Desert Center crash survivor speaks out, fundraises for mother’s funeral
Family and friends were out on Highway 111 Friday morning getting the word out about their car wash in Indio. The images of 40 year old Rachel Lopez are prominent on their signs.
“My mom, she was a lovable kind caring person,” Raylene Ruiz, one of Lopez’s daughters, said. “She always gave to others.”
Lopez died in a rollover car crash on the I-10 in Desert Center Sunday morning. Her family says a tire blew out as they were traveling to the Colorado River, causing the car to overturn with Lopez taking the brunt of the impact. The California Highway Patrol said everyone was wearing their seat belt. Her son Joel Lara was in the vehicle.
“It was hard to see her bleeding and all, but I mean I’m going to miss her,” Lara said. “I’m just really sad and heartbroken.”
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Joel is one of seven children Lopez left behind. The images of that crash are still present in his mind.
“It was like…steep. That’s why when we crashed,” Lara said. “We flipped over. I mean, me…I wouldn’t go back there, because there’s just too many memories about that day.”
To help cope with the loss, Joel is working at the car wash fundraiser, that’s helping cover his mother’s funeral expenses. His siblings say it’s now more important than ever to stick together.
“Now that she’s not here, we rely on each other, because she was the glue to our family,” Marissa Barnhoorn, one of Lopez’s daughter said. “So we naturally just came together for her. We just became one.”
It’s a connection, that’s helping the family move forward to pay their respects.
Anyone wanting to help can also contribute to a Gofundme page set up here.
