NTSB provides additional information on I-35 accident resulting in five fatalities

The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update on its investigation into the tragic Interstate 35 crash that occurred on March 13, shedding light on the vehicles involved and the ongoing legal proceedings. Following the 18-vehicle pileup near Parmer and Howard Lane that resulted in five fatalities and 11 injuries, Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, 37, faced charges of intoxication manslaughter and assault. Despite toxicology results showing no presence of drugs or alcohol in his system, his attorney, Bristol Myers, has requested his release from jail with a reduced bond of $1 in each case, citing a lack of probable cause as per court documents. Initial findings from NTSB revealed that Weldekeal-Araya's tractor truck failed to slow down as it approached slowed traffic on I-35 due to a lane closure for an overnight resurfacing project. The NTSB report highlighted the chain of events where Weldekeal-Araya collided with a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The investigation by NTSB is still ongoing, with a focus on issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.