Solomun Weldekeal-Araya was released from jail on a $7,000 bond on Wednesday, just a day after his bond was reduced from $1.2 million.
AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday, the driver accused of causing a deadly pile-up on I-35 last month bonded out of a Travis County jail after his bond was significantly reduced.
Solomun Weldekeal-Araya was given a list of conditions to follow while he’s out, which includes GPS monitoring, pre-trial supervision and not being allowed to drive a commercial vehicle.
KVUE reached out to Weldekeal-Araya’s attorney on Thursday, who provided the following statement:
“The reduced bond amount was reached by agreement between the District Attorney’s Office and me, and it was approved by the court. It reflects the likelihood that the DA will eventually dismiss the current charges against my client because he was not intoxicated. The investigation into the underlying causes of the accident is ongoing by both sides. Whether that leads to new charges or not remains to be seen. Rather than rush to judgment (again) we’re balancing my client’s liberty interests with the DA’s public safety concerns while that process plays out.”
Charlie Baird, a retired Travis County district court judge and current criminal defense attorney, explained that two key factors played into Weldekeal-Araya’s bond reduction: to ensure his attendance in court and to keep the community safe.
“I think that when they put all that together, this was the best resolution to accomplish those two goals,” said Baird. “It also should be noted that it is very, very rare for a traffic accident, itself, to lead to criminal charges unless there is some level of intoxication.”
Weldekeal-Araya was cleared of having any alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of the crash, according to court documents. Baird said there is a possibility of the case being dismissed altogether.
However, there is also a chance for new charges that could include reckless or negligent conduct.
“I’ve never seen an automobile collision that had this extensive loss of life and personal injury and property damage,” said Baird.
KVUE contacted the Travis County District Attorney’s Office to ask about their next steps, but did not receive a response back at the time of publication.
Attorney Brad Beckworth, who represents one of the survivors, released the following statement Thursday:
”We are confident in the work of the Austin Police Department and the Travis County D.A.’s office and know they’ll see the criminal side of this case through to the end. Posting bond is a normal part of the criminal process. From what we have reviewed, the defendant is not allowed to drive commercial vehicles or leave the country. And he has to submit to drug an alcohol testing. While we would prefer he not ever be allowed to drive any vehicle again, these are important limitations while the pre-trial process plays out.
On the civil side, we are just beginning the discovery phase. We hope to get a trial date soon. We plan to push the case aggressively to get justice for our clients and, hopefully, we can force the industry to make important safety changes.”
Beckworth added that there needs to be a spotlight pointed on the trucking industry in Texas, as well as large retailer companies such as Amazon hiding behind third-party contractors. Weldekeal-Araya worked for the third-party trucking company, ZBN Transport LLC.