A devastating crash on Interstate 20 in Kaufman County, Texas, left five people dead and several others injured Saturday afternoon after a truck driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and plowed into stalled traffic, authorities said.
Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, is facing multiple counts of manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). He is being held on a $1.5 million bond.
“He stated that he had fallen asleep,” DPS Sgt. Kyle Bradford told Law&Crime on Monday. “Further investigation is ongoing, but that’s what he said.”
Crash Unfolds in Broad Daylight
The deadly collision occurred around 2:40 p.m. on the westbound side of I-20 near the Hiram Road bridge, where traffic had come to a stop. Authorities say Gonzalez-Companioni, driving a semi-truck, failed to slow down and slammed into a Ford F-150 carrying five passengers.
Four of the people in the pickup were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fifth was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Another fatality occurred when the chain reaction crash spread to other vehicles, bringing the total death toll to five.
“It was a big boom — big, big boom,” said witness Shelly Timms, who lives nearby.
Corinne Mulcahy, another resident who saw the crash, said she watched in horror as the semi barreled into the F-150.
“I’ll tell you, man, I don’t know how many miles an hour he was going, but when he hit that car, I knew he killed everybody in that truck,” she told CBS DFW.
Chain Reaction of Destruction
After hitting the F-150, Gonzalez-Companioni’s 18-wheeler reportedly crashed into two other semis, causing one to jackknife and slam into at least three more passenger vehicles, including a Jeep Compass, Ford Mustang, and Honda sedan. The person in the Compass was later confirmed as the fifth fatality.
“The scene was horrific,” officials from the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department said, calling it a “mass casualty event.” Emergency responders shut down traffic in both directions to treat the injured and secure the area.
Leak Akins, another witness, described the wreckage: “One 18-wheeler’s back end was completely torn off. Another truck’s cab was gone.”
Aftermath and Investigation
Buddha Wyrick, a manager at a nearby RV park, said shaken drivers rushed in to call 911 and try to collect themselves.
“They were traumatized,” he said. “Some of them saw the whole thing happen just a few cars in front of them.”
Sgt. Bradford said officials are still working to confirm the identities of those killed and are notifying their families. Additional updates are expected to be released soon.
Gonzalez-Companioni remains in custody as investigators continue reviewing surveillance footage, GPS data, and driver logs to determine how and why the tragedy unfolded.
