A man in Austin, Texas, was charged with intoxication manslaughter after a late-night wreck on Interstate 35 that killed five people and injured several others. The crash involved 17 vehicles and occurred just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday. The victims included three adults, a child, and an infant, with 11 people taken to hospitals.
Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, faces five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault, according to Austin police. He is currently in custody at Travis County Jail. The circumstances leading to the wreck have not been detailed by authorities, who are still early in the investigation.
The southbound lanes of I-35 were closed following the crash and remained closed until about 1 p.m. on Friday. The scene was described as “very large and very complex” by police, with mangled vehicles and debris strewn across the interstate. Witnesses like Edgar Viera, who tried to help those involved, described the crash as difficult to witness due to the severity of the collision.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and authorities have not released further information at this time. The community is mourning the loss of the five individuals who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
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