Can you imagine the headaches that come along with a 17-car pileup? Sometimes accidents are simply that, an accident. But in Austin, Texas, police charged a truck driver with driving under the influence after causing a multi-vehicle crash. 

Intoxicated Texas truck driver causes 17-car pileup 

37-year-old Solomon Weldeakal Araya might be facing prison time. Texan police officers found the truck driver at fault for causing a massive 17-car pileup. The multi-vehicle crash occurred around 11:30 PM on southbound I-35 near Parmer Lane. 

The lanes were shut down after the wreck for about 12 hours later around 1 PM the next day. Firefighters, police officers, and ambulance crews helped 17 victims from 17 different cars. 

While some were treated for minor injuries, unfortunately, five people lost their lives. Among the victims were one infant, one child, and three adults. According to Yahoo, 11 people were taken to local hospitals for further treatment. 

Each person was transported away from the scene about 40 minutes after the wreck. Araya was immediately detained at the scene as authorities began investigating the incident. 

He was arrested and taken to Travis County Jail. Araya faces five charges of intoxication manslaughter and two charges of intoxication assault. 

Witnesses shared that traffic slowed down, but the truck driver continued going at full speed. He didn’t slow down as he ran over some cars and continued for about a tenth of a mile before stopping. 

The driver was under the influence of Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants and unable to safely operate a motor vehicle.