 40 minutes, and, considering how complex the scene was, that's pretty impressive."
On the same day that Solomun Weldekeal Araya was arrested, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that they were investigating the incident.
"The investigation go team will include experts in highway, survival and vehicle factors; human performance; and motor carrier factors," the NTSB stated.
