The 17-year-old Emily Gold from Los Osos High School jumped off the overpass on the freeway, putting a tragic end to her life. The school’s staff and her family mourn her death while looking for answers for her actions.
On September 14, 2024, the California Highway Patrol, fire service, and police department received an emergency report of a body found on the Foothill Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga, California, shortly before 11:50 pm.
According to the reports, the body belonged to the 17-year-old senior student and cheerleader at the Los Osos High School. The Los Osos High School staff was contacted to identify the body as Emily Gold was in critical condition.
Emily Gold lived in Sylmar with her parents and younger brother, which is 19 miles away from the location of her demise. During the accident, Gold had left her house earlier that evening before her parents received the tragic news.
Likewise, Gold intentionally jumped over the freeway, landing in the carpool lane of the 210 East. Several vehicles struck her body, and none of the drivers stopped on the highway until an emergency alert around 11:57 pm.
A driver dragged her body to the side of the road and waited for the police and the medical team to arrive while all the traffic lanes were closed until midnight. Soon after her first impact, Gold passed away, as her body couldn’t handle the vehicle’s force.
During this challenging time, the Rancho Cucamonga community has come together to support Gold’s family, which has refrained from making a public statement regarding their daughter’s untimely departure.
Emily Gold’s dance team from Los Osos High School has shared an emotional message for the deceased teen!
Before her passing, Gold was part of the Varsity Dance Team and Cheer Squad, which shared their message for their valued members. One of her friends’ mothers called Gold a talented gymnast.
In an event at the school, the friend’s mother, Janet Womack, stated, “From the moment I saw her on the stage, I knew she had found her calling! Time stopped when you watched her dance. She was in her element. It was like she’d been doing it her whole life.“
Womack had a close bond with Gold’s family and expressed her condolences to the teen’s mother. Such emotions led to creating a GoFundMe page for Gold to help the family with funeral expenses, which has received a donation of $16.9K.
Meanwhile, the clip of Gold’s accident has been circulating online with over 5k likes and views, where users have sent messages to the family.
One user wrote, “My heart breaks for Emily. I know her and her family! This is such a tragedy. She just started her senior year. It breaks my heart. I’m so stuck right now I can’t even move.“
Despite much coverage from the media, the answer to why Gold took this path in her life hasn’t been revealed. Many assumed that the student was battling depression, but there was no way to confirm such information.
Amidst the tragedy, the Los Osos High School has taken appropriate measures to tackle the situation with other students by providing counselors, peer counselors, and district therapists in their Wellness Center.
Additional Information
- The overall suicide rate in California is 10.5%, with the highest county rate in Shasta County and the lowest rate in Imperial County. Moreover, the state has a high number of male victims compared to females.
- If you or anyone you know has been going through a difficult time, please feel free to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide is Preventable website.
