04-04-2025
Truck driver charged with intoxication manslaughter in N Austin I-35 crash was sober
Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, the big rig driver who last month was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in connection to a fatal multi-car collision on Interstate 35 in North Austin, tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
That's according to his court-appointed attorney, Bristol Myers, who on Friday received the result of a blood draw from a private lab contracted by the Austin Police Department.
Myers said he is moving to get his client out of jail quickly and wants the Police Department held responsible for their investigation.
"It is botched," he said. "It is just absolutely botched."
The Police Department did not immediately have a comment Friday afternoon but an APD official confirmed the result of the blood test to the American-Statesman.
Weldekeal-Araya remains in jail on a combined $1.2 million bond.
Two different arrest affidavits claimed that Weldekeal Araya had exhibited signs of intoxication during field sobriety testing and was likely under the influence of central nervous system depressants. He blew a 0.00 on a preliminary breath test and told officers he had not consumed any drugs or alcohol.
"(The detective) believes the driver is under the influence CNS depressants and is not capable of operating a vehicle safely," according to one of the affidavits.
One of the affidavits said that a review of Weldekeal-Araya's driver log showed he had a history of "hours of service" violations, which is when a commercial driver works longer hours than is allowed by law, including "several" in the week leading up to the crash. He also had "prior hazardous moving violations" while operating commercial vehicles, the second warrant stated.
Myers told the Statesman on Friday he believes it is possible that his client could face other charges, but he said he believes the crash may have been the result of an accident.
The crash occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on March 13 on southbound I-35 near Parmer Lane. It killed five people, including a family of four and an elderly woman, and injured at least a dozen others.
Weldekeal Araya, 37, was charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault in connection to the crash. While he was driving a load for Amazon, he was employed by a small, Dallas-based trucking company called ZBN Transport.
At least two people injured in the crash have sued Weldekeal Araya, ZBN Transport and Amazon.
The blood draw results come as Weldekeal-Araya has been demonized by conservative commentators and critics.
Traffic along Interstate 35 near Parmer Lane had slowed to a crawl late Thursday so cars could merge into one lane when a big rig barreled into them, causing a chain reaction that killed five people, federal investigators said Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Trucker charged with intoxication manslaughter in I-35 crash was sober
