Latest news with #McKellarFamily
CBS News
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Could autonomous trucks prevent accidents like the deadly I-20 crash, when an 18-wheeler driver fell asleep at the wheel?
Last Saturday's devastating crash on I-20 in Kaufman County left five people dead and one critically injured is raising new questions about the push toward autonomous trucking and whether the tech could help prevent crashes like this one in the future. Authorities said 27-year-old Alexis Gonzalez Companioni was driving a commercial truck and fell asleep behind the wheel, triggering a multi-vehicle pileup, killing four members of the McKellar family who were inside a Ford F-150 and Nicole Gregory, who was driving a Jeep Compass. A fifth member of the McKellar family and sole survivor from the F-150, 20-year-old Evan McKellar, was critically injured in the crash and remains in the hospital. Gonzalez-Companioni is charged with five counts of manslaughter. Julius Reeves was driving one of seven vehicles involved in the mass casualty event. He was driving a semi-truck at the very front of the crash and was rear-ended by another semi. "It's such a bad thing that has happened," Reeves said. He's recovering from a broken nose and two black eyes. "To look at the vehicles on that horrific sight ... over 30 something plus years, I've never witnessed or been involved in a situation like that," he said. "The research does show that drowsiness and drowsy driving is a common factor in crashes," Aurora's Chief Safety Officer, Nat Beuse said. "If you look at the top three, it's generally speeding, it's generally alcohol and generally belt use." Aurora recently made history as the first to commercially operate self-driving heavy-duty trucks, launching here in North Texas. Beuse said the technology eliminates human error. "All the things that plague us as humans, it doesn't have those things," he said. Some critics question how well driverless trucks handle challenges like bad weather or unpredictable traffic. Aurora said those scenarios have been thoroughly studied. "We have an off-line suite that we use through simulation," Beuse said. "You can think of our simulation suite as a collection of the world's hardest driving tests, and that is built off thousands of requirements, and those thousands of requirements result in millions of simulations, and that software has to pass through all of that before it's allowed on public roads" said Beuse. The company has publicly released a safety report, working with federal and state agencies. "We've been operating continuously, nearly seven days a week, since April, and we've accumulated nearly 15,000 miles of driverless miles already, and that number just keeps going up and up and up every week, and we've never had any incidents to speak of," Beuse said. Aurora believes autonomous trucking is the way of the future and that it could help save lives. The company plans to expand operations to El Paso and Phoenix later this year.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
North Texas truck driver injured in I-20 crash describes one of the most horrific scenes of his 30-year career
A seasoned truck driver from Balch Springs injured in the devastating multi-vehicle crash near Terrell on Saturday said it marks one of the most horrific scenes of his over 30-year career. Julius Reeves said in his over 30-year career as a truck driver, he's never seen anything like what he saw on Saturday. "It's such a bad thing that has happened, and I'm still trying to process it," said Reeves. "On the other hand, I'm trying to forget about everything as well." Authorities said 27-year-old Alexis Gonzalez Companioni was driving a commercial truck and fell asleep behind the wheel, triggering a multi-vehicle pileup, killing four members of the McKellar family who were inside a Ford F-150 and Nicole Gregory, who was driving a Jeep Compass. A fifth member of the McKellar family and sole survivor from the F-150, 20-year-old Evan McKellar, was critically injured in the crash and remains in the hospital. Reeves was driving one of seven vehicles involved in the horrific 18-wheeler accident on I-20 that killed five in Kaufman County. He was driving a semi-truck at the very front of the crash and was rear-ended by another semi. On Wednesday, Reeves was on his way to a doctor to get checked out. He suffered from injuries including a broken nose, two black eyes, and a swollen face. "To see that guy coming behind me, no, I never saw that," he said. "Everything happened so fast. So fast. I kinda lost a little consciousness." It wasn't until he got out of his truck that Reeves discovered the magnitude of the crash. "To look at the vehicles on that horrific sight, and, over 30-something plus years, I've never witnessed or been involved in a situation like that," said Reeves. He said just before he was hit, the traffic in front of him started moving, and thankfully, it did, because he said that had it not, he likely would have been pushed into the vehicles in front of him. Reeves said he doesn't want the spotlight to be on him, but instead on the five people who died. "It was a bad thing to happen on a beautiful day," Reeves said. "I wish them to know I love them and to be strong, and this will pass as well, with time... with time."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Family of 4 Revealed as Victims of Crash on Texas Highway After Truck Driver Allegedly Fell Asleep: Reports
Family members Shaun and Zabar McKellar, their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, died in the June 28 car crash in Terrell, Texas, according to reports Evan McKellar is the only family member to reportedly have survived the incident and is in critical condition in hospital Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was charged with five counts of manslaughter in relation to the crashFour members of the same Fort Worth family have been revealed as among the victims of a recent multi-vehicle crash in Texas. Shaun and Zabar McKellar died along with their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, when a semi-truck crashed into several vehicles on Interstate 20 in Terrell on Saturday, June 28, NBC News and CBS News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. Evan McKellar, 20, was the only family member to survive the crash. She had been riding with her family in a Ford F-150 truck at the time and was sent to the ICU at Parkland Hospital with critical injuries, according to the outlets. The fifth victim who died in the crash has been identified as the driver of another vehicle, 49-year-old Nicole Gregory from Dallas, per NBC News. She died at the scene. The crash happened after a semi-truck hit two 18-wheelers and three passenger vehicles, causing a 'mass casualty' event, CBS reported at the time of the incident, citing the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department. Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, allegedly told police that he fell asleep at the wheel before crashing into the back of a pickup truck carrying five people at around 2:40 p.m. local time, KLTV, CBS News Texas and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously reported. Gonzalez-Companioni was charged with five counts of manslaughter and an additional count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon related to the crash, PEOPLE confirmed. He is currently in custody at the Kaufman County Jail. The McKellar family were coming back from a trip in East Texas at the time of the crash, the family's attorney John Nohinek, of Witherite Law Group, told NBC News at the time. 'Our focus as attorneys turns toward trying to locate the source, from a legal standpoint, of the wreck,' he told the outlet. 'While the family grieves, we work to make sure that we get this information as soon as possible. It's very important information to get an idea of what was happening inside that vehicle at the time.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The loss of the McKellars has been described as 'heartbreaking' by loved ones. 'We lost a beautiful family in a tragic motor vehicle accident in Terrell, Texas,' Kirbie Nichols wrote on a GoFundMe page supporting the family. 'This unimaginable tragedy has deeply touched the hearts of many, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love, prayers, and support shown during this time. So many have reached out asking how they can help or give back to the family in this moment of sorrow,' the page read. According to CBS News, Kason was a student at North Crowley High School, while Evan McKellar is a college student. PEOPLE has contacted Texas Department of Public Safety for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Family of 4 Revealed as Victims of Crash on Texas Highway After Truck Driver Allegedly Fell Asleep: Reports
Family members Shaun and Zabar McKellar, their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, died in the June 28 car crash in Terrell, Texas, according to reports Evan McKellar is the only family member to reportedly have survived the incident and is in critical condition in hospital Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was charged with five counts of manslaughter in relation to the crashFour members of the same Fort Worth family have been revealed as among the victims of a recent multi-vehicle crash in Texas. Shaun and Zabar McKellar died along with their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, when a semi-truck crashed into several vehicles on Interstate 20 in Terrell on Saturday, June 28, NBC News and CBS News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. Evan McKellar, 20, was the only family member to survive the crash. She had been riding with her family in a Ford F-150 truck at the time and was sent to the ICU at Parkland Hospital with critical injuries, according to the outlets. The fifth victim who died in the crash has been identified as the driver of another vehicle, 49-year-old Nicole Gregory from Dallas, per NBC News. She died at the scene. The crash happened after a semi-truck hit two 18-wheelers and three passenger vehicles, causing a 'mass casualty' event, CBS reported at the time of the incident, citing the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department. Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, allegedly told police that he fell asleep at the wheel before crashing into the back of a pickup truck carrying five people at around 2:40 p.m. local time, KLTV, CBS News Texas and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously reported. Gonzalez-Companioni was charged with five counts of manslaughter and an additional count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon related to the crash, PEOPLE confirmed. He is currently in custody at the Kaufman County Jail. The McKellar family were coming back from a trip in East Texas at the time of the crash, the family's attorney John Nohinek, of Witherite Law Group, told NBC News at the time. 'Our focus as attorneys turns toward trying to locate the source, from a legal standpoint, of the wreck,' he told the outlet. 'While the family grieves, we work to make sure that we get this information as soon as possible. It's very important information to get an idea of what was happening inside that vehicle at the time.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The loss of the McKellars has been described as 'heartbreaking' by loved ones. 'We lost a beautiful family in a tragic motor vehicle accident in Terrell, Texas,' Kirbie Nichols wrote on a GoFundMe page supporting the family. 'This unimaginable tragedy has deeply touched the hearts of many, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love, prayers, and support shown during this time. So many have reached out asking how they can help or give back to the family in this moment of sorrow,' the page read. According to CBS News, Kason was a student at North Crowley High School, while Evan McKellar is a college student. PEOPLE has contacted Texas Department of Public Safety for comment. Read the original article on People
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
20-year-old fighting for her life after I-20 crash that killed her parents and brother, family says
A 20-year-old woman critically injured in a deadly crash on I-20 near Terrell over the weekend is the sole survivor from the Ford F-150 that was struck by a semi-truck, her family confirmed Tuesday. Evan McKellar is in the ICU at Parkland Hospital, fighting for her life after the Saturday afternoon crash that killed five people in total, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Four of the victims were in the F-150 with her. 18-wheeler driver charged in fatal I-20 crash The driver of the 18-wheeler, 27-year-old Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, failed to see stalled traffic around 2:40 p.m. and struck the pickup carrying five people, Texas DPS said. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, and Evan McKellar was care-flighted to the hospital in critical condition. The impact pushed the semi into two other trucks, causing a jackknife that struck a Jeep Compass, a Ford Mustang, and a Honda. One person in the Jeep also died at the scene, authorities said. That victim has not yet been identified. Gonzalez-Companioni has been charged with five counts of manslaughter. Texas DPS corrects initial I-20 crash death toll While Texas DPS initially said Monday that the death toll stood at six, a spokesperson clarified on Tuesday that the number was five, citing a miscommunication. Family identifies victims in Ford F-150 Family members identified three of the four victims in the F-150 as 15-year-old Kason McKellar, his parents, Krishaun and Zabar McKellar. Evan McKellar, the lone survivor, lost her mother, father and brother in the crash. The fourth person who died in the pickup has not yet been publicly identified, as authorities are still notifying next of kin. McKellar family Felicia Luster, Evan McKellar's grandmother, said the family is praying for her recovery and asking for privacy. "First of all, I want to thank [the community] for their prayers and support, and I want everyone to know that there was a survivor, my granddaughter. That she is in the hospital… that we're praying, and expecting a full recovery, and we thank you all for all of your support, and we just want you to respect our privacy right now as we heal and move forward," Luster said. "I want them to be remembered as a loving and devoted Christian family, that loved God and they had a strong faith, and that they loved their family, and that they were good parents and they raised their children in the fear and admiration of the Lord," she added. The family said Kason McKellar was a student at North Crowley High School and recently helped lead his team to a championship. Evan McKellar is a college student. McKellar family The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses.
