|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
California Highway Patrol officers continue their investigation into a devastating wreck that killed three family members and injured five others on Interstate 680 in the Tri-Valley two weeks ago.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau confirmed the three women who died were 62-year-old Josefa Chagolla, 26-year-old Evangelina Valenzuela-Chagolla and 21-year-old Johnessa Espinoza — all of Sacramento.
Family members said on social media that Josefa “Joanne” Chagolla was the grandmother of Espinoza and “Evee” Valenzuela-Chagolla, who was the mother of four young children.
They were among eight people, reportedly all extended family members, traveling inside a 2004 Honda Pilot that crashed amid rainy conditions on southbound I-680 between Sunol and Pleasanton just after 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18.
The driver, who has not been identified publicly, told investigators that the SUV experienced a tire blowout, which led to it veering to the left, riding up the jersey wall and then traveling out-of-control to the right across all of the lanes before clipping the sloped curb edge of the freeway, going airborne, broadsiding a tree and coming to rest down an embankment, according to the CHP.
Valenzuela-Chagolla and Espinoza died at the scene, while Chagolla succumbed to her injuries later that afternoon at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, according to the coroner’s bureau.
The CHP reported that the two women who died at the crash site had not been wearing seatbelts, nor was another woman who survived the wreck with major injuries.
The driver and another adult passenger sustained minor injuries, as did two babies who were in the SUV during the crash, according to the CHP.
CHP-Dublin Officer Tyler Hahn told the Weekly on Monday that the crash remains under investigation and the results of mechanical analysis — to confirm the reported tire blowout — were among the key aspects still pending. Investigators said at the time that drugs or alcohol were not considered factors.
There are at least three GoFundMe pages underway to raise money for funeral costs and the victims’ families. The largest one, which had raised nearly $25,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, was started by a daughter in law of Chagolla.
“Joanne had a beautiful soul that touched everyone she crossed path with. Evee leaves behind 4 beautiful young children. Johnessa was young, brilliant and had a bright future ahead of her,” the organizers wrote.
