Warning: This article discusses a suspected attempted suicide, which may be distressing for some readers.
A family is mourning their grandmother after she succumbed to injuries from a man who reportedly jumped off an overpass and landed on her car.
On August 9, around 7:00 pm, Margarita Novela Galindo and her husband, Florencio Galindo, were driving on the 210 Freeway in Sylmar, California. A man allegedly jumped off the freeway overpass and crashed through their car.
The Los Angeles Fire Department received reports that a man was threatening to end his life by jumping from the Roxford Street overpass, according to the New York Post.
The impact was so intense that the man “crashed through the windscreen” and landed on Margarita, her family reports.
David Galindo, Margarita’s son, told KTLA 5 that Florencio, who was not seriously injured, pulled the car over to the shoulder to get the man off Margarita. Florencio immediately called David to inform him that ambulances were on the way but that he couldn’t open the car doors to reach his wife. David realized the gravity of the situation, telling ABC 7 Chicago that it was very “serious.”
Despite being left in “critical condition,” the 59-year-old Margarita fought bravely for nearly three weeks. On August 28, doctors informed Margarita’s family that she would not recover.
A GoFundMe initiated by one of Margarita’s children states: “Tragically, my mom passed away, leaving behind me, my brother, my sister, and her seven grandchildren. My dad is now alone without the love of his life. It’s incredibly unfair that her life was taken because someone else didn’t want theirs.
“My mom was a loving and caring person, and our family is heartbroken and struggling to cope with this unimaginable loss. We’ve been by her side throughout this ordeal, and now we’re asking for any support to help us give her the farewell she deserves.”
Stephanie Galindo, Margarita’s daughter, expressed: “I’m just sad and a little angry that was her destiny, her end.
“[…] She goes out for a trip and then she just never comes back. And that’s my anger. That we never said ‘Bye.'”
Despite the tragedy, the family doesn’t harbor any ill feelings towards the man who allegedly jumped off the overpass.
Translating her father’s Spanish, Stephanie stated: “He doesn’t know what problems he may have had to [end his life], but he doesn’t have any resentment.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.