Mother & young daughter killed in violent collision

Brittany Lopez collided with Shannon Alvarez’s Camaro (above), killing 13-year-old Ashley Alvarez on impact. Shannon died from her injuries later on Sunday. (Photo provided by Enrique Zuniga)

NORWALK – Ashley Alvarez, 13, died on impact when Brittany Lopez’s vehicle burst into the intersection of Foster and Studebaker Road, colliding with the passenger side of her mother’s Camaro.

Her mother, Shannon Alvarez, later died on Sunday after suffering from traumatic internal injuries.

The two were returning from a weekend getaway. Shannon Alvarez’s boyfriend, Juan Zuniga, said the two often took trips to local hotels to get some time out of the house.

Enrique Zuniga, the brother of Juan Zuniga, lives near the crash site and heard the impact of the vehicles.

“I heard a car speeding, which is common on Studebaker Road. One second later, I heard an explosion, and I jumped out of bed,” said Zuniga. “When I walked out, I could see the accident, and I walked over to see if I could help.”

He did not realize who was driving the Camaro until the airbag was lifted and he saw Shannon Alvarez’s face.

Zuniga said that Alvarez was screaming but he could not understand what she was saying. He called to her, asking about her daughter.

Two nurses attending Grace Brethren Church ran out to help, too. They tended to Ashley but she was unresponsive.

“Immediately, I feared the worst. I called for my wife to call my brother,” said Enrique Zuniga. “The firemen pulled up and they pulled out Shannon. They laid her down, and she was complaining about her back.”

Despite the first responder’s efforts to revive Ashley, the young teen remained unresponsive.

Juan Zuniga was preparing to go out later Sunday with Shannon and Ashley. As he was getting ready, he received a call from his sister-in-law.

“I got the call from my sister-in-law telling me Shannon was in a car accident, but I didn’t know how serious it was,” he said. “As I was getting dressed to go, she called back and told me that Ashley was unresponsive and Shannon was really hurt.”

When he arrived, the young girl was already taken to St. Francis trauma center, and her mother soon followed.

“I don’t really remember much after I got there. Everything was happening so fast. There was so much to process,” said Juan Zuniga.

His sister-in-law took him to see Alvarez’s mother, Linda Seagroves, to tell her about the accident.

As people worked to help the mother and daughter, the 26-year-old Lopez was focused on the damages to her vehicle.

Margaret Olmedo came out of the church when the accident happened and saw the wreckage. She saw that Lopez was trying to gather her belongings to flee the scene.

“She was standing at the driver’s side door when I came out. I told her to move off to the side, and she said, ‘I need to get out of here,’” said Olmedo. “She walked around the car to open the passenger door to get her stuff, but the door was stuck.”

Olmedo said she saw the young woman rummage through her belongings and make a phone call to someone. Afterward, Lopez started to take her belongings from the car.

“By the time the police got there, she was already walking away,” said Olmedo. “But I pointed her out to the police.”

A memorial is set up for Shannon and Ashley Alvarez outside Grace Brethren Church. They died after a reckless driver collided with their vehicle on Sunday. (Photo by Vincent Medina)

When the police caught her, Lopez allegedly tried to deny her involvement in the fatal crash and said she was not the person driving. However, security camera footage shows the entire crash and that Lopez was the only person in the vehicle.

The Las Vegas resident was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving without a license. Authorities believe drugs and alcohol played a role in the collision but are still waiting for a toxicology report.

At St. Francis hospital, the Zunigas and Seagrove were informed that Ashley was already dead. Doctors informed them that the force from Lopez’s car was so great that her heart stopped on impact.

“She was my little girl. She was like my daughter,” said Juan Zuniga. “We spent some time grieving and crying over her body.”

Juan Zuniga said he pleaded with the doctor but there was nothing else they could do for the young girl.

“I was so shooken up. I don’t remember much other than when they told me my granddaughter was dead,” said Seagrove. “I wanted to see her, and they let me go in and spend time with her.”

Zuniga and Seagroves wanted to see Shannon Alvarez, but when they went upstairs, the nurse informed the family that the 50-year-old had died from her internal injuries after surgery.

“They said she was given multiple pints of blood. When we went to see her, there was blood on the bed, on the floor, everywhere,” said the mother.

Shannon Alvarez adopted Ashley after a surgery prevented her from having children, said Seagroves. The mother and daughter became inseparable.

Juan Zuniga recalls that Ashley attended Ross Middle School, and was in eighth grade. She was a musician and artistically gifted.

Seagroves and the Zuniga brothers were furious that Lopez was released Tuesday evening before they received the toxicology report.

Enrique Zuniga plans to pursue legal action against Lopez.

The families are also angry at the Norwalk City Council for ignoring calls to make the intersection safer. Community members previously started petitions to add speed bumps to the accident prone street, but said they received no response from the city government.

Seagroves and the Zunigas plan to address the council on Jan.18, during the public comments portion of the meeting.

They also plan to hold a candlelight vigil for the mother and daughter on Jan. 9, outside Grace Brethren Church.

A GoFundMe page is also set up for Shannon and Ashley Alvarez.