Guillermo Rodriguez, 31, leaves behind a wife and three young children after a suspected DUI crash on the 5 Freeway.
LOS ANGELES — A family is mourning a 31-year-old father of three who died after the car he was riding in left the 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights early Thursday and crashed beneath an overpass near the 10 Freeway.
Guillermo Rodriguez was a passenger in a white Kia Optima that went off the freeway shortly after 2 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol and his family. The vehicle became wedged beneath an overpass before coming to rest in an embankment. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Rodriguez’s brother, Marco Rodriguez, said the family was stunned by the sudden loss. He said he had seen his brother only hours before learning about the crash. Guillermo Rodriguez had recently turned 31, Marco Rodriguez said.
The death has left Rodriguez’s wife and three children, ages 4, 8 and 9, without the man his brother described as a devoted parent and hard worker. Marco Rodriguez said the two brothers worked together and that Guillermo focused much of his life on providing for his family.
Marco Rodriguez said their parents were also struggling to understand what had happened. The crash came without warning and turned an ordinary week for the family into funeral planning and an effort to support Rodriguez’s wife and children.
According to Marco Rodriguez, the driver was the brothers’ uncle. Authorities have not publicly identified the driver in the reports reviewed. The California Highway Patrol said its preliminary investigation indicated that the Kia had been traveling at a high rate of speed before it veered from the roadway.
An earlier report on the crash said bystanders reached the wreck before firefighters arrived and called 911 while trying to help the occupants. The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital after the collision, while Rodriguez died at the scene.
The crash occurred on the transition from the northbound 5 Freeway toward the eastbound 10 Freeway. Authorities temporarily closed the transition road and issued a SigAlert while emergency crews worked at the scene. Caltrans crews began removing the closure later that morning.
As the family grieves, Rodriguez’s workplace is helping collect money for funeral costs, according to his brother. A fundraising campaign also has been established to assist the family. Marco Rodriguez said the loss has been especially painful because of the young children his brother leaves behind.
The investigation into the crash remains with the California Highway Patrol. The driver’s arrest was made on suspicion of DUI, and the available reports did not disclose whether prosecutors had filed charges as of Saturday.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.