Latest news with #ZBNTransport
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
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
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Survivor of massive I-35 crash sues Amazon, ZBN Transport for over $100M
A week after a tractor-trailer crash killed five people on Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas, a survivor of the 19-vehicle wreck has sued the transportation companies and truck driver involved. According to the lawsuit filed by Nathan Jonard, attorney Bradley Beckworth said his client's life 'was forever changed by an act of unimaginable destruction' when Solomun Weldekeal Araya rammed his tractor-trailer into a line of traffic. The complaint, obtained by FreightWaves, seeks over $100 million in damages from Amazon Logistics, ZBN Transport and Araya himself – who was arrested a day after the incident and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. It stated that Jonard was southbound on I-35 when construction on the interstate halted traffic. At the same time, Araya was behind Jonard, hauling a full load of cargo for Amazon as an independent contractor with ZBN Jonard's vehicle stopped, the complaint stated Araya failed to slow down or stop, resulting in a high-impact, high-speed collision. 'Eyewitnesses later confirmed the horrifying reality: Defendant Araya never even touched the brakes,' the complaint stated. 'He slammed into car after car after car, unleashing destruction across the highway. 'The force of the collision caused Plaintiff to lose consciousness. He woke up in a mangled vehicle, disoriented, and in agonizing pain. His head and legs were bleeding. His ribs throbbed with unbearable intensity.' Emergency responders arrived and transported Jonard to Dell Seton Medical Center, where doctors treated him for a number of injuries from broken ribs and other bones and a herniated C5/C6 disc 'causing excruciating nerve pain' and lacerations all over his complaint stated that Araya failed a field sobriety test after the incident and a detective determined that he was impaired by CNS depressants at the time of the collision. 'CNS depressants are an overarching category of medications that include sedatives, tranquillizers, and hypnotics, and are known to slow down signals sent between the brain and the body,' the complaint stated. Furthermore, the complaint stated that Araya had multiple previous hours-of-service violations and prior hazardous moving violations while operating commercial vehicles. The complaint accuses Araya, Amazon 'and/or' ZBN Transport on several counts of negligence. 'This is a tragedy for all involved,' said Beckworth in an emailed statement to FreightWaves. 'And perhaps the most tragic part of it is that it was completely avoidable. Amazon and ZBN Transport used a driver who had multiple prior moving violations and had several violations for exceeding his allowable driving time limits in the week before this tragedy. And, he failed 6 different drug and intoxication tests taken after the wreck. These defendants needlessly endangered our entire community. On behalf of Mr. Jonard, we intend to hold them accountable and, hopefully, we can prevent other tragedies like this from happening in the future.' Beckworth asked anyone who has information about the wreck or people involved to call his office, Nix Patterson LLP. Beckworth added that he thinks this case 'should serve as a strong message to our legislators who are meeting in session in Austin.' 'Right now, powerful big money corporations are doing everything they can to limit the right to a jury trial in cases like this,' he said. 'They want to limit the amount a family can recover for pain and suffering to $500,000 for their entire life. Yet, at the very same time, they are trying to protect big corporations from having a jury find out that they hire truck drivers who are on drugs and alcohol or who have had prior violations that should have kept them from ever being hired.''Hopefully, when legislators see facts like we are dealing with here they will think twice before they choose big corporations who are trying to take away our right to a trial by jury,' he continued. 'This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved,' said Amazon spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel in an emailed statement to FreightWaves. 'We're cooperating with all investigations.' FreightWaves has reached out to ZBN Transport for comment. The post Survivor of massive I-35 crash sues Amazon, ZBN Transport for over $100M appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Two lawsuits, including one seeking $100 million, filed in deadly I-35 crash in Austin
A survivor and relatives of a victim have filed separate lawsuits following the massive Interstate 35 crash in North Austin that killed five people and hurt at least a dozen others. Nathan Jonard said in his civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Travis County that he was driving one of the 18 vehicles on March 13 that slammed into each other after officials say Solomun Weldekeal Araya failed to brake the tractor-trailer he was driving. Jonard is seeking more than $100 million in damages from Amazon Logistics, ZBN Transport and Araya for his injuries. The family of Maria Concepcion Joaquin de Joaquin, who was killed in the crash, also filed a $50 million lawsuit in Dallas County, according to a news release from their lawyer, Domingo Garcia, on Friday. Joaquin, 78, was the mother of 11 children and 40 grandchildren, the release said. 'We cannot allow innocent families to continue being slaughtered on Texas highways because commercial drivers are operating 80,000-pound rigs while impaired, speeding, or well past their legal driving limits,' said Garcia. 'We demand that Texas enforce stricter regulations and accountability for commercial drivers. … This bloodshed on our highways must end, and it starts by demanding safety over speed and profit.' The crash happened in the southbound lanes of I-35 near Parmer Lane, where traffic had slowed to merge into a single lane because of a resurfacing project. Araya, 37, slammed into the bottleneck that was created, police have said. He has been charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. Araya was driving a semi-truck owned and/or leased by ZBN Transport and/or Amazon Logistics at the time of the collision, the lawsuit filed by Jonard said. It also said Araya was hauling a load for Amazon at the time. Araya had worked for ZBN Transport for four months, according to the suit. "This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved," said Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson. She said all long-haul drivers are independent contractors. Dallas-based ZBN Transport, also did not respond to a request for comment Friday. More: Truck driver charged with intoxication manslaughter in 17-vehicle car crash in N. Austin Jonard said he was driving south about 11:20 p.m. on I-35 when construction on the highway caused the traffic to slow to a stop as he waited for the traffic to clear, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday. It said that after his car was hit he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was in "agonizing pain" with his head and legs bleeding and his ribs throbbing, according to the lawsuit. Paramedics took Jonard to the hospital where he learned that he had multiple broken ribs and other broken bones, a dissected artery in his neck, a herniated disc and deep, painful cuts on his head legs and feet, the lawsuit said. More: Victims of fatal I-35 crash in Austin identified, include family of four Police later determined that Araya was impaired by central nervous system depressants that can include sedatives and tranquilizers, the lawsuit said. He told police he was driving in the center lane of I-35 when a car cut him off, according to an arrest affidavit. It said he said he slammed on his brakes but that they did not activate. The affidavit said Araya showed numerous signs of impairment during both a field sobriety test and a follow-up evaluation conducted at a hospital. The signs, according to the affidavit, included bloodshot and watery eyes, loss of balance and an inability to accurately count backwards. Although Araya blew .00 on a preliminary breath test, a detective who conducted the later examination concluded he was under the influence of central nervous system depressants, said the affidavit. It said Araya has denied being on alcohol or drugs. The people killed in the crash were Joaquin and a family of four. The family included 32-year-old Sergieo Daniel Lopez and 25-year-old Natalia Helena Perez. A joint statement from the Lopez and Perez families confirmed that Lylah Lacy, 6, and Silas Lopez, 9 months old, were the other two killed. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Two lawsuits seeking millions filed in fatal I-35 crash in Austin
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man injured in deadly I-35 crash files $100 million civil lawsuit against driver, Amazon, ZBN Transport
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man seriously injured in a crash on I-35 that killed five people earlier this month has filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against Amazon, a trucking company and the driver who police say caused the crash. Nathan Jonard filed suit against Amazon Logistics, ZBN Transport and Solomun Weldekeal-Araya in Travis County Thursday. Five people were killed and 11 others injured, including Jonard, in the March 13 crash, which happed on I-35 near Parmer Lane and Howard Lane. The crash involved 18 vehicles, including a box truck, two truck tractors, two semi-trailers and 13 passenger cars, according to an arrest affidavit for Weldekeal-Araya. Weldekeal-Araya was arrested and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with vehicle involving serious bodily injury. In the arrest affidavit, investigators said they believe he 'was under the influence of Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants and was unable to operate a motor vehicle safely.' 'Nathan Jonard was simply trying to make it home to his family,' the lawsuit said. 'Before he could, his life was forever changed by an act of unimaginable destruction.' The lawsuit claims Jonard came to a stop in traffic due to construction, but that Weldekeal-Araya 'failed to slow down or stop, resulting in a high-impact, high-speed collision.' Previous coverage: 'It was hard to see this': Bystanders help after fatal 17-vehicle crash Jonard suffered multiple broken ribs and other bones. He also had a dissected artery in his neck which required surgery, according to the lawsuit, as well as a herniated disc, deep lacerations to his body and 'particularly gruesome wounds' on his head, legs and feet. Weldekeal-Araya, 37, was driving a semi truck for Amazon at the time of the crash, but the crash was owned by ZBN Transport LLC. He was not an Amazon employee. 'This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved,' Amazon spokesperson Amber Plunkett told KXAN after the crash. 'We're looking into this further and will cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate.' ZBN Transport told KXAN Weldekeal-Araya had been with the company for about four months, and there have not been any prior issues with him. Additionally, the company said it conducts background checks, and nothing showed up for Weldekeal-Araya. KXAN has reached out to both Amazon and ZBN Transport, as well as Weldekeal-Araya's attorney for comment on the new lawsuit. '[ZBN and/or Amazon] failed to exercise the requisite care, skill and expertise as would an ordinary person when hiring, retaining, entrusting a vehicle to, and training (or rather not training' [Weldekeal-Araya],' the lawsuit said.' Jonard is seeking 'monetary relief in excess of $100 million,' in part to cover medical bills, lost wages and lost property, as well as compensation for pain, suffering, mental anguish, physical disfigurement and impairment. Three of the five victims were identified by Austin police on Tuesday. Sergieo Daniel Lopez, 32, and Natalia Helana Perez, 25, along with Ma Concepcion Joaquin De Joaquin, 78, were killed in the crash, along with two juveniles who have not yet been named. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Trucker charged in 17-car collision in Texas that killed 5
One man has been arrested as authorities continue to investigate the cause of a crash that killed five people Thursday on Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas. Authorities said 17 vehicles were involved, including a tractor-trailer hauling goods for Amazon, in the accident that happened around 11:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-35. Five people were pronounced dead on the scene, including a child and an infant. Eleven others were taken to hospitals. Solomun Weldekeal Araya, 37, the Dallas-based driver of the tractor-trailer, was arrested Friday by the Austin Police Department and charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication information shows the truck carrying the Amazon haul failed to slow for traffic that had backed up in a temporary work zone for an I-35 expansion project, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said. 'The truck that initiated the crash sequence was registered to a for-hire carrier, ZBN Transport LLC, out of Dallas, Texas,' Kenny Bragg, an NTSB investigator, said during a news conference on Sunday. 'In the coming days, the team will continue to document this temporary work zone, conduct a detailed mechanical inspection of the striking truck and collect further information from witnesses. We will also be looking into the truck driver's employment history as a commercial driver, his entire driving history to include crash history and traffic violations, as well as his medical history for factors that may have influenced his driving.' Officials for ZBN Transport LLC did not return a message seeking comment from FreightWaves on Monday. ZBN Transport told KXAN that Araya had been with their company for four months and passed background officials confirmed that ZBN Transport was contracting a load for the e-commerce company.'This is a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those involved. We're looking into this further and will cooperate with all investigations,' Amazon spokeswoman Maureen Lynch Vogel told the Austin American-Statesman. The post Trucker charged in 17-car collision in Texas that killed 5 appeared first on FreightWaves.
