Kaufman County authorities say 27‑year‑old Alexis Osmani Gonzalez‑Companioni fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18‑wheeler on Interstate‑20 near the Hiram Road exit late Saturday afternoon, plowing into stopped traffic and triggering a catastrophic seven‑vehicle pileup.
The crash claimed five lives - four occupants of a Ford F‑150 and one from a Jeep Compass - and left several others injured, with one victim airlifted to a local hospital.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Gonzalez‑Companioni faces five counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is currently held in the Kaufman County Jail on $1.5 million bond.
The incident shut down the westbound lanes of I‑20 for several hours as emergency crews and investigators worked the scene, and local residents described the aftermath as “horrific,” with traffic backed up for miles.
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