Man arrested in connection to 17-vehicle crash in Austin that left 5 dead, several injured
A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection to Thursday's multi-vehicle crash in Austin, Texas, that left five people dead −including children − and several hospitalized.
Solomun Weldekeal Araya has been arrested and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault, a spokesperson for the Austin Police Department told Paste BN on Friday afternoon.
He is currently held at Travis County Jail. The fatal incident, which also involved a semi-truck, occurred on Interstate 35 in North Austin, and authorities responded to the scene just before 11:30 p.m.
They discovered "multiple patients pinned in their vehicles," Captain Christa Stedman of Austin Travis County EMS said at a press conference.
Stedman added that 17 individuals and cars were involved in the crash. Among the deceased were an infant, another child, and three adults. They were pronounced dead at the location.
'Incredibly chaotic': Authorities are probing the cause of the crash
Eleven victims were transported to local hospitals, including several with critical life-threatening injuries.
"This incident was incredibly chaotic. It was spread out about a tenth of a mile," Stedman said. "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."
Austin EMS, Austin Police, and Austin Fire Department, along with other agencies, worked together on this incident.
Austin Police Department public information officer Austin Zarling said limited details are available at this time. He urged the public to use alternate routes due to road closures.
The fire department said the diesel fuel poured out of the 18-wheeler involved in the crash had been contained.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.