Hwy 169 crash that killed Plymouth mother reopens old wounds for another family

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - A deadly crash along Highway 169, which took the life of a Plymouth mother, is hitting too close to home with another family who suffered a loss under eerily similar circumstances in the same area.

Over the weekend, popular local hairstylist and makeup artist Cristina Restrepo was killed on Highway 169, just north of Highway 55, when her car was struck by a box truck. She leaves behind a 12-year-old son. Her friends and associates describe her as a figure of warmth and positivity, and her untimely death has left them heartbroken.

"My life will never be the same," says Karen Altman, a grieving mother on a mission to end the deadly consequences of distracted driving, urging motorists to pay closer attention to what's in front of them.

"It's so unfortunate and sad that you still see so many people on the roads texting, taking selfies," Altman adds.

Altman's daughter, Katie Burkey, was killed in 2017 along Highway 169 by a distracted driver at the wheel of an overweight side-dumper that plowed into Katie's vehicle when traffic stopped in front of her. The 22-year-old had just graduated from the University of Minnesota.

The tragedy turned Altman into a crusader to make the roadways safer for all, establishing her Justice 4 Katie Foundation, which fought to pass the state's Hands Free Law and invests in public safety messaging with billboards featuring her daughter and the slogan, "Arrive Alive, Just Drive."

"You're never going to get over it. You're never going to heal. It's always a pain that's there," says Altman.

Altman experienced retraumatization this past weekend when traffic camera footage of another deadly crash on 169 emerged. A box truck, driven by a 40-year-old Brooklyn Park man, didn't seem to notice traffic stopping in front of him until it was too late. Cristina Restrepo was killed, leaving behind a young son. A GoFundMe page supporting the 12-year-old boy and his loved ones has raised over $33,000 in a single day.

"Didn't have to happen. And now this poor family and this poor son has to now live in the same situation that we and so many other families have to live with," says Altman.

Sunday's crash remains under investigation, with the case file eventually headed to the prosecutor's office for a charging decision. Cristina Restrepo's funeral is next week.