Pregnant mother and her unborn twins all die when driver ran stop sign and crashed into her car, cops say

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:33, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 13:43, 3 July 2026 A pregnant California mother and her unborn twins were tragically killed when a young driver ran a stop sign and broadsided her car, cops say.  Lorena Lopez, 33, was on her way to a family party in San Bernadino County on June 27 with her teenage children when they were hit by the car at an intersection at around 8:20pm.  The mother was killed at the scene and her unborn twins were pronounced dead, with her two children, aged 15 and 16, also rushed to hospital.  Police said the other driver was a 25-year-old man who raced through a stop sign before slamming into Lopez's vehicle, with images from the scene showing her car flipped onto its side from the impact.  The man was trapped inside his car as it caught fire, leading witnesses and neighbors at the scene to run over to extinguish the flames before emergency services arrived.  Authorities have not said if speeding or driving under the influence contributed to the crash, and the tragedy remains under investigation.  Lopez's two teenage children suffered serious injuries, including severe concussions, brain swelling and broken ribs, Lopez's stepfather Carlos Espinosa told KTLA. Espinosa said the family have been left devastated and are calling on the driver to face consequences, telling the outlet, 'It doesn’t matter how many years they give to this person, it won’t bring her back, but we want justice.' Pregnant mother Lorena Lopez, 33, was tragically killed along with her unborn twins when a young driver ran a stop sign and broadsided her car, cops say Lopez's family said she was just months away from welcoming her twins into the world when the tragedy unfolded in San Bernadino County on June 27 A witness to the crash, named Denise, said the horrific sound of the cars colliding filled the intersection 'like a supersonic boom.' '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,' she said.  Lopez's mother Emilia Espinosa said her daughter was a beloved and devoted mother and healthcare worker.  She said Lopez was excited to welcome her twins into the world, who were expected to be a boy and a girl.  Espinosa said the family were looking forward to her baby shower, which was going to take place just weeks after the crash.   Lopez's children, aged 15 and 16, were also injured in the crash with severe concussions, brain swelling and broken ribs Lopez's family said she was a devoted healthcare worker and mother 'whose life was cut short far too soon' Although Lopez's son woke up in hospital following the crash, the family told KTLA that they have not had the heart to tell him what happened, fearing it could hamper his recovery.  In a GoFundMe set up to pay for funeral costs and Lopez's children's recovery, Lopez was described as a 'loving mother whose life was cut short far too soon.' 'The family is doing everything they can to support one another during this difficult time, but the financial burden is overwhelming,' the fundraiser read.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.