Mother pregnant with twins killed in San Bernardino County crash

Loved ones are devastated after a woman who was five months pregnant was killed in a San Bernardino County crash. Lorena Lopez, 33, was just months away from welcoming twins when she was killed, her family said. The crash occurred on June 27 as Lopez was on her way to a family party in Apple Valley. Also inside her car were her two children, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old.   As she approached the intersection of Wichita and Zuni roads around 8:20 p.m., a driver ran a stop sign and slammed into her vehicle, deputies said. Lopez and her unborn twins were killed in the crash. Her two children were taken to a trauma center with serious injuries.  The other driver, a 25-year-old man, was extricated from his vehicle after being trapped inside as the car caught on fire. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Neighbors ran over to extinguish the flames before authorities arrived. Photos from the scene showed Lopez’s Nissan Altima sedan was totaled while the suspect driver’s Toyota Camry sedan had landed on its side. “I just heard this supersonic boom,” said a neighbor named Denice who lived near the crash scene. “I saw this big dust cloud and the blue [Nissan Altima] car right here and I see the fire starting and I’m trying to call 911.” Lopez’s two teen children remain hospitalized with serious injuries. “Severe concussions in the head, brain swelling, both of them with broken ribs,” said Lopez's stepfather, Carlos Espinosa. Lopez’s mother, Emelia Espinosa, said her daughter was a devoted mother and healthcare worker and was excited to welcome twin babies, a boy and a girl. Her baby shower had been scheduled for next month. A makeshift memorial was set up at the crash site to honor Lopez. Her parents and fiancé said they are now focused on caring for her two surviving children. Authorities have not identified the suspect driver or announced charges as the case remains under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Major Accident Investigation Team. Lopez’s family said they want to see consequences for the driver involved. “We want justice,” her stepfather said. “It doesn’t matter how many years they give to this person, it won’t bring her back, but we want justice.” A GoFundMe page to help Lopez’s family with funeral costs can be found here.