Woman survives crash with big rig, dies in 2nd collision

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. -- Ivonne Rodriguez, 46, a married Fresno mother of four, was side-swiped by a big rig on Highway 99 in Madera, Calif., Tuesday. Her car stopped on the shoulder, partially blocking the fast lane. She got out, and moments later, Sgt. Lincoln McKenna said, another car hit her after swerving to avoid the crash.

Martin Rodriguez was waiting for his mom Ivonne to come home Tuesday morning, but she never made it.

"Honestly, I haven't slept, I've been up all night," he said. "Collided with her, apparently just didn't see her and wasn't expecting her to be in the center divider."

Sgt. McKenna said Ivonne Rodriguez had her emergency lights on, but it was dark; the car that hit her was driving the speed limit. Still, her son has questions about whether the driver was distracted, even for a second.

"I just wish my mom never would have stepped out that car," he said.

Even though it cost his mom her life, Martin Rodriguez said he knows why she stepped out.

"I feel like she just got off the car to see if the other people were OK, and that's the type of person she was," he said. "She was a good person, she did the best she could just to get by for us."

Martin Rodriguez said it hurts, but he hopes his mom's death will send a message to other drivers to be more aware on the highway.

"It just tells you that, you can take someone's life in a slight second," he said.

There were three other people involved in the two collisions - a passenger in Ivonne's car and two other drivers. None of them was hurt, and no one is facing charges at this point.