He was killed in a crash at Laguna Seca Raceway during practice for a CART race which would have been his second start in the series.

At the Laguna Seca Raceway during a practice session for his second CART race, he was fatally injured in a crash.

Rodríguez was killed instantly by a basilar skull fracture caused by the impact with the wall, which was lined by only a thin layer of tires.

Unser noted the nuances of the incident, basing information on what happened to him during various testing and practice sessions during the season.

[4] Rodríguez had a contract in place to compete in the 2000 CART championship with Patrick Racing, and there were rumours that Minardi could hire him for the 2001 Formula One season.