Bond reduced for driver arrested following deadly I-35 crash in north Austin
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The truck driver police arrested last month in connection to a deadly 18-vehicle pileup on I-35 in north Austin had his bond dropped to $1,000 per charge, according to online court records.
The crash killed five people and injured 11 others, according to APD.
Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, 37, still faces seven DWI-related felony charges, which came after field sobriety tests and drug recognition examinations APD conducted in the its preliminary investigation. But weeks later, a toxicology report found he did not have any alcohol or drugs he was tested for in his system.
Amazon denies allegations in I-35 crash lawsuits
Shortly after that, his attorney Bristol Myers requested to have Araya's bond dropped and that he be released from jail on $1 per charge. He was originally held on $200,000 each for six intoxication manslaughter charges and $100,000 for an intoxication assault charge, according to online court records.
According to those same Travis County court records, his bond was lowered on Tuesday to $1,000 per charge, and his bond conditions were modified to include the following:
GPS monitoring with no curfew and no exclusion zones
Use of an ignition interlock device
Pretrial supervision
No operation of a commercial motor vehicle
I-35 crash victim spent 25th birthday in a coma, attorney says
The courts came to this agreement the day before the scheduled bond hearing to discuss the matter. The Travis County District Attorney's Office said it 'reached an agreement to modify the conditions of pretrial release to keep our community safe while Solomun Weldekeal-Araya awaits trial. The agreement was reached with defense counsel, and the Court approved it.'
Myers said last month there was 'a lack of probable cause,' following Weldekeal-Araya being accused of being under the influence at the time of the crash.
Weldekeal-Araya was hauling an Amazon load when the crash happened. Amazon maintains he is not am Amazon employee, but worked for an independent trucking company that Amazon contracts with.
In addition to criminal charges, there are currently four active lawsuits related to this case on behalf of those killed and injured.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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