A newlywed couple and the bride’s mother were killed on honeymoon in Colorado on Thursday when a tractor-trailer flipped over, sending a large plastic tube it was carrying onto the highway.
According to Wheat Ridge police, the tragedy occurred just before 8:30 a.m. while Ruben Rodriguez and Juliana Rodriguez Plata were driving on Interstate 70 near Denver with their 1-year-old son and Juliana’s parents.
The trailer overturned, scattering 100 plastic tubes weighing up to 500 pounds each into traffic in both east and west lanes.
At least six vehicles were hit by the debris, including one carrying a newlywed couple, their families and grieving loved ones. He told Denver 7.
Ruben, Juliana, and Juliana’s mother, Luz Melba Martinez, died in the accident.
The bride’s father, Carlos Joaquin Plata, and the couple’s 1-year-old son, Danny, were injured and taken to hospital.
The driver of the lorry was also hospitalised.
Close people said the family was on their honeymoon and on their way to the mountains when the disaster occurred.
Ruben and Juliana were married just four days ago, and Juliana’s parents flew in from Colombia to attend the momentous ceremony.
“And it’s hard for a baby to have to go through life without their parents. It’s hard for the family. So we’re here together now, trying to be stronger together,” Ruben’s sister-in-law, Janelle Rodriguez, told the outlet.
Police are still investigating how this fatal accident unfolded and are working with prosecutors to see if criminal charges can be filed.
Police warned that the investigation could take weeks because the area of the wreckage stretched across the highway and was more than the size of two football fields.
“Our hearts go out to the family affected by yesterday’s tragic death,” police said in a statement.
