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Inset: Alejandro Covarrubias (GoFundMe). Background: Interstate 5, south of the Templin Highway in Castaic, California (Google Maps).
California authorities are on the hunt for a driver involved in a tragic hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a 22-year-old man who was changing a tire near his girlfriend.
The heartbreaking event took place late Friday night, at approximately 11:20 p.m., along the southbound lanes of Interstate 5, just south of Templin Highway in Castaic, 60 miles from Los Angeles. According to a release from the California Highway Patrol, the victim has been identified via a GoFundMe page as Alejandro Covarrubias.
In an interview with KABC, a local ABC affiliate, Covarrubias’ sister, Ana Iscoa, explained that he and his girlfriend had experienced a flat tire, necessitating a stop on the freeway shoulder to fix it. As Covarrubias was working on the tire, a tractor-trailer struck both him and the car. His girlfriend stood mere feet away, witnessing the tragic scene unfold.
“I feel so bad for her, but I’m also very grateful because he wasn’t alone when he passed,” Iscoa shared with the station. “He reached out his hand for her.”
Iscoa is grappling with profound grief; the family had already mourned the loss of their mother to a brain aneurysm just eight months ago. Now, they seek justice and are urging for the driver involved to be brought to justice.
“He was just a baby. He didn’t get to live his life, and he was so sweet,” she said in an interview with KABC.
She described her brother in the GoFundMe as a “joyful spirit.”
“My brother was only 22 years old, but in that short time, he touched so many lives,” she wrote. “He was a devoted brother, son, godfather, cousin, grandson, nephew, and boyfriend. As a caregiver, he dedicated himself to helping the elderly, always putting others before himself.”
Troopers reportedly said the tractor-trailer may have had an Amazon decal on it, but they were still trying to confirm those details.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the CHP Newhall Area Office at (661) 600-1600. People who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).