Federal investigators are looking into a deadly crash on Interstate 20 near Terrell, Texas, that happened over the weekend. The accident involved an 18-wheeler operated by Hope Trans LLC out of Florida and left five people dead.
The details: Officials say the 27-year-old truck driver, Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, may have fallen asleep behind the wheel before the crash. He is being held on a $1.5 million bond. The National Transportation Safety Board and Texas Department of Public Safety are now leading the probe into the wreck.
- Records show Hope Trans LLC has 65 trucks and 80 drivers. The company's trucks were taken out of service 34% of the time during recent federal inspections—higher than the national average.
- The company has been operating since 2021, with three prior crashes causing injuries but none fatal until this latest wreck on I-20.
Company issues: There's confusion over the true business address of Hope Trans. It was recently changed from Washington state to Florida, but at least one of the addresses seems to be just a co-working space, not an actual office. The listed owner has not answered questions from reporters and deleted her LinkedIn, according to CBS Texas.
Governor Greg Abbott has called for an even wider investigation into Hope Trans LLC and the accident. The NTSB and Texas DPS continue to look for what led up to the crash and if earlier warning signs were missed.