AUSTIN, Texas – Two deadly crashes on Interstate 35 in Texas within a 24-hour span have resulted in multiple fatalities and arrests, drawing attention to safety concerns on the busy corridor.
On Thursday night, March 13, 2025, a catastrophic 18-vehicle pileup occurred in north Austin, killing five people and injuring eleven others. The victims were identified by Travis County officials on March 18, 2025, and among the deceased are Sergieo Daniel Lopez, 32, Natalia Helana Perez, 25, and Ma Concepcion Joaquin De Joaquin, 78.
The terrifying crash involved semi-trucks and resulted in the closure of the interstate for nearly 14 hours. According to a police arrest affidavit, Joaquin De Joaquin was a left rear passenger in a green Chevrolet pickup truck when it was struck from behind with immense force. The impact was so violent that it reportedly pushed the rear seats into the front seats, leaving the driver hospitalized with serious injuries, which included rib and spinal fractures.
Lopez and Perez were driving a silver Volkswagen with an infant and a child at the time of the accident. The damage to their vehicle was severe enough that the vehicle was unrecognizable. Police reported that the driver of a semi-truck involved in the crash is believed to have been under the influence of drugs, leading to charges against the 37-year-old man of five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault involving serious bodily injury.
In a separate incident early on the same morning, March 18, a 50-year-old woman named Flavia Arzate Gomez was killed in a crash on Southbound I-35 near Yarrington Road in Kyle. This tragic event prompted the arrest of Gabriella Saurette, a 21-year-old from San Marcos, who has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. She allegedly struck Gomez’s vehicle as Gomez was stopped on the shoulder, attempting to fix a tarp, following her vehicle's problems.
According to the Kyle Police Department’s initial post, Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene after the accident, which led to the temporary closure of the southbound lanes for several hours. The lanes reopened by 7:30 a.m. that same day.
Investigating officers observed signs of impairment from Saurette, who reportedly admitted that she had been drinking alcohol earlier at Sixth Street in Austin before the crash. The police have urged anyone with additional information about the incident to contact their department or the Hays County Crime Stoppers.
The spate of unfortunate crashes raises serious concerns regarding road safety and the importance of adhering to traffic regulations, particularly as the number of impaired drivers has been a rising concern throughout Texas. Investigators are continuing to examine both incidents thoroughly to determine if additional measures can be implemented to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Both families affected by the devastating incidents are left to mourn their loved ones while the community grapples with the consequences of driving under the influence and the devastating impact of road traffic accidents.
