Lizeth Pimentel, a faculty member at Cerritos College was involved in an automobile accident on March 11 at 7:30 a.m. that has left her in a coma.

Pimentel was on her way to work when, according to authorities, her speeding SUV crashed into a guardrail on the 710 freeway and plunged into the Los Angeles River.

Jackie Bezart, a represenative of the Long Beach Police Department, said, “Investigators are trying to determine how fast Pimentel was driving when she drove off the Seventh Street bridge.”

The 24 year-old has worked in the Office of Adult Education &  Diversity Programs at Cerritos College for the past five years and has a four-year old daughter.

“It is heartbreaking, I’ve known her for a couple years now, we all share a kitchen here in the office, I was used to seeing her,” said Christine Gomez, Community Education Typist Clerk.

Pimentel has been in the ICU unit at the St. Mary’s  Hospital since the accident, suffering from severe brain damage when her car was submerged and is in critical but stable condition.

While there has been no change in Pimentel’s state, her mother ,daughter and husband are optimistic. Pimentel’s daughter, Jacquelyn, said, she wants her mother to come home, that she misses her and she knows her mother is in the hospital with a, “sore head.”

Adela, Pimentel’s mother, said, ” we would like to thank everyone for their generosity.” Saying, she has not asked for anything. She only asks for God to bring her daughter back to her.

There is an effort to collect donations from the Cerritos College campus to help Pimentel’s family through the ordeal. Contact  Christine Gomez in Community Education for more information