Passenger killed when boulder crashes into car in Pasadena

PASADENA, Calif. (FOX 11/CNS) - Authorities sought public help Thursday to find whoever threw a boulder off of a freeway over-crossing in Pasadena, sending it crashing through the windshield of a moving car and killing the motorist's husband.

It was gut wrenching to listen to and to watch a family in agony. It was the family of a 22-year-old father, Christopher Lopez. He was crushed by a boulder apparently thrown off a freeway overpass as he rode in the front passenger seat of the family's Corolla Tuesday night in Pasadena, the rock coming right through the windshield.

His wife, Guadalupe, pregnant with the couple's second child, weeped as she bravely went in front of the cameras in a plea for help in identifying who may have done this, as did Lopez's sister and father. They all fought back tears as they tried to make sense of something that of course makes no sense.

They were joined by investigators from the CHP in the hope that someone who may have seen something that night just before 9pm will do the right thing and come forward.

There are homeless encampments in the area and that's part of what the CHP is looking at, but so far, nothing solid, and no cameras, as far as we know, are pointed in that area the Orange Grove overpass, which has screens above it specifically designed to prevent things like this from happening.

EARLIER:

According to the California Highway Patrol, a 2017 Toyota Corolla driven by a 21-year-old woman was westbound on the 134 Freeway in the carpool lane, traveling about 70 mph when the boulder came down on the car about 9 p.m. Tuesday at Orange Grove Boulevard.

The woman drove to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where her husband died of his injuries.

"As she was about to drive under Orange Grove Boulevard, a large boulder -- approximately 30-35 pounds in weight -- suddenly traveled through her front windshield, striking her husband in the front right passenger seat,'' according to a CHP statement said. ``It is believed someone purposely threw the large boulder from the Orange Grove Boulevard overpass onto the SR-134 Freeway, causing fatal injuries to the passenger.''

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the CHP Altadena Area Station at (626) 296-8100.