AUSTIN (KXAN) — The truck driver accused of killing at least five people and injuring 11 others in a deadly 18-vehicle pileup crash is now facing a new multi-count indictment.
According to court documents given to KXAN by the attorney for Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, he faces five counts of manslaughter, along with 17 other aggravated assault charges.
The indictment was filed with the Travis County District Clerk’s office on Monday.
The crash, that involved more than a dozen other vehicles, happened on March 13, 2025 on Interstate 35 near Parmer Road and Howard Lane.
Weldekeal-Araya was hauling a load for Amazon when the crash happened.
Originally, he faced charges based on a field sobriety test including intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.
Weldekeal-Araya’s attorney told KXAN a toxicology report showed no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.
“When the cops tested Solomun and he wasn’t drunk, they said he was high. When they tested his blood for drugs there was nothing there,” said Bristol Myers, the attorney for Weldekeal-Araya. “Then they wasted taxpayer money to run more and more tests, only to come up empty. This indictment is a desperate attempt to criminalize a tragic accident.”
KXAN reached out to the Travis County District Attorney’s office for additional comment. We will update this story with that information.
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