Man arrested for allegedly falling asleep, causing fatal crash that killed 5 near Terrell, Texas DPS says
A man has been arrested in connection with a crash that killed five people and injured several others near Terrell after he fell asleep behind the wheel on Saturday, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed.
According to DPS, 27-year-old Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, faces several charges, including five counts of manslaughter.
The crash happened at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday on I-20 near Hiram Road, when DPS said Gonzalez-Companioni allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18-wheeler, failing to see stalled traffic. He struck a Ford F-150 carrying five people. The 18-wheeler driven by Gonzalez-Companioni was then pushed into two other 18-wheelers, causing one to jack-knife and strike an SUV, and two other cars.
The Terrell Volunteer Fire Department described the crash as "horrific" and declared a "mass casualty" event. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, shutting down traffic in both directions as first responders aided the injured and investigators worked to determine the cause.
Four of the five people in the Ford F-150 were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fifth was care-flighted to a hospital in critical condition, DPS said in a news release.
One person in the SUV struck by the jack-knifed semi was also pronounced dead at the scene, DPS said.
The names of the victims have not been publicly released at this time. The investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
Gonzalez-Companioni is currently in custody in Kaufman County.
