Truck driver sentenced to 20 years in I-20 Kaufman County crash that killed five

Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, the truck driver who failed to notice stalled traffic on Interstate 20 in Kaufman County last June, killing five people, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in court on Thursday.On June 28, 2025, the then-27-year-old struck a Ford F-150 carrying five people, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Gonzalez-Companioni allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18-wheeler, failing to see the stalled traffic. Four of the five people in the Ford F-150 were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fifth was flown by helicopter to a hospital in critical condition, DPS said in a news release. Texas DPS identified the victims in the F-150 as Billy McKellar, 79, Zabar McKellar, 52, Krishaun McKellar, 45, and 16-year-old Kason McKellar. The fifth injured passenger of the F-150 was identified as 20-year-old Evan McKellar by Texas DPS and family members.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, later identified as Nicole Gregory. The Terrell Volunteer Fire Department described the crash as "horrific." Gonzalez-Companioni, who is not an American citizen, faced several charges, including five counts of manslaughter, DPS said. The Cuban-born driver will be deported once his sentence is served.  "Three generations ... are gone": Family members give impact statementsSeveral family members of the victims gave victim impact statements in court. "I didn't know how I would ever get through this cloud of darkness that you have forced over my life," one victim said in her statement. "My life will never be the same ... I could go on and on, but I am done torturing myself and unrelenting tears of sadness. I have the rest of my life to be reminded of what I can never have again."Gonzalez-Campioni put his head down as the victim statements were read.Evan McKellar, the 21-year-old who lost part of her leg but survived the crash that killed her parents and brother, did not attend on Thursday "because of the mental challenges that this hour would bring to her," a family member said in court. Another family member shared a story with the court about a conversation about family that she had with Evan McKellar when she came home from the hospital."Evan cried out in anger and said, 'There are no more McKellars.' I thought she was just speaking out of grief, but when I think about it: a father's seed is his son. There are no more McKellar seeds. We lost a grandfather, we lost a father and we lost a son... Three generations of McKellers are gone."Sobs could be heard in the court as she spoke.But one of the most powerful moments came when a recording was played from Evan McKellar. "At the same time that I've had to grieve my family, I've also had to grieve myself. I lost my leg as a result of this incident, and I will have to live with that every day. I am not the same person that I was before. I still grieve the young woman who can run, jump, dance, and move freely without thinking about every step. I loved dancing, and I loved being active."The college graduate plans to attend law school once she's physically recovered. The trucking company, which authorities say falsified the registration on the vehicle, also faces criminal charges, as two families attempt to rebuild their lives from what appear to be serious failures by the driver and company to operate safely.