At least 5 dead, 11 hurt in 17-vehicle crash on I-35 in north Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police said at least five people died and 11 were hurt in a crash involving at least 17 vehicles, including semi-trucks, on Interstate 35 in north Austin late Thursday night.

According to first responders, the five people who died included three adults, one child and one infant. The other 11 people who were injured included:

• four adults with critical, life-threatening injuries
• three children - one with potentially life-threatening injuries & two with minor injuries
• four adults with minor injuries

According to police, all the people who needed help were off the scene, and those in critical condition were removed in about 40 minutes. APD said the crash happened around 11:20 p.m.

KXAN reached out to the company that owns a semi-truck involved in the crash.

The owner of ZBN Transport LLC said there’s been no contact with the semi-truck driver, who they did not name. The company said it would continue to reach out, but the driver has yet to respond to their calls.

No arrests have been made related to the incident, and the cause of the crash is being investigated, according to police.

Road closures

Austin Police posted at 11:58 p.m. that all southbound interstate lanes were closed in the area between Parmer and Howard Lanes. The southbound service road near the crash has since been reopened.

According to ATCEMS, the scene spread across about 1/10 of a mile.

In an update, TxDOT said law enforcement expected the mainlanes to remain closed for several more hours Friday. The department said drivers should find an alternate route if possible.

TxDOT said drivers could use State Highway 130 as an alternate route.

"Tolls are being waived from SH 45 to US 290 East. I-35 mainlanes are expected to remain closed for several more hours as law enforcement continues to investigate," TxDOT said .

The Austin Fire Department said the extensive closure was partially due to a diesel spill on the roadway, as well as time mitigated for cleanup to clear the roadway of other debris.

This is a developing situation. Keep it here on KXAN for more updates.