SLEEPER TRUCK SLAUGHTER: Fatigued 18-Wheeler Driver Charged After I-20 Crash Kills 5

REPORT: A truck driver has been charged with five counts of manslaughter after reportedly admitting he fell asleep at the wheel, causing a multi-vehicle crash on I-20 in Terrell that killed five people.

A confessed doze at the wheel turned I-20 near Terrell into a mass-casualty scene, wiping out four members of one family and another motorist; the semi-operator now faces five manslaughter counts.

A routine Saturday afternoon became a nightmare on Interstate 20 in Kaufman County when a westbound 18-wheeler driver, allegedly asleep, barreled into backed-up traffic around 2:40 p.m. The impact crushed a Ford F-150 carrying five members of one family before triggering a chain reaction with two more semis and three additional passenger vehicles.

• Five dead, one clinging to life. Four died instantly. A fifth relative remains hospitalized after an emergency airlift. The crash also killed a driver in a nearby Jeep Compass.
• Driver admits fatigue. According to a DPS report, the 27 year old driver reportedly told troopers he awoke only when his rig slammed into the pickup, allegedly confessing he’d nodded off moments earlier.
• Felony charges and $1.5 M bond. The driver is reportedly jailed on five counts of manslaughter and one aggravated-assault charge; bond is set at $1.5 million.
• Seven-vehicle pile-up. The semi’s momentum shoved it into two other big rigs—one jack-knifed, striking a Mustang, Honda and the Jeep—forcing a nine-hour highway shutdown.

Growing Outrage Over Trucker Fatigue

Federal investigators from the NTSB have opened a probe into driver fatigue and the safety record of the carrier employing the driver. Safety advocates are demanding stricter electronic-log enforcement and real-time fatigue monitoring across the industry.

For More Information

• FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth: Full crash report, victim identifications, and driver confession
• CBS News Texas: Affidavit details and NTSB fatigue investigation
• Dallas Morning News: Community mourns McKellar family, GoFundMe for lone survivor

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