18-wheeler driver who allegedly fell asleep indicted in June crash that killed 5 on I-20
A truck driver accused of falling asleep at the wheel and causing a multi-vehicle crash that killed five people in Kaufman County in late June has been indicted on nine felony charges, including five counts of manslaughter.
Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was indicted on four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and five counts of manslaughter, according to Kaufman County court records.
Five people died and a sixth person was hospitalized after the crash on I-20 near Hiram Road on June 28, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 2:40 p.m. that Saturday, when the Texas Department of Public Safety said Gonzalez-Companioni allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18-wheeler and did not see stalled traffic in front of him. He then struck a Ford F-150 carrying five people.
Four of the five people in the Ford F-150 were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fifth was flown to a hospital in critical condition, DPS said in a news release.
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 DPS.
One person in the Jeep Compass struck by the jack-knifed semi was also pronounced dead at the scene, DPS said.