5 killed, 1 critically injured in I-20 crash near Terrell after 18-wheeler driver allegedly fell asleep
One person remains in critical condition following the devastating crash that killed five people on I-20 near Terrell on Saturday, family confirmed Tuesday.
Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was driving his 18-wheeler when he failed to see stalled traffic around 2:40 p.m., striking a Ford F-150 carrying five people, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Four people in the F-150 were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fifth was care-flighted to a hospital in critical condition, Texas DPS said.
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 has been identified as 20-year-old Evan McKellar by Texas DPS and family members.
The impact pushed Gonzalez-Companioni's semi into two other trucks, causing a jackknife that struck a Jeep Compass, a Ford Mustang, and a Honda, with one person in the Jeep, 48-year-old Nicole Gregory, also dying at the scene, authorities said.
DPS reported on Monday that the person care-flighted from the F-150 had died, but the family confirmed to CBS News Texas Tuesday that the person was still alive and in critical condition.
Emergency crews responding to the crash called it horrific and a mass casualty event. Residents who live at an RV park off I-20 who witnessed the crash said the scene was so graphic, they were still shaken up a day later.
Gonzalez-Companioni faces multiple charges, including five counts of manslaughter. He is currently being held in the Kaufman County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. Texas DPS said Gonzalez-Companioni worked for Hope Trans LLC, which did not respond to our request for comment.
Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that every year, there are about 100,000 police-reported crashes involving drowsy driving. Just a few miles before Gonzalez-Companioni crashed on I-20, he passed a state commercial vehicle inspection station where authorities can inspect driver log books for evidence of overdriving. But the station was closed.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with Texas DPS, has opened a safety investigation into the crash.
