In a rare collision on a California highway, a cherished mother and school bus driver lost their lives.
According to KTLA, KNBC, and CBS News, Ingrid Zapata, 57, was on her way to work on the 60 Freeway on Monday, August 11, after dropping off friends at the airport, when a stray tire crashed into her windshield.
The tire had been taken from a westbound 1995 GMC pickup vehicle. According to KTLA and KNBC, it struck Zapata’s car after crossing the center barrier into eastbound lanes. She died as a result of losing control and colliding with a railing.
“None of us understand it,” Kimberly Paiz, her daughter, told KTLA. We’re all still a little stunned.
She told CBS News that she exuded love and was the most beautiful person on the inside and out. You are aware that everyone will die eventually. Simply put, not in that manner. Not in that manner. Not her.
According to AGoFundMepage, Zapata was a generous, compassionate woman who made a positive impact on everyone she came into contact with and made them feel better for having knowing her. To yet, the family has raised $12,000 to pay for the funeral.
I want people to be aware of that about her. Paiz told KTLA how large of a person, how enormous her heart was, and how unselfish she was.
Alejandra Alonzo, Zapata’s sister, stated that her only goal in life was to ensure that others had a better life. She was always there to help, whether it was with paperwork, cooking, or transporting them to the airport.
The SUV’s driver, 57-year-old Steven Hernandez, was unharmed, according to KTLA. How the tire got off his car is unknown.
According to KTLA and CBS News, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is currently looking into the collision. The driver was not cited, according to the CHP. The outlets were informed by Zapata’s family that they are interested in learning whether negligence contributed to her demise.
According to the GoFundMe, Zapata’s husband, three grown children, numerous siblings, relatives, grandparents, and innumerable friends are all devastated by her passing.
