Newlyweds and bride's mother killed in highway accident in Colorado

A one-year-old baby in Colorado was left without his parents and grandmother after a fatal accident Thursday morning.

On August 15, a semi-trailer loaded with large pipes rolled over and crashed on eastbound I-70 at the corner of Ward Road, killing three people, according to Wheat Ridge, Colorado police.

According to police, the accident caused the truck to lose its load, which was thrown across the westbound lanes and collided with a westbound car.

“The car was hit and crashed, resulting in three fatalities. Two other people in that car were taken to a local hospital. The truck driver was also taken to a local hospital,” the department said.

Family members have identified the deceased as newlywed couple Ruben Rodriguez and Juliana Rodriguez Plata, who were married just on Saturday, August 10, and the bride's mother, Luz Melba Martinez, CBS News Colorado, KUSA and KMGH-TV reported.

The bride’s parents were visiting the city from Colombia.

“I saw when the pipes burst, so I just closed my eyes and didn't react, I just felt the impact and woke up out of nowhere and just saw the baby crying and everyone unconscious, they didn't wake up,” Carlos Plata, the bride's father, who was also in the vehicle along with the couple's one-year-old son, Daniel, recalled to KDVR.

“It was terrible, the accident, the image, all the blood. They were dead instantly. Seeing my whole family, my daughter and my wife dead,” he added.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Daniel's funeral expenses and care.

While the accident is still under investigation, Wheat Ridge Police believe at least seven vehicles, including the semi-trailer, were involved in this series of accidents.

“The debris field from the overturned semi-truck load spanned both lanes of I-70 and was larger than two football fields. There were nearly 100 large blue plastic tubes, each weighing approximately 500 pounds,” Wheat Ridge police said.

KUSA reports that the area where the incident occurred is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's I-70/Ward Road interchange reconstruction project.

“I couldn't imagine driving through there with a big truck… Every morning when a truck is near me, all I can think about is – let's hope we get through without it tipping over,” driver Harry Payne told the outlet.

“There should be a lighted sign alerting people to slow down because there are sharp curves coming… The usual signage, in my opinion, is neither appropriate nor sufficient for this particular project,” said Don Carver.

On its website, the Colorado Department of Transportation states that the project aims to replace two aging bridges on I-70 over Ward Road “to accommodate increased traffic on the I-70 corridor.”

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“It is also the third of several planned bridge replacement projects along I-70 and demonstrates CDOT's commitment to modernizing critical infrastructure to maintain public safety,” the website continues.