Colleagues unite to help coworker’s daughter after deadly crash
By Lauren Pozen
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VENTURA COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Flowers now cover Anabel Zamora’s desk with pictures of her daughter, Caroline, tucked behind them after the 42-year-old mother was killed in a head-on collision in Ventura County last week.
“The type of mother she was, she was larger than life,” said Zamora’s boss, Michael Farhood.
The deadly crash happened on Saturday, Feb. 28, in the northbound lanes of SR-23 near Los Angeles Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators said a pickup truck driver collided with Zamora’s car after he tried to speed through the center median to pass traffic.
“This guy was flying, and what, to get someplace 10 minutes faster? It makes no sense,” Farhood said. “It was quite surprising. I actually drove by the accident right after it happened, having no idea that it was her that was involved.”
The crash also killed a passenger in the pickup and injured Zamora’s sister. Paramedics also rushed Zamora’s 10-year-old daughter, Caroline, to the hospital.
“She had a couple of broken ribs and lost her spleen, part of her pancreas and part of her large intestine. She remembers the whole accident,” Farhood said. “She kept asking for her mom. That’s always tough for the family.”
Zamora’s colleagues said she worked her way up at the company over a decade to support her daughter.
“Not only was she here for us as a boss, she was with us outside,” colleague Ann Harvaugh said. “She was our bodyguard. She was a voice of reason.”
They said life without her is unimaginable, but they’ll be there for Caroline, showing her how much her mother was loved.
“It is very quiet here,” colleague Krystal Salgado said. “It’s hard. We try to tell each other it’s going to be OK, but we know it’s going to be ok. She would want us to be strong for her and everything.”
Zamora’s coworkers have set up a crowdfunding campaign to support Caroline while she recovers.
CHP said charges are pending against the driver of the pickup truck, who walked away with moderate injuries. Investigators said impairment does not seem to be a factor.
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