Good Samaritans save 2 young girls after mom dies in crash

ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) - A California family is in search of some good Samaritans who rescued two girls after a car crash that killed their mother.

Bonnie Baum Roth had just left home around 8:30 a.m. Friday with her daughters, 3-year-old Roxie and 9-year-old Moxie, on a trip to Long Beach for a dance competition.

“All their dance costumes, everything ready to go, they were excited,” said Cheryl Baum, Roth’s mother.

The California Highway Patrol says Roth lost control of her SUV, veered into the median, rolled down an embankment and ended up on eastbound Interstate 8. The mother was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

“We’re crushed. My soul is crushed,” Baum said.

She calls her daughter a dedicated mom who was passionate about life and her faith. She was also a unique dance mom who cheered for everyone.

“She would whistle and yell for them and support them and say, ‘You get it, girl!’” Baum said.

Amid their grief, Baum and her family are in search of two good Samaritans who helped Moxie and Roxie escape after the crash. She says they rushed past speeding traffic and toward the mangled SUV, with gas spilled everywhere.

“Any moment, that car could have burst into flames,” Baum said. “I heard that it was very difficult for them to get them out. The babies were screaming. Anything could have happened to them.”

About 10 minutes before emergency crews arrived, the two Samaritans pulled the girls out of the wreck, helping them escape with only a few scrapes and stitches, Baum says.

She adds that the Samaritans and a few others also covered up her daughter’s body, shielding the girls from the sight, before tending to and comforting them.

“We’re pleading for you to come forward. You’re our heroes. You’re our champions,” Baum said. “The little girls have asked where their friends were who helped them out of the car. We want to thank you. You’re part of our family now.”

A GoFundMe set up to help the family with expenses has raised more than $55,000.

The CHP is still investigating the crash. They say neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to have been factors.

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