A newlywed couple and the mother of the bride were killed Thursday morning after a four-vehicle rollover crash involving a semitrailer spilled large pipes across the highway, family members said.
The couple’s 1-year-old baby and the father of the bride were injured in the crash and hospitalized. Police said the driver of the semi-truck was also injured.
“They were very loving, caring people who were barely starting their love story together,” the groom’s sister-in-law, Janell Rodriguez, said. The newlyweds had just tied the knot on Saturday.
The five car passengers — identified by family members as newlyweds Ruben Rodriguez and Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 1-year-old Daniel Rodriguez Plata, Carlos Joaquin Plata and Luz Melba Martinez — were headed up to the mountains for a multi-day celebration of the couple’s marriage, Janell said.
Juliana’s parents — Carlos and Luz, who were visiting from Colombia — planned to watch the newlyweds’ baby so the two could enjoy their honeymoon and have time to themselves, Janell said.
The wreck occurred around 8:20 a.m. when an eastbound semitrailer crashed, rolled and spilled large pipes across both sides of the interstate near Ward Road. The pipes crashed into the couple’s car, which was headed west.
“Itap tragic to have just lived these happy moments,” Janell said. “We were just happy and laughing and dancing together on Saturday. This is shocking to all of us. They had just baptized their baby two weeks ago and just got married last week.”
At least four vehicles were involved in Thursday’s crash, but passengers in the other two cars refused medical care, Wheat Ridge Police Department Division Chief Eric Kellogg said.
Carlos and the baby were released from the hospital Thursday night, and the family plans to visit today to begin planning the funerals and to determine who will take care of 1-year-old Daniel, Janell said.
“We just want to know what happened,” Janell said. “They were always laughing, always smiling, you’d never see them in a bad mood. They were the life of the party and now they’re gone.”
The crash — which happened on I-70 at Ward Road and shut down the interstate for nearly eight hours Thursday — remains under investigation, according to the Wheat Ridge Police Department.
The Ward Road section of I-70 has been under construction since February 2023 for a $16.4 million bridge replacement project. Construction is set to wrap up in October, according to CDOT officials.
“Carlos is faced with the unimaginable pain of losing both his daughter and wife in such a short span of time,” aimed at raising money for the costs of the funerals. “We are reaching out for support to help these families during this incredibly difficult time. Funds will be used to cover funeral costs, support for little Daniel and any additional expenses that may arise.”
