5 useless in 17-vehicle Texas crash; man charged with intoxication manslaughter

A person was charged Friday with intoxication manslaughter after 5 individuals have been killed and a number of other injured in a late-night wreck in Austin, Texas, that concerned over a dozen automobiles on Interstate 35, authorities mentioned.

Authorities mentioned that the 5 individuals killed within the crash that concerned 17 automobiles Thursday simply earlier than 11:30 p.m. included three adults, a baby and an toddler. First responders mentioned that 11 individuals have been taken to hospitals.

Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, was charged with 5 counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault after the crash, Austin police mentioned Friday. Police mentioned he was in custody in Travis County Jail. It was not instantly clear if he had an lawyer. Jail data didn’t record an lawyer for him.

Police haven’t detailed the circumstances that led to the wreck. Police mentioned in an e mail Friday that they have been nonetheless early within the investigation and had no additional data accessible to launch.

The southbound lanes of I-35 have been closed following the crash, and so they remained closed into Friday earlier than reopening at about 1 p.m. The wreck left a stretch of the interstate affected by mangled automobiles and particles.

The collision was “very massive and really complicated,” police Officer Austin Zarling mentioned at an early morning information convention.

Edgar Viera instructed NBC affiliate KXAN of Austin that he was at a close-by retailer when he heard the crash and went to attempt to assist these concerned.

“We didn’t have the right instruments to open the automobiles, so we simply did what we might,” Viera instructed the station. “It was laborious to see this.”