A Sacramento freeway crash involving two children standing outside of their vehicle left one dead and another seriously injured, officials said Tuesday.The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened Sunday around 4:35 p.m. on westbound Highway 50 east of 65th Street. Officers got word of a disabled black Toyota blocking the fast lane at that location. While they were heading to that area, CHP said it learned that a crash happened there involving passengers of the Toyota.CHP said a 30-year-old man driving a Ford vehicle was traveling westbound on the fast lane at an unknown speed. That man tried slowing down to avoid hitting the Toyota but instead went into the center median.That stretch of Hwy. 50 has concrete K-rails that allow construction workers to enter the center median. CHP said an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl were standing in that center medianWhile trying to avoid the Toyota, CHP said the Ford driver hit both kids. The boy died at the scene, and the girl went to the hospital with major injuries.Details were not released if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.CHP said both drivers involved were not injured. A fatal crash from the mother’s perspectiveYari Quirarte is the mother of Alexander Cooper, the boy who died in the crash. She said that her tire blew up while driving and once that happened, she stopped her car and turned on her hazard lights.“I took my kids out. We were in the centerpiece in the middle of the freeway, where they are doing construction, where they have the dividers so I thought it would be safe for us to stand there at least while I wait for help,” Quirarte said.But once she saw the Ford vehicle heading their way, she said she froze because of how fast the car was going when it hit her daughter first.Quirarte said her son Cooper died on impact. She described him as a “homebody” type, always being in his room but always being able to make people laugh as “the sunshine of peoples’ bad days.” He was in the second grade.She also said that Cooper was great at helping around the house with chores.”I want people to remember him as just a curious little boy, that he was happy,” Quirarte said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Sacramento freeway crash involving two children standing outside of their vehicle left one dead and another seriously injured, officials said Tuesday.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash happened Sunday around 4:35 p.m. on westbound Highway 50 east of 65th Street. Officers got word of a disabled black Toyota blocking the fast lane at that location.
While they were heading to that area, CHP said it learned that a crash happened there involving passengers of the Toyota.
CHP said a 30-year-old man driving a Ford vehicle was traveling westbound on the fast lane at an unknown speed. That man tried slowing down to avoid hitting the Toyota but instead went into the center median.
That stretch of Hwy. 50 has concrete K-rails that allow construction workers to enter the center median. CHP said an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl were standing in that center median
While trying to avoid the Toyota, CHP said the Ford driver hit both kids. The boy died at the scene, and the girl went to the hospital with major injuries.
Details were not released if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.
CHP said both drivers involved were not injured.
Yari Quirarte is the mother of Alexander Cooper, the boy who died in the crash.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
