Federal investigators have released a preliminary report on the I-35 crash that left five dead last month in Austin. The National Transportation Safety Board’s report has detailed the events that led up to the deadly collision involving at least 15 vehicles.
The crash happened at 11:30 p.m. on March 13 in a 2.2-mile work zone scheduled for overnight pavement resurfacing. Within the work zone, three lanes were funneled down to one, and the speed limit was reduced from 70 to 60 mph.
According to NTSB’s report, the truck-tractor was headed south in the center lane near mile marker 245.4, where signs had been posted warning drivers about upcoming lane closures. As traffic slowed ahead, the truck driver failed to stop and crashed into a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado…