July 2026

news@kaufmanherald.com A truck driver that fell asleep at the wheel and caused a multi-vehicle collision that killed five people in 2025, pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 25. Alexis Osmani Gonzalez- Companioni accepted a plea deal on Thursday to five counts of manslaughter after falling asleep at the wheel on interstate 20 in Kaufman County in August and struck multiple vehicles and killed five people according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Van ISD Director of Marketing and Communications Liz Hinch released the following information June 27 about the recent death of a Van High School student. “It is with profound sadness that Van ISD shares the passing of one of our own, Kayden Palmer, following a tragic accident.