AUSTIN (KXAN) — The truck driver in a March 2025 crash that killed five people on Interstate 35 in north Austin was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but may have had little sleep before the crash, according to a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

One year after the crash that killed three adults, a child and a baby, the NTSB’s new report shows granular detail of Solomun Weldekeal Araya’s actions in the days before, including his mobile phone use, opportunities for sleep and a trip to an urgent care facility.

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The crash happened at 11:20 p.m. on March 13, 2025, on I-35 between Parmer Lane and Howard Lane and involved 17 vehicles. In addition to the five people killed, 11 others were injured. The initial crash investigation was done by the Austin Police Department.

The NTSB compiled data from Araya’s cell phone and electronic systems in his truck to create a timeline of his movements between midnight March 10, and 11: 30 p.m. March 13, 2025.

The agency divided Araya’s time into four categories: on-duty, off-duty, other activities and sleep opportunity. The report included a graph that showed time spent on each category, with an overlay showing the times where Araya was likely using his cell phone.

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Based on its analysis, the NTSB said Araya had the following total opportunity for sleep in the days leading up to the crash:

March 10: 4 hours of sleep opportunity periods

March 11: 7 hours, 15 minutes of sleep opportunity periods

March 12: 5 hours, 30 minutes of sleep opportunity periods

March 13: 4 hours, 45 minutes of sleep opportunity periods

The NTSB said “sleep opportunity periods” refer to the time from the driver’s last known activity — including driving or using a mobile phone — to the next period of activity.

The report says Araya’s phone turned “on” one minute before the crash, but the phone did not show specific activity at the time of the crash.

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The report also says Araya visited an urgent care clinic around noon on March 13 for “preventative screening for infectious disease.”

In a statement, Araya’s attorney, Bristol Myers said, in part, “The NTSB report reinforces that this was a tragic accident, not a crime.”

Myers added that, at the time of the crash, Araya had a valid CDL Texas driver’s license and the truck was properly maintained, Araya did not have any known health issues and Araya was not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

“He was not drunk. He was not high. They tested his blood for everything they could. It was clean,” Myers said. “They examined his cell phone. At the time of the accident, he was not on a call, not texting, and not using social media.”

“Nothing in the NTSB report suggests the kind of ‘conscious risk creation’ required under the law to prove recklessness,” Myers said.

The NTSB report said testing of blood samples obtained during APD’s investigation of the crash “did not detect the presence of alcohol or other drugs.”

Solomun Weldekeal Araya faces five counts of manslaughter and 17 aggravated assault charges – all felonies. The full NTSB report, which will include a “probable cause” of the crash, has not yet been released.

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