Warrant Issued for Hope Trans Official in Forgery Case Tied to Fatal I-20 Pile-Up

By Safety Lane Staff

A Tragedy That Shook the Industry

On June 28, 2025, a catastrophic chain-reaction collision on Interstate 20 near Terrell, Texas claimed the lives of six people and left several others injured. Authorities say the deadly crash began when 27-year-old truck driver Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni fell asleep at the wheel of a Hope Trans LLC semi, plowing into a Ford F-150 carrying a Fort Worth family.

The collision involved seven vehicles, including two semis and multiple passenger cars.

Among the victims were five members of the McKellar family — Shaun, Zabar, Kason, and Billy — and Nicole Gregory of Dallas. The only survivor from the family’s Ford F-150, 20-year-old Evan McKellar, was rushed to intensive care but later died in the hospital.

Criminal Charges for Driver and Company Official

The Kaufman County grand jury has indicted Gonzalez-Companioni on:

• Five counts of manslaughter

• Four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

He remains in custody on a multi-million-dollar bond, with a reduction hearing set for August 11, 2025.

In a stunning development, prosecutors have also secured an arrest warrant for an unnamed Hope Trans LLC company official, charging them with felony forgery. Investigators allege the official falsified the truck’s cab card registration, a critical document proving a commercial vehicle’s legal registration.

Kaufman County authorities have publicly urged the individual to surrender.

Allegations of a Troubling Safety Culture

As the criminal cases move forward, former Hope Trans drivers have stepped forward with troubling accounts:

• Hours-of-Service (HOS) Pressure – Multiple ex-drivers allege they were pushed to exceed legal drive-time limits.

• Falsified Records – Reports of backdated logbooks and altered paperwork have surfaced.

• Questionable Business Operations – The company’s Orlando business address reportedly corresponds to a co-working space, while its owner, Aishat Magomedova, has ties to a now-defunct carrier operating out of a church-linked address.

Inspection history adds weight to these concerns: recent records show 5% of drivers and 34% of vehicles placed out of service — both significantly higher than national averages.

Federal Investigation in Motion

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a full investigation into the crash. Known for their thoroughness, NTSB investigators will examine:

• Electronic logging device (ELD) records and driver logs

• Vehicle maintenance files and inspection histories

• Fatigue management policies and scheduling practices

• Company compliance history

The goal: to determine whether systemic issues — beyond driver error — contributed to the tragedy.

Why This Matters

The I-20 crash is a sobering example of how corporate oversight failures and forged documentation can have devastating consequences. Cab cards, maintenance logs, and HOS compliance are not “red tape” — they are lifelines that help prevent fatigue-related disasters.

When these safeguards are ignored, falsified, or manipulated, lives are placed in immediate danger.

What’s Next

• Will the Hope Trans official surrender to authorities?

• What will the NTSB uncover about the company’s operational practices?

• Could this case lead to broader FMCSA enforcement actions against carriers with poor compliance records?

Safety Lane Takeaway: The trucking industry must treat compliance as a non-negotiable standard, not a cost-cutting inconvenience. Every falsified document, every ignored fatigue warning, is a gamble — and sometimes, the price is paid in human lives.