The truck driver accused of being under the influence of central nervous system depressants when he crashed into a line of traffic on Interstate 35 was sober at the time of the wreck and is now seeking release from jail, his lawyer says.
The 11 p.m. wreck on March 13th along Interstate 35 in a construction zone in Austin, Texas involved 17 vehicles and left five people dead. About a week later, officials announced that the truck driver, Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, was under the influence of CNS depressants when he crashed. Now, blood tests reveal that Weldekeal-Araya was sober while behind the wheel of the semi truck, and his lawyer is seeking his release.
According to Austin-American Statesman, the drug accusations began when an Austin Police Department officer responded to the crash and found Weldekeal-Araya hiding in sleeper bunk of his semi truck, peeking his head out of the curtains. Weldekeal-Araya then told the officer that he tried to hit the brakes before crashing into the line of stopped cars, but they didn’t work. A Texas DPS officer later inspected the truck and found no mechanical issues.
APD officers then performed field sobriety tests on Weldekeal-Araya, where they noted “bloodshot and watery “ eyes, “ and his speech was mumbled.” Weldekeal-Araya was then transported to a hospital where another officer conducted a Drug Influence Evaluation, which utilizes vital signs, an interview, and other observations to determine whether the subject is under the influence. During that evaluation, the officer determined that Weldekeal-Araya was under the influence of central nervous system depressants, a drug similar to Xanax and Valium. These evaluations were then used to determine the original charges against Weldekeal-Araya – five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault.
“The Austin Police Department (APD) is aware of the preliminary toxicology reports for Solomun Weldekeal-Araya,” the statement read. “At this time, the APD Vehicular Homicide Unit is working with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office to determine specific charges. The original charges were based on Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) and drug recognition examinations conducted by APD officers during the initial investigation. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Weldekeal-Araya is currently still in the Travis County jail, but his lawyer is now pushing for a decrease in bond or his release from jail in the wake of the new toxicology report.
“It was exactly what I expected to find,” said Bristol Myers, attorney for Weldekeal-Araya. “This is one of those instances where my client told me the truth. I believed it and it turned out to be true.”
Myers filed a motion on Friday, April 4th to have Weldekeal-Araya released from jail, or his bond reduced from $1.2 million to $1.
