A Cuban migrant truck driver who allegedly “cannot speak English” killed five people on a Texas highway after falling asleep at the wheel and plowing into stalled traffic, raising urgent concerns about lax licensing standards and inadequate training for foreign drivers operating deadly 80,000-pound vehicles on American roads.
Key Takeaways
- Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, a 27-year-old Cuban national who reportedly cannot speak English, has been charged with five counts of manslaughter after allegedly falling asleep and causing a multi-vehicle collision on I-20 in Texas.
- The “horrific” crash killed five people and injured several others when Gonzalez-Companioni’s semi-truck failed to slow for traffic, creating what officials described as a “mass casualty” event.
- This tragedy follows a similar March incident where another foreign-born driver killed five people near Austin, highlighting a dangerous pattern of inadequately trained migrant drivers operating commercial vehicles.
- Florida officials recently uncovered a scheme where DMV employees were selling commercial truck driver’s licenses to unqualified drivers, including illegal immigrants, further exposing critical flaws in our transportation safety system.
- Gonzalez-Companioni is currently held on $1.5 million bond as federal investigators launch a probe into the deadly crash.
Deadly Multi-Vehicle Pileup Claims Five Lives
The devastating crash occurred Saturday afternoon around 2:40 p.m. on Interstate 20 near Terrell, Texas, when Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni allegedly dozed off behind the wheel of his semi-truck and barreled into slowed traffic. According to Texas Department of Public Safety officials, the 27-year-old driver failed to notice traffic had slowed ahead of him, resulting in a chain-reaction collision involving three 18-wheelers and four passenger vehicles. The violent impact immediately killed four occupants of a pickup truck, while a fifth victim in a Jeep Compass died after being struck by one of the jack-knifed semi-trucks.
Witness Corinne Mulcahy, who observed the crash firsthand, reported that the semi-truck appeared to “come out of nowhere” before the collision. The Terrell Volunteer Fire Department described the scene as a “mass casualty” event, with several additional victims suffering injuries, at least one in critical condition. The interstate remained closed for hours as emergency crews worked to clear the devastating wreckage. Gonzalez-Companioni now faces five counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Migrant Driver Raises Licensing and Training Concerns
Troubling details have emerged about Gonzalez-Companioni, identified as a Cuban national who “cannot speak English,” raising serious questions about how he obtained a commercial driver’s license and whether he could adequately understand American road signs and safety regulations. This incident marks the second deadly crash involving a foreign-born truck driver in Texas in recent months. In March, another migrant driver, Solomun Weldekeal Araya from Eritrea, was involved in a crash on I-35 near Austin that also claimed five lives, establishing a disturbing pattern of fatal accidents involving migrant drivers.
“A migrant semi-truck driver was arrested and charged with five counts of manslaughter after reportedly falling asleep behind the wheel and plowing into a traffic jam of trucks and cars on a Texas highway on Sunday,” said Sarah Fields, Breitbart.
President Trump has consistently highlighted the dangers posed by lax vetting standards for those entering our country and operating in sensitive positions. The trucking industry, which requires skilled operators to safely navigate vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds, appears to have become another victim of relaxed standards under previous administrations. Gonzalez-Companioni now sits in Kaufman County jail with bond set at $1.5 million as investigators continue to piece together the circumstances that led to this preventable tragedy.
Growing Crisis in Commercial Driving Enforcement
This deadly crash comes amid revelations of systematic fraud in commercial driver licensing. Florida officials recently brought charges against individuals involved in selling commercial truck driver’s licenses to unqualified drivers, including illegal immigrants. This corruption directly threatens American highway safety by putting untrained and unskilled drivers behind the wheels of the largest, most dangerous vehicles on our roads. The Texas Department of Public Safety labeled the I-20 accident as “horrific,” but it represents just one incident in what appears to be a growing crisis.
“At least five people are dead and others are hurt after a crash on I-20 near Terrell on Saturday afternoon after the driver of an 18-wheeler fell asleep behind the wheel, according to Texas DPS,” said Texas DPS, Fox4News
Federal investigators have now launched a probe into the deadly crash, examining not only Gonzalez-Companioni’s actions but potentially the systems that allowed him to operate a commercial vehicle on American highways. With multiple agencies involved, including Texas DPS and federal transportation authorities, the investigation may reveal deeper issues in commercial licensing protocols. The trucking industry’s labor shortage has led some companies to lower standards and cut corners on training, with American families now paying the ultimate price for these dangerous policies.
