Witnesses shocked by deadly I-20 crash near Terrell after driver of 18-wheeler allegedly falls asleep
Residents who live off I-20 in Kaufman County, near where the deadly crash allegedly caused by a semi driver falling asleep at the wheel happened, said they're still shaken by what they witnessed.
Five people are dead and a sixth person is in the hospital after the crash that shut down I-20 near Hiram Road on Saturday, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 2:40 p.m. when the Texas Department of Public Safety said 27-year-old Alexis Osmani 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.
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.
The 18-wheeler driven by Gonzalez-Companioni was then pushed into two other 18-wheelers, causing one to jack-knife and strike a Jeep Compass, a Ford Mustang, and a Honda passenger vehicle, according to Texas DPS.
One person in the Jeep Compass struck by the jack-knifed semi was also pronounced dead at the scene, DPS said.
Gonzalez-Companioni faces several charges, including five counts of manslaughter, DPS said.
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.
Kaufman County residents recount graphic I-20 crash
Residents who live at TR3 RV Resort off I-20 said they heard the crash and ran through the field to help those impacted. They said the scene was so graphic, they are still shaken up a day later.
"You heard the crash. It was a big boom," said Shelly Timms, who witnessed the crash. "Big, big boom. Then I heard helicopters, so I ran outside."
Corinne Mulcahy said she just happened to be looking out the window and saw the crash.
"So I looked up and I saw the first truck, I saw his brake lights, saw the F-150, and here comes this tractor trailer," said Mulcahy. "And I'll tell you, man, I don't know how many miles an hour he was going when he was driving, but he hit that car, and I knew he killed everybody in that truck."
For hours, the highway was shut down in both directions.
"People started calling me and they were like, 'Oh my goodness, do you have a restroom? We've been sitting here for three or four hours,'" said Buddha Wyrick, the property manager at TR3 RV Resort. "I didn't know they had to turn their cars off. So they were like heat exhaustion and stuff."
Wyrick said dozens of people walked over to use the restroom.
"They were upset and traumatized. There was a few, like, that saw it in front of them," Wyrick said. "They were like, 'We're the fourth car back,' or, 'the second car back.' And they were telling me stories."
Residents said tragedies like this serve as a reminder to always be cautious.
