Bond Cut to $7,000 for I-35 Crash Driver

Solomun Weldekeal-Araya, the truck driver accused of causing a fatal pileup on I-35 in North Austin that killed five people and injured 11 others in March, has had his bond reduced from $1.2 million to $7,000. The charges of intoxication manslaughter and assault were initially based on field sobriety tests and police assessment, though toxicology reports later found no drugs or alcohol in his system. Due to these findings, the judge approved the lower bond amount and imposed strict pretrial conditions, including GPS monitoring, random drug screenings, a prohibition on driving commercial vehicles, and an ignition interlock device. The crash involved 17 vehicles, not 18 as previously reported. Multiple lawsuits have been filed by victims' families, and authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash. The District Attorney's office continues to evaluate possible charges as legal proceedings move forward.