Fatal crash victim Giselle Perez of Downey. Photo courtesy of her GoFundMe page.
UPDATE | Authorities said a 31-year-old Downey woman was killed in Long Beach Thursday afternoon when her Toyota Scion was rear-ended by a motorist who was momentarily distracted.
The woman was identified through as Giselle Perez, a caregiver by profession, by her sister, 33-year-old Carolina Ramirez.
“Giselle was a careful person [who] was always worried about everyone else and doing for others….she never really worried about herself,” said Ramirez. Perez had been living with her grandmother, providing at-home care as a permanent caregiver. She had also been offering in-home care Monday through Friday to a Long Beach client, because the client’s daughter had personally requested Perez.
“Giselle was just the type of person [who] was always positive about everything,” said Ramirez. “She was an extremely hard-working individual. Responsible, she had a really, really big heart. Caring.”
Officials explained the initial findings of their investigation into the accident that cause her death today.
“The male driver momentarily looked down away from the roadway and when he looked back up he saw that a Toyota Scion was stopped in front of him,” according to a release from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). “The male had no time to react and collided with the rear of the Scion.”
The collision happened at Spring Street and El Dorado Park Drive at about 4:36PM on Thursday, April 28.
The man was identified as a 57-year-old Long Beach resident who was driving a Hyundai Sonata westbound on Spring Street.
Long Beach officers and fire personnel immediately administered CPR to the woman who was unresponsive, according to the release. She died at the scene.
Perez is survived by her grandmother, sisters Carolina, 33, and Natalia, 27, and a 16-year-old younger brother.
Ramirez said Perez had been saving money to take her grandmother to Cuba.
“My grandma’s a wreck,” said Ramirez. She said her grandmother saw Perez as a daughter. “She had a lot of people that loved her and cared about her,” she said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for funeral expenses.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is urged to call Collision Investigations Detective D. Lauro at 562.570.7355.
This report was updated on 04/29/16 at 5:29PM.
Photo of a Google Maps screenshot.
PREVIOUSLY: Female Driver Killed In Vehicle Collision Near Long Beach’s El Dorado Park
4/28/16 at 6:55PM | A female motorist was killed Thursday afternoon after a two-vehicle collision near El Dorado Park, Long Beach officials said.
Police responded to an injury traffic accident on the 7500 block of Spring Street, near El Dorado Park, at 4:36PM on Thursday, April 28, according to Sgt. James Richardson of the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD).
The first officers on scene found the driver of one of the vehicles—described only as an adult female—suffering with life-threatening injuries. Police attempted life-saving measures on that driver until Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) personnel arrived, Richardson said.
“Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived and also attempted life-saving measures on the driver without success,” Richardson said. “They determined the driver to be deceased at the scene.”
The other vehicle involved in the collision had three occupants—all of whom suffered minor injuries, he said.
The victim’s name will be withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The collision prompted the closure of the Spring Street off-ramp on the southbound San Gabriel River (605) freeway for several hours.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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