Exclusive: Witness To Fiery Crash Describes His Dad’s Heroic Actions

It was a school day like any other for El Paso High student Rodrigo Diaz.

After his father picked him up from school, the two got on I-10 West to head home. Near Asarco, their lives would change.

Karla Cerino, 24, with her two children, also was driving on I-10 West. Near Asarco, police say she had a tire blow out that caused her SUV to fall on its side and slide across the freeway and come to a rest in the emergency lane to the right of the freeway.

The SUV burst into flames. Karla was pinned but managed to hand her children off to a complete stranger – Rodrigo’s dad – before she burned to death.

“Some explosion happened and then all of a sudden you just see it on it’s side,” Rodrigo, 19, said in an exclusive interview with ABC-7. “We saw it on it’s side and then hit the right shoulder of the freeway.”

Rodrigo was in a daze from what he had just witnessed.

“Everything was going in slow motion. I didn’t even see my dad get out of the car,” Rodrigo said, recalling the scene.

His dad was able to pull Karla’s children through the window to safety, but the 24-year-old mom couldn’t fight the blaze.

“I just saw the woman, she barely got out. I saw her in flames,” Rodrigo describes the moment. “And then all you saw was her going back into the truck and I guess die.”

Karla’s family spoke with ABC-7 early Thursday and called Karla, who was pregnant with her third child, a hero.

“Even though her leg got trapped, she was still strong enough to take out her kids to save their life,” said Arlet Cerino, Karla’s sister.

To the Cerino family, the man who helped save Karla’s children, 2-year-old Edgar and 8-year-old Priscilla, “They’re like angels because if they wouldn’t have helped her, they probably wouldn’t be alive right now.”

Priscilla suffered third degree burns and was flown to the Lubbock burn center and Edgar was treated at University Medical Center.

A mother ripped from her children’s lives, leaving a lasting impression on many. Rodrigo says he’ll never forget what he saw.

“Life is a gift and this is a wake up call,” Rodrigo said. “Live everyday like your last, that’s for sure.”

Rodrigo explains to ABC-7 his dad is still very upset about what happened, but they do plan on contacting Karla’s family.

The Cerino family has set up an account for Priscilla and Edgar. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo bank, acct # 2986832786 or call the family at 915-502-7930.