Case:                               25-0721933      
                            
Date:                               March 13, 2025

Time:                              11:21 p.m.
  
Location:                        12900 N IH 35 SB

Victims (deceased):     Sergieo Lopez, Hispanic male, 12-02-93
                                        Natalia Perez, Hispanic female, 5-27-99
                                        Unidentified Juvenile female (pending positive ID)
                                        Unidentified Juvenile male (pending positive ID)
                                        Ma Concepcion Joaquin De Joaquin, Hispanic female, 3-28-46
                             
Arrested:                       Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, Black male, 37 years of age

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, at approximately 11:21 p.m. Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a collision in the 12900 block of N. IH 35 SB that involved 18 vehicles and 36 occupants. Traffic was mostly stopped when a tractor-trailer semi-truck failed to slow down and drove into the stopped vehicles at a high rate of speed. All occupants of a sedan and the passenger in a pickup truck were pronounced deceased on scene and resulted in five fatalities. A total of eleven other occupants were transported to local hospitals with minor to life-threatening injuries.

The driver of a Tractor-Trailer, Solomun, Weldekeal-Araya, was arrested and charged with five counts of Intoxication Manslaughter and two counts of Intoxication Assault. He is currently being held in the Travis County Jail.

This incident is being investigated as Austin’s 15th fatal crash of 2025, resulting in 19 fatalities. This investigation is ongoing. 

These statements are from the initial assessment of the fatal crash, and the investigation is still pending. Fatality information may change.
 
Anyone with any information should contact APD's Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.