Fatal Austin Crash Highlights Dangers of Negligent Trucking Practices
A multi-vehicle collision on I-35 in North Austin claimed the lives of five people (including a young family of four) and left 11 others injured on the evening of March 13th, 2025.
No words can truly express the heartbreak of losing someone in a senseless and preventable crash. Last week’s devastating 18-vehicle pileup in Austin claimed the lives of Sergieo Lopez, Natalia Perez, their two young children, as well as Ma Concepcion Joaquin De Joaquin. Eleven others suffered serious injuries, including internal bleeding, broken bones, and spinal injuries.
The extensive damage and loss of life makes this one of the most tragic motor vehicle accidents in Austin’s recent history.
As details emerge, it’s clear that this tragedy was not just an accident—it was the result of reckless decisions, possible intoxication, and a failure to follow critical safety regulations. Those responsible must be held accountable, not only to seek justice for the victims but to prevent future tragedies on Texas roads.
What We Know So Far…
The accident occurred in an active construction zone in the southbound lanes of I-35, where reduced lanes had created a bottleneck and forced traffic to slow to a near standstill. According to witness accounts, the driver of an Amazon-branded 18-wheeler truck failed to slow down and plowed into the line of vehicles at speed.
The Amazon truck continued forward for approximately a tenth of a mile, striking a total of 17 vehicles before finally coming to a stop. The sheer force of the crash crushed several vehicles beyond recognition, requiring first responders to use specialized power tools (i.e., the Jaws of Life) to extract several victims.
A Tragic Loss of Life
Among those killed in the crash were four occupants of a silver Volkswagen sedan: 32-year-old Sergieo Daniel Lopez, 25-year-old Natalia Helena Perez, their 6-YO daughter Lylah Lacy, and their 9-MO son Silas Lopez.
The fifth victim, 78-year-old Ma Concepcion Joaquin De Joaquin, was also identified. Police say De Joaquin was the passenger of a pickup truck that was struck so violently that the bed of the pickup was pushed into the passenger cabin.
Driver Arrested
Authorities arrested the driver of the Amazon Prime truck, 37-year-old Solomun Weldekeal Araya, on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. Police reported that he exhibited signs of impairment including mumbled speech and balance issues during a field sobriety test. While his breathalyzer test was inconclusive, officers indicated they believe Araya was under the influence of a “central nervous system depressant” (e.g., sedative).
A review of Araya’s driving record reveals multiple past violations, including Hours of Service (HOS) infractions and hazardous moving violations. According to the Texas DPS, Araya’s driving logs showed repeated HOS violations in the week before the crash, raising obvious questions as to why he was still driving for the company.
Federal and Texas regulations limit commercial truck drivers to 12 hours of driving after at least 8 consecutive hours off-duty (and no more than 70 hours of driving within 7 days). Araya repeatedly violated these limits leading up to the crash, suggesting he may have been fatigued. This, combined with his suspected drug use and history of violations, suggests a troubling level of negligence.
Calls for Accountability
This accident raises serious concerns about trucking safety and regulatory enforcement. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will likely examine:
- The driver’s history of safety violations;
- Whether the trucking company and/or Amazon properly screened and monitored him;
- His suspected drug impairment;
- The conditions of the construction zone and whether proper safety measures were in place;
As investigations by the Austin PD, Texas DPS, and NTSB continue, one thing seems clear: if large commercial trucking companies allow drivers like this to share our roads, they should be held accountable when something goes wrong. As a lawyer who’s handled countless truck accident cases myself, regulations only do so much when they’re not strictly enforced industry-wide.
