DETROIT – Family and friends of Rodney and Marlene Rodriguez are remembering the two after they died in a two-car collision on Michigan Avenue.
According to a GoFundMe page, Rodney and Marlene were married for 43 years. They were loving parents, grandparents and committed to the City of Detroit. Both of them were well known in their neighborhood and had big hearts for helping others.
Rodney just picked up his wife from work at a city casino when the crash happened on New Year’s Eve night.
Larry and Tahisha Smith had just left MGM Casino when they saw the crash.
”We heard the noise, didn’t exactly know what it was by the time we got up there we seen the hood and another part of the car smashed up,” said Tahisha Smith.
Police said Rodney and Marlene were in their Mercury Sable which was split in half in the collision. Officers told Local 4 an 87-year old man was driving a 2017 Cadillac and heading west on Michigan Avenue when he ran into Rodney and Marlene.
Now, many are trying to figure out what happened.
”I don’t know if it was the grey car that did it or the Cadillac that did it but whoever did it shouldn’t have been doing it because look at how it ended I mean three lives gone, for what?” Smith said. “It was something I don’t ever want to see again. My heart goes out to the family because that’s a harsh way to lose somebody.”
Police said the elderly driver in the Cadillac also died.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-2260 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for funeral costs. You can donate here.