Newlyweds and mother of the bride die when 225 kg pipe falls from semi-trailer in Colorado

The newlywed couple on their honeymoon and the bride's mother were killed Thursday when a semi-trailer overturned and hurled its load of large plastic tubes across the highway in Colorado.

The tragedy occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. as Ruben Rodriguez and Juliana Rodriguez-Plata were traveling with their 1-year-old son and Juliana's parents on Interstate 70 near Denver, according to Wheat Ridge police.

The tractor-trailer overturned, throwing 100 plastic tubes – each weighing 500 pounds – into moving traffic in both the east and west lanes.

At least six cars were hit by the debris, including the car carrying the newlywed couple and their family, grieving relatives 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 one-year-old son, Danny, were taken to hospital with injuries.

The driver of the semi-trailer was also taken to hospital.

According to their relatives, the family was on their way to their honeymoon in the mountains when the disaster occurred.

Ruben and Juliana had married just four days before, a significant occasion for which Juliana's parents had traveled all the way from Colombia.

“And then the baby without both parents, you know? That's hard. That's hard on the family. That's why we're gathered here now, trying to be strong together,” Janell Rodriguez, Ruben's sister-in-law, told the outlet.

Police are still investigating the accident and are working with prosecutors to determine whether charges can be filed.

Police warned that recovery efforts could take weeks as the debris along the highway stretches over more than two football fields.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the families who tragically lost lives yesterday,” police said in a statement.