Newlyweds among three dead in tragic Colorado highway accident
Ruben Rodriguez and his wife Juliana Rodriguez-Plata died just a few days after their wedding ceremony. The couple was crushed by pipes that fell from a lorry on a motorway in Colorado (USA). Rescuers were unable to do anything at the scene. The couple left behind a one-year-old son.
On the morning of August 15, an accident occurred on the interstate motorway near Colorado. The lorry's load of heavy plastic pipes literally "scattered" on the road, smashing everything in its path.
The pipes hit, among others, the car driven by Carlos Martinez, who was travelling with his immediate family. In the car were his wife Luz Melba Martinez, daughter Juliana Rodriguez-Plata, her newlywed husband Ruben Rodriguez, and their one-year-old child.
I saw when the pipes were going so I just closed my eyes and no reaction, I just felt the impact and I woke up out of nowhere and just saw the baby crying and everyone unconscious, not waking up. It was terrible, the accident, the image, all the blood. They were just instantly dead. Seeing my whole family, my daughter and my wife dead - said Carlos Plata for FOX television.
Today has been one of the hardest days we have ever faced. We are heartbroken to share that Ruben Rodriguez, Juliana Rodriguez Plata, and Luz Melba Martinez were tragically taken from us in an accident. Ruben and Juliana had just begun their beautiful journey together, having celebrated their wedding this past Saturday. They leave behind their precious 1-year-old son, Daniel," wrote Janell Rodriguez in a post.
Police confirmed that the debris from the accident covered an area the size of over two football pitches. Officers added that approximately 100 large plastic pipes, each weighing about 250 kilograms, rolled across the road. Police stated that at least seven vehicles, including the lorry, were involved in the collision.
While we understand people want answers, this is an incredibly complicated investigation that will take weeks, not days, to complete. We are working in conjunction with our partners at the First Judicial DA's Office of Colorado on potential charges - police said in a statement published on social media.
The Colorado Police Department is still investigating the accident. The sequence of events leading to the tragic accident remains unclear. It is known that at some point, the lorry lost traction. It overturned, and then the load on its trunk "scattered" across the lanes.
