Four members of the McKellar family from Fort Worth were killed, and one remains in critical condition, after Texas DPS says a big rig driver fell asleep at the wheel Saturday afternoon in Kaufman County and collided with stopped traffic.
Loved ones say 15-year-old Kason McKellar, his sister Evan, their parents Shaun and Zabar, and grandfather Billy McKellar were driving on I-20 when the crash happened. Only Evan survived, being transported to the hospital where she’s still fighting for her life.
A total of five people were killed, including the driver of another vehicle, who has now been identified as 49-year-old Nicole Gregory from Dallas.
According to the Department of Public Safety, 27-year-old Alexis Gonzalez-Companioni was arrested and charged with five counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Authorities released the identities of the five victims killed in the crash on Tuesday night. An attorney representing the McKellar family said loved ones are grieving.
“Obviously, in talking to one of the family members earlier, it’s a terrible tragedy, with how many people were lost in this entire family, with one struggling to stay alive,” said John Nohinek, a managing attorney at Witherite Law Group.
“We represent the dad of the mom who was killed in this wreck,” said Nohinek. “He also lost a grandchild, and he’s got a grandchild clinging for her life.”
Nohinek said he met with the family Tuesday morning and said they found out less than 24 hours ago about the four family members killed and an adult granddaughter who remains in the hospital. Nohinek said the family was coming back from a trip to East Texas.
“Our focus as attorneys turns toward trying to locate the source, from a legal standpoint, of the wreck,” said Nohinek.
He said every tractor-trailer has a “black box” like an airplane. He said the electronic control modules and other devices can show the truck’s speed at the time of the crash, if it was in cruise control, how long the truck was on the road, maintenance history, and many other details.
“While the family grieves, we work to make sure that we get this information as soon as possible. It’s very important information to get an idea of what was happening inside that vehicle at the time,” explained Nohinek.
On Monday, DPS named Hope Trans LLC as the company operating the big rig. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows the company’s trucks have a significantly higher out-of-service violation percentage than the national average for trucking companies.
“In 2024, this carrier had 146 inspections on the side of the road, and they had 159 violations. Their trucks were deemed out of service at a 33.8 percent rate, which is over 10 percent higher than the national average. So that kind of shows what kind of company we’re dealing with,” said Nohinek.
NBC 5 tried to reach out to the company on Monday and left a message.
Nohinek said their law firm is in the process of requesting access to the “black box,” but said it may take longer to see the data because of the investigation.
“They need to get all the information necessary before they let in civilians, attorneys,” he explained.
NBC 5 spoke with several family members and loved ones who said right now they’re not ready to talk.
“Clearly, the family is distraught,” said Nohinek. “In talking with them earlier today at their house, they’re struggling with this.”
A GoFundMe account for the family was set up to help the North Texas family.
The loss was felt keenly by the Hallmark Eagles youth sports program in Fort Worth, where the McKellar family had been involved for years and Kason started playing football at age 11.
“Whenever something like that happens, it’s bad enough if it’s one person,” said Newton Braziel with Hallmark Eagles. “But when it’s a family, man, your heart just can’t help but go out.”
The program tells NBC 5 it’s working to put together a way for its community to support the McKellar family in the wake of the tragedy.
“His loss touched a lot of families, a lot of friends,” coach Anthony Bartee said of Kason. “When my son told me about it last night, it really broke my spirits.”
On Monday, DPS said a sixth person died and that all five people in the mangled Ford F-150 died, but on Tuesday, authorities clarified that only five victims had died in the crash.