970x125
A 69-year-old grandma who had just beaten cancer was decapitated by a garbage truck near horrified schoolkids and parents in California this week.
Maria Rubalcava de Ruesga was crossing the street around 8 a.m. Wednesday near Pio Pico Elementary School in Santa Ana, just as parents were dropping their kids off, when she was fatally mowed down, authorities said.
She was struck as the truck turned right at a roundabout near Shelton and Bishop streets, leaving her “crushed under the tires” and her “head was destroyed,” authorities said. The truck driver stayed at the scene, where the victim was pronounced dead, officials said.
“It’s very dangerous,” Alondra Grijalva told Univision, referring to the roundabout.
The victim had beaten pancreatic cancer and been in remission for a year when she was killed. She is survived by her kids and eight grandchildren.
Family members set up a GoFundMe with a goal of raising $10,000 to pay for her funeral and “give her the beautiful, dignified farewell she deserves.”
The local school district has set up a crisis team offering support for those who may have witnessed the tragedy.
