At a Glance
- Laura Teniz, 57, died when a speeding Volvo rear-ended her Toyota at a red light in San Bernardino on January 14, 2026
- Witnesses saw the Volvo driver slumped over the wheel before the 80-mph impact that ignited four vehicles
- A GoFundMe has raised over $10,000 to help her four children pay for her funeral
- Why it matters: A routine commute ended in flames, leaving four children without their “rock” and highlighting the deadly cost of reckless driving
A California mother of four burned to death inside her Toyota after an out-of-control Volvo slammed into her car while she waited at a red light, according to police and witness accounts.
The Crash
Laura Teniz, 57, left home for her early-morning shift at a Denny’s restaurant shortly after 7 a.m. on January 14, 2026. She never made it.
Minutes from her workplace in San Bernardino, the Toyota she was driving was struck from behind by a Volvo traveling an estimated 80 miles per hour in the wrong direction, according to the San Bernardino Police Department.
The collision happened at the intersection of Mountain View and Highland avenues. Teniz’s car was stopped at the red light. The force of the impact triggered an inferno that spread to three additional vehicles.
ARCO gas-station employees had already called 911. They told dispatchers the Volvo driver had been swerving erratically before appearing to slump over the steering wheel.
“A Big Ball of Fire”
Officers spotted the Volvo moments before the crash but could not intercept it in time.
Crews arrived to find three vehicles engulfed in flames with victims trapped inside, the San Bernardino County Fire Department reported on X.
Firefighters battled the blaze while working to free the injured.
Witness Leeartis Hayes described the scene to CBS News: “It just blew up into a ball of fire. Just a big ball of fire and nobody could get into the car to get anybody out.”
Two people died at the scene:
- Laura Teniz, the Toyota driver
- The Volvo driver, whose name has not been released
A third person was transported to hospital with minor injuries; a fourth escaped unharmed.
“She Didn’t Have a Chance”
Patricia Recinos, Teniz’s sister, told KTLA that her sibling “didn’t have a chance” once the flames erupted.
“The car blew up instantly into flames,” she said. “I don’t understand. She was just a hard-working woman who was trying to get to work.”
Recinos said Teniz was the “biggest supporter” of her four children and “always made sure they had everything.”
“It’s the most painful grieving,” she added. “And the way it happened to her, it’s even worse.”
Fundraiser for Funeral Costs
Recinos launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral and burial expenses for her “hardworking and compassionate” sister.
By Thursday evening the page had raised more than $10,000.
“This tragedy happened in San Bernardino, just minutes from her workplace, and it was caused by a reckless driver whose actions have forever changed our lives,” Recinos wrote.
“Now, Laura’s children face the overwhelming responsibility of planning her funeral and burial. She was their rock, their biggest supporter, and the heart of our family. Laura worked tirelessly to provide for them and always put their needs before her own.”
