California Mom-Of-2 Dies in a Crash — Her Two Daughters Are Saved by Unknown 'Heroes'

Two mysterious heroes abandoned their fears to rescue two girls involved in a crash that had killed their mother. According to reports, there were a lot of fatal risks, but they did not deter the good samaritans.

Not all superheroes wear capes or can summon lightning from the sky. Sometimes, heroes are people willing to risk their lives to save others, including, as in this case, kids.

Yes, they exist. In fact, this Californian woman's bittersweet story sees two such heroes in action. They simply happened upon a fatal accident, realized they had a chance to save lives even though it was risky, and took the opportunity.

A CRASH IN THE ALPINES

On Friday, July 15, around 8:30 a.m., Bonnie Baum Roth, 35, left home with her daughters, Roxie, 3, and Moxie, 9, in an SUV. They were going to Long Beach for a dance competition they had been very excited about.

According to Cheryl Baum, Bonnie's mom, they had everything they needed, including props and dance costumes. Unfortunately, they did not make it to Long Beach because, during the trip, Bonnie's SUV suddenly veered to the right for reasons still being investigated.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle swerved into the interstate median. But unfortunately, in an attempt to correct things, Bonnie veered too much to the left. As a result, the SUV rolled down an embankment and crashed on eastbound Interstate 8.

Bonnie had no seatbelts on at the time of the accident, so she had no protection. Subsequently, she was thrown clear of the crash and lost her life on the scene.

Her mother, Cheryl, said, "We are devastated. We're crushed. My soul is crushed." Bonnie's kids may have also lost their lives if not for two strangers who raced to their rescue at the risk of their own lives.

A DARING RESCUE

Fatal accident sites are generally very gruesome to witness. But they can also be dangerous because automobiles carry highly combustible fuel that is usually spilled amid the wreckage, increasing the chances of an explosion.

After Bonnie's car crashed, the mangled remains still housed her kids, who were alive. Unfortunately, the car's fuel tank had been damaged during the crash, so petrol was spilling around the vehicle. Cheryl Baum, the grandmother of the girls, said:

"At any moment, that car could have burst into flames."

Moments after the crash, two people ran toward the severely damaged vehicle to rescue the girls who had started panicking. There was fuel all over, but the heroes paid no heed to that.

Ten minutes before emergency services arrived on the scene, the samaritans struggled to get the panicking kids out of the wreckage.

With help from other on-lookers, they covered the late Bonnie up so the kids would not see what had become of their mother. The heroes also reportedly stayed to comfort the girls before disappearing.

WHERE ARE THE HEROES?

Cheryl Baum lost her daughter in the accident, but she is grateful that her grandkids' lives were preserved. She is also aware of what the heroes did and has asked that they step forward. Cheryl said:

"I heard that it was very difficult for them to get them out. The babies were screaming. Anything could have happened to them."

Cheryl and the rest of her family wish the good samaritans would reveal themselves; not only did they prevent the girls from enduring more trauma by covering their mom's body, but they also comforted the girls.

According to Cheryl, the two girls have not forgotten their heroic efforts and have been calling for them to thank them. She said:

"The little girls have asked where their friends are that helped them out of the car … We just want to thank you. You're part of our family now. We can't thank you enough for being so brave."

BONNIE WAS A DEDICATED MOTHER

Cheryl had only good things to say about her late daughter. She said Bonnie was very dedicated to caring for her kids as a mother and had also been a woman of faith.

Another thing she cared about was her daughters' extracurricular activities. Bonnie would attend the competitions not just to cheer on her daughter but also to encourage other contenders. Cheryl said:

"She'd whistle, yell for them and support them, and say, 'You get it, girl!' She was every girl's champion."

To deal with her loss and plan her funeral, Cheryl opened a GoFundMe page with an initial goal of $1,000. In a text attached to the page, she wrote about how devastating the loss of Bonnie was to her community. Cheryl wrote:

"This has been an earth-shattering loss to the huge community of people Bonnie touched in her short time here. She was taken way too soon but will never be forgotten."

The grieving mother also added a text that read "Be Like Bonnie" at the end of the GoFundMe page's description. The page has generated $61,284 from 281 donors and has been running for seven days at the time of this writing.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating what could have caused the crash and made Bonnie veer to the right side of the highway in the first place. They have ruled out alcohol and drugs but are no closer to finding answers.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

• What do you think could have made Bonnie lose control of her car?

There were no potholes, and no one but her children was in the car with her. The police know that no drugs or intoxicants were involved, so what could have been weighing so heavily on her mind that she made the mistake of not using her seatbelts?

• Do you think the heroes should come forward?

They did not wait to talk to the police, so they may not wish for that sort of spotlight. Still, the girls they saved would like to see them again; perhaps that is enough reason to reveal themselves.