KAUFMAN, TEXAS — More than a year after a fatigued truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and triggered a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 20 that killed five people — including three generations of a Fort Worth family — the survivors and loved ones of the victims came face to face with him in a Kaufman County courtroom Thursday and delivered words of grief, anger, and in some cases, forgiveness.

Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, of Kissimmee, Florida, pleaded guilty to five counts of manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. District Judge Casey Blair sentenced him to 20 years in prison. As he is not a U.S. citizen, he will be deported to Cuba upon release.

The Crash

On June 28, 2025, Gonzalez-Companioni was hauling a U.S. Postal Service load that originated in Atlanta — more than 700 miles from the crash site — when he fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18-wheeler on I-20 near Terrell and plowed into stopped traffic, setting off a deadly chain-reaction pileup.

Three generations of the McKellar family from Fort Worth were killed when their vehicle was struck first — Zabar McKellar, his wife Shawn, their 15-year-old son Kason, and Zabar's father Billy McKellar. Nicole Gregory, 36, of Dallas, was also killed in a separate Jeep Compass. Zabar's daughter Evan McKellar, who was in college at the time, survived but lost her leg.

Gonzalez-Companioni was working for Hope Trans, an Orlando-based trucking company that has since been shut down following scrutiny of its safety record. Civil litigation tied to the crash remains ongoing.

The Families Speak

Emily LaJeunesse, mother of victim Nicole Gregory, addressed Gonzalez-Companioni directly. "Young man, you took my daughter away. Her name was Nicole Monique LaJeunesse Gregory, and I pray that the Lord has mercy on your soul." She added: "I'm left with the haunting thought that it didn't have to be that way. If only you had rested — and that's the law, you should have rested — it could have changed everything."

Ella Horne, Zabar McKellar's mother, recalled learning two days after the crash that her son and his family had been killed. "I screamed louder than I have ever in my life," she said. She told the court that her family initially believed granddaughter Evan had also died, only to learn she had survived but lost her leg. "Although Evan survived, it came at a terrible cost. In one tragic moment, my granddaughter lost her entire immediate family." Horne then told Gonzalez-Companioni she forgave him. "I love you because I'm supposed to love you, and we will continue to lift you up in prayer," she said. Her words left Gonzalez-Companioni sobbing.

Zabar's brother Kendrick Horne did not share that forgiveness. "You took my brother. My only brother, my best friend from me. Honestly, I have not forgiven you. Hard to say when I will. That's between me and God." Zabar's stepfather Willie Rick Horne told him: "I have forgiven you. Ask God to forgive you."

Evan McKellar, still in college and not present in court, had her grandmother play a recorded victim impact statement. "Before this crash, I had a close and loving family. This tragedy has affected every part of who I am," she said. She described the surgeries, physical therapy, and constant adaptation to a permanently changed body. "I understand that what happened was not intentional, but intent does not change the outcome. And my life will never be the same."

Broader Questions

The crash drew wider attention as part of WFAA's investigative series on trucking safety, which found that Hope Trans had a history of safety violations before the crash. The company has since been shut down. The case raised ongoing questions about driver fatigue enforcement, oversight gaps, and whether some carriers continue operating despite repeated safety violations.

All parties have been adjudicated in this case.

Interviews and family statements courtesy of local media.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.