A newly published report from the NTSB examines several aspects of the crash, including factors that may have influenced the performance of the semi-truck driver.
AUSTIN, Texas — Federal investigators have released new details about the truck driver accused of causing a 17‑vehicle crash that killed five people and injured nearly a dozen others on I-35 in North Austin last March.
A newly published report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) examines several aspects of the crash, including factors that may have influenced the performance of Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, who was driving a semitrailer at the time of the collision. Araya, a contract driver for ZBN Transport, was responsible for picking up and delivering pre‑loaded trailers.
Investigators reviewed Araya’s cell phone records and extracted data to determine whether device use played a role in the crash. According to the report, Araya was not on a call or using messaging applications at the time of the crash. However, within one minute of the crash, the report said the state of the camera changed to on, which may have been linked to the device’s face‑unlock feature.
The report also highlights Araya’s rest schedule. Investigators found that he used his phone frequently during off‑duty hours, reducing the amount of sleep he could have obtained. Based on documented activity, the NTSB states he could have received no more than 4 hours and 45 minutes of sleeping before he began driving.
Although preliminary law‑enforcement reports indicated Araya failed field sobriety tests, blood samples did not detect the presence of alcohol or other drugs, according to the NTSB.
Araya’s attorney, Bristol Myers, released the following statement:
“Nothing in the NTSB report suggests the kind of “conscious risk creation” required under the law to prove recklessness. Solomun had a valid Texas CDL to operate the truck. The truck was properly maintained. Solomun had no health problems. He was not drunk. He was not high. They tested his blood for everything they could. It was clean. They examined his cell phone. At the time of the accident, he was not on a call, not texting, and not using social media. The NTSB report reinforces that this was a tragic accident, not a crime.”
The crash has led to multiple civil lawsuits from victims seeking more than $150 million in damages combined. The case against Weldekeal-Araya is still pending; it includes five charges of manslaughter, two for aggravated assault causing bodily injury and 15 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.