Authorities Tuesday publicly identified a 32-year-old woman who was killed last weekend in a wrong-way traffic crash on Interstate 15 in Serra Mesa.
Yannira Rodriguez of San Diego was heading south when her Honda Fit was struck by an Infiniti QX30 traveling the wrong way — northbound in southbound lanes — near Aero Drive at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office and California Highway Patrol.
First responders had to cut Rodriguez from her car with a saw and the jaws of life, but she could not be saved.
“She was everything to us," Rodriguez's partner Juan Castruita said. "She and her daughter were best friends, she was my best friend for over 10 years. She did everything for us.”
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
Castruita described Rodriguez as a go-getter and generous caretaker. her passion was social work. Her job was helping underprivileged kids get the proper support.
Rodriguez's daughter, 13-year-old Genevieve, survived the crash but was injured. Castruita said he's struggling with his own grief while trying to console Genevieve.
“She says right before that they were singing Taylor Swift songs, happy, and all the sudden she saw lights coming her way. Mom screamed and swerved after that she blacked out," Castruita said.
Castruita said Rodriguez earned a number of associate degrees. They each received one from Mesa College recently, and Rodriguez recently completed her bachelor’s degree in business and was preparing for grad school.
“Not having her around all the sudden it’s pretty hard," Castruita said. "I just find myself looking at the Google map trying to figure it out. I don’t know why it happened to her. “
The Infiniti then continued north before crashing into a Nissan Altima, CHP public affairs Officer Salvador Castro said.
The driver was identified Tuesday as Andres James Cox, a 25-year-old from La Mesa. He was arrested Sunday and booked on gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI causing injury charges. Cox is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 11.
"Alcohol and/or drugs are suspected to be a factor in the crash," Castro said.
