SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A family is in mourning after an eight-year-old boy was killed on Highway 50 this past Sunday.
The collision happened along Highway 50 near 65th Street Sunday afternoon. The mother's car, a black Toyota, was partially blocking a lane after getting a flat tire.
The California Highway Patrol said the black Toyota was parked near a construction zone, and the mother and her children got out of the car and moved it to the center median.
They said that's when a man in a Ford crashed into her family, killing the eight-year-old boy instantly and injuring her nine-year-old.
Yari Quirarte said her son, Alex Cooper, was taken too soon and she will do everything she can to keep his memory alive.
Alex loved playing video games, watching SpongeBob SquarePants and caring for his dogs.
The California Highway Patrol encourages drivers to immediately call for help and get to a safe place to park before getting out of the car.
"Just wait patiently and call for some type of assistance. You can call 911 to get a CHP officer out there or work on getting some private assistance out there as soon as possible. But once again, just exit the freeway if your vehicle's drivable, exit completely off the freeway and get to a gas station or a parking lot where it's going to be a lot safer," said Officer Mark Leavitt, spokesperson for CHP.
Quirarte said she herself wasn't hurt during the collision, but her nine-year-old daughter has major injuries. She's still recovering in the hospital and is doing OK.
CHP said the driver who hit them is not facing charges at this time.
The family has two GoFundMe pages available to help cover the cost of medical bills and the funeral. You can find those links HERE and HERE.
