NewsNewlyweds killed in tragic Colorado highway accident

Newlyweds killed in tragic Colorado highway accident

From left: Carlos Martinez, his daughter Juliana Rodriguez Plata, his son-in-law Ruben Rodriguez, and wife Luz Melba Martinez
From left: Carlos Martinez, his daughter Juliana Rodriguez Plata, his son-in-law Ruben Rodriguez, and wife Luz Melba Martinez
Images source: © policja w Kolorado

9:08 AM EDT, August 19, 2024

Ruben Rodriguez and his wife Juliana Rodriguez-Plata died just a few days after their wedding ceremony. The couple was crushed by pipes that spilled out of a truck on a highway in Colorado (USA). Rescuers were unable to do anything at the scene. The accident left behind their one-year-old son.

On the morning of August 15, an accident occurred on the interstate highway near Colorado. The truck'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 traveling with his immediate family. His wife Luz Melba Martinez, daughter Juliana Rodriguez-Plata, her newlywed husband Ruben Rodriguez, and their one-year-old child were in the car.

I saw 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 Martinez to 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 fields. Officers added that approximately 220 large plastic pipes rolled across the road, weighing about 550 pounds. Police stated that at least seven vehicles, including the truck, 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, — the 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 truck lost traction. It overturned, and then the load on its trunk scattered across the lanes.