The American actress Steffiana De La Cruz, best known for her roles in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Zookeeper, and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, got into a car accident in 2001, which had a significant impact on her health and overall relationship with her friends who were in the same incident.
On September 5, 2001, Cruz and her friends, Thuy Trang, and Angela Rockwood, were on a girl’s trip planning for Rockwood’s wedding to Dustin Nguyen.
Moreover, they were on their way to San Francisco to meet the maid of honor, Christina W, after spending the weekend at their favorite cafe, Steps of Rome. The trio had a pool party and grabbed lunch at a local Pho place before hitting the road.
The driver was Steffiana de La Cruz (Kevin James’ wife!). What I found sad is that apparently Angela hasn’t heard from or spoken to Steffiana since the 2001 accident and you can tell she misses her. @KevinJames pic.twitter.com/JfMQ0GTpYR
— Solomon 🐬🏊🏾♀️ (@SoupaSolomon) May 6, 2023
Thuy had to attend a Hollywood gala in Los Angeles, so they left S.F. despite Christina being hesitant about them leaving at night. Likewise, Cruz decided to drive while Trang called the shotgun, and Rockwood sat in the backseat.
As the girls chatted and enjoyed their ride, they were unaware of the tragedy that awaited them at the highway turning as Cruz’s car began drifting to the side due to loose gravel as she tried her best to regain control of the car.
Soon, Rockwood catapulted from the triangle window while Trang and Cruz tumbled and flew over the guardrail. Rockwood sustained significant injuries as she was paralyzed for life due to damage to her spinal cord.
Meanwhile, the accident claimed the life of Trang due to excessive internal bleeding, and Steffiana De La Cruz blamed herself for the incident and maintained her distance from the public and her best friend for several years.
Rockwood tried her best to reconnect with Steffiana De La Cruz after the horrific accident!
After the emergency, Cruz and her friends were immediately rushed to the hospital by the rescue team. Even though Cruz survived, she had to bear the loss of one of her best friends.
Moroever, doctors gave Rockwood a 3% chance of regaining her motor skills and feeling below her neck. In 2003, she received stem cell treatments in Portugal, eventually allowing her to use a manual wheelchair.
Following the accident, Cruz deleted all her social media accounts, and Rockwood constantly tried to contact her throughout the years as the actress suffered from survivor guilt.
Rockwood’s wedding was canceled for a year, and Cruz didn’t attend the event when she decided to marry in 2002. In an Instagram post, Rockwood dedicated the caption to Cruz, writing, “To my gf Steffiana I miss you & I never once blamed you for this bc as I told you that accidents happen & this was my destiny to embark on a journey to transform.“
As time passed, Cruz dated and married comedian Kevin James, who often shares moments with his wife and dedicates heartfelt posts on their anniversary. Rockwood comments on each of their posts, hoping to reach Cruz.
When Kevin shared a post for their 16th anniversary, Rockwood commented, “Happy anniversary to both of you! Please tell Steff I said, “Hello, and I miss her after all these years!” Wishing you both more love, light, and happiness.“
Looking at such comments, fans felt sorry for Rockwood as she lost two friends that unfaithful day; one died, and the other never spoke to her again.
Additional Information
- Born on August 28, 1974, Steffiana De La Cruz grew up in New York with Filipino-American parents and began her career as a magazine model.
- Steffiana De La Cruz married Kevin James in 2004 at St. Edward Catholic Church in California and soon settled down with four children: Sienna Marie, Shea, Kannon, and Sistine.
- The actress has gained an estimated net worth of $5 million throughout her career as of 2024.
