Two Children Killed in Austin Crash, Driver Showed Little Emotion

June 6th, 2024: What happened at 11:21 p.m. on I-35 in Austin, Texas, would become one of the most catastrophic multi-vehicle crashes in recent Texas history.

By the end of it, eighteen vehicles were hit, five people were dead, including two children, and eleven others injured. What made the whole case so peculiar was the driver of the semi-truck; he was calm, too calm.

17 Vehicles. One Semi. Zero Brakes.

The crash happened in a construction zone near Cesar Chavez Street, where three lanes had merged into one. It was late, dark, and most drivers were just waiting to get through the bottleneck.

But witnesses say the 18-wheeler didn’t slow down, not once. It kept barreling forward at high speed, plowing into car after car for nearly a tenth of a mile.

The Man Behind the Wheel: Solomun Weldekeal Araya

According to an arrest affidavit, the driver of the semi was 37-year-old Solomun Weldekeal Araya. Officers on scene noted he appeared.

"drowsy, sluggish, with slow and deliberate movements."

But what stood out most was how relaxed he seemed. Despite the trauma and chaos around him, Araya’s heart rate and blood pressure were low, unusually low for someone who had just been involved in a devastating crash.

That raised a major red flag.

When questioned, Araya blamed the brakes. He told officers they failed, but a mechanical inspection proved otherwise. The brakes were working just fine.

Under the Influence

Austin Police’s Impaired Driving Investigation Unit conducted field sobriety tests on Araya. According to the affidavit, he failed everyone.

Officers determined Araya was under the influence of central nervous system depressants, substances that slow the communication between the brain and body. These can include prescription sedatives, anti-anxiety meds, or other impairing drugs.

Investigators said his physiological state matched the signs: droopy eyelids, slowed reflexes, and a calm demeanor out of sync with the devastation surrounding him.

It’s important to note: no toxicology results were released at the time of writing. But the arrest affidavit points heavily toward drug impairment.

This wasn’t Araya’s first incident behind the wheel. Public records show he had prior violations as a commercial driver, including hazardous moving violations.

The Victims

Four of the five people killed were in a single car. One firefighter described the wreckage as "an unrecognizable crumpled mess." It didn’t look like a car anymore; it was just a compacted mess of metal and glass.

Sadly, two killed in the crash children under the age of 12. At least one of them had been asleep in the back seat. Their names haven’t been released publicly. But their families are left with the kind of hole no courtroom verdict can ever truly fill.

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The Charges

Solomun Weldekeal Araya has been charged with multiple counts of intoxication manslaughter. If convicted, he faces decades behind bars.

The investigation is ongoing, and the legal process is expected to unfold over the coming year. But for the families impacted, justice will likely never feel like enough.

How Did This Happen?

What happened on I-35 that night wasn’t just a crash. It was a combination of red flags ignored, regulations dodged, and a driver whose decisions will haunt more than just his own life.

How did a driver with past violations, impaired judgment, and no braking reaction get behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle that night?