Truck driver pleads guilty in fatal Kaufman County I-20 crash
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 5 dead after massive crash in Kaufman County
A 27-year-old is facing five counts of manslaughter after investigators say he fell asleep behind the wheel while driving an 18-wheeler in Terrell.
TERRELL, Texas - A truck driver indicted in a fatal crash on Interstate 20 in Kaufman County pleaded guilty Thursday.
Fatal 18-wheeler crash near Terrell
What's new:
Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni was in court Thursday to accept a plea deal in the case.
The 27-year-old was facing five counts of manslaughter after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel on I-20 in Kaufman County in August and killing five people.
Gonzalez-Companioni pleaded guilty in connection with charges related to the crash. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and faces deportation at the conclusion of his sentence.
The backstory:
The deadly crash happened just before 3 p.m. on June 28, 2025.
Investigators said Gonzalez-Companioni admitted to falling asleep while driving. His 18-wheeler then slammed into multiple vehicles, including two other big rig trucks.
The investigation revealed there were no signs that Gonzalez-Companioni touched the brakes in the chain-reaction crash.
5 killed in I-20 crash after 18-wheeler driver falls asleep, Texas DPS says
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.
There were five passengers in a Ford F-150, and four of them died. A fifth passenger suffered severe injuries but survived.
A passenger in a Jeep was also killed.
The Source: The information in this story comes from court records and past news coverage.