A newlywed couple and the bride’s mother tragically lost their lives on Thursday when a semi-truck overturned on a Colorado highway, scattering its load of large plastic tubes across the road. The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Interstate 70 near Denver. Ruben Rodriguez and Juliana Rodriguez-Plata were traveling with their one-year-old son and Juliana’s parents when the accident happened, according to Wheat Ridge police.
The semi-truck flipped, spilling its cargo of 100 plastic tubes, each weighing 500 pounds, onto the eastbound and westbound lanes. At least six vehicles were hit by the debris, including the car carrying the newlyweds and their family. Ruben, Juliana, and Juliana’s mother, Luz Melba Martinez, were killed in the accident.
The couple’s one-year-old son, Danny, and the bride’s father, Carlos Joaquin Plata, were injured and taken to the hospital. The semi-truck driver was also hospitalized.
Family members revealed that the family was en route to a honeymoon vacation in the mountains when the disaster struck. Ruben and Juliana had been married just four days prior, a joyous occasion that Juliana’s parents had traveled from Colombia to attend.
Ruben’s sister-in-law, Janell Rodriguez, expressed the family’s grief, particularly for the couple’s young son who is now without both parents. She emphasized the family’s efforts to support each other during this difficult time.
Authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the fatal accident and are collaborating with prosecutors to ascertain if criminal charges are warranted. The investigation could take several weeks due to the extensive debris field, which stretched over two football fields across the highway.
In a statement, the police expressed their condolences to the families affected by the tragic loss of life.