Motorist Charged With DWI After Bomb Threat Closed Down I-35

Update: Southbound traffic is now moving at a smooth pace along Interstate 35 between Slaughter Lane and William Cannon Drive after the highway stretch was closed Thursday after a car burst into flames. Northbound traffic, however, is still at a standstill but was expected to flow in by about 2:30 p.m. or so.

The congestion was sparked after a car caught fire and crashed, and exacerbated after a heavy police presence descended to the scene to investigate a suspicious package in the affected car. It's unclear what robot-aided bomb squad members found inside the car, but police deemed it benign.

The incident that occurred just past 10 a.m. led to an hours-long closure of I-35. Motorists already on the highway at the time were left amid congestion on a day with temperatures hovering at the 100-degree mark. Ultimately, police began the process of clearing the scene to allow for resumed traffic flow.

Sgt. David Daniels of the Austin Police Department staged a 1:30 p.m. press briefing at police headquarters to detail the incident. The sergeant said police responded to a call at 10:02 a.m. from a witness reporting a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed before crashing.

Upon their arrival, police found the injured driver who immediately told them there was a bomb in the car, prompting the APD bomb squad to be dispatched. Additionally, police made the decision to shut down the highway between William Cannon Drive and Slaughter Lane as a precaution, Daniels said.

A suspicious package was found in the car, but it was deemed safe. But a bottle of undetermined liquid also was found, requiring lab testing before its contents also were deemed to be benign, Daniels said. The driver was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, and was subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated, Daniels said.

Police on Friday released the name of the suspect arrested. He is Rodrigo Porras, 39. A booking photo was released as well, showing his head heavily bandaged as a result of the wreck.

From earlier:

AUSTIN, Texas — Interstate 35 near William Cannon Drive is shut down in both directions following a late morning vehicle fire on Thursday, with police making the scene following reports of a suspicious package in the car, officials said.

The incident that occurred just past 10 a.m. along the 7500 block of I-35 sent a person to the hospital, according to medics. In the aftermath, police have stopped traffic in both directions between Slaughter Lane and William Cannon Drive, detouring traffic at the William Cannon Drive exit.

There is a heavy police presence at the scene about half-a-mile from Slaughter Lane after police responded to the scene amid reports of a suspicious package found in the burned-out vehicle. Firefighters also are on the scene. Police confirmed via Twitter at around 12:30 p.m. they had sent the bomb squad to investigate the scene.

Reports indicate the vehicle crashed onto the median before the fire erupted. Just before 1 p.m., a robotic device was pulling various components from the burned-out vehicle and placing them on the ground. In the background, cars can be seen propelling at a snail's pace on the highway shoulder while items are extracted from the burned vehicle. The ground around the burned-out vehicle is charred, illustrating the intensity of the fire before it was extinguished.

The specter of a suspicious package takes on a heightened urgency given the series of parcel bombings that terrorized the city in March before the suspect blew himself up after being cornered by police. No further details have been released as yet related to the suspicious package found in the vehicle on Thursday.

In the meantime, both northbound and southbound lanes are closed. Drivers are urged to find alternative routes in reaching their destinations, and are being asked to avoid the area entirely. Some motorists at the site have been stuck in traffic for about two hours now.

To mitigate motorist frustration and ease traffic flow, Texas Department of Transportation officials just before 1:20 p.m. said toll fees will be waived for northbound motorists to use SH 45 Southeast and northbound SH 130 to SH 71 as alternative routes. This is an option being offered to drivers headed northbound.

Ironically, this is the same stretch of roadway slated to close this weekend for bridge demolition. Read more about that project and get live traffic updates by clicking here.

This is a developing story. Patch will update as more details are provided.

Related story: Interstate 35 At William Cannon To Close This Weekend

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