A Southern California mother is devastated after her two adult children were killed in an accident on the 60 Freeway near Chino.
The accident occurred on April 7 about 2 a.m., when siblings Joseph Perez, 21, and Jacquelyn Perez, 23, were heading home from seeing their mother in Riverside.
Inside the car were Joseph’s pregnant girlfriend and their eight-month-old daughter, Nicole.
Jacquelyn was driving her sedan when she lost control and collided into the centre divider just west of the Ramona Avenue onramp. The car landed on an embankment off the freeway.
Jacquelyn was killed on collision, while Joseph was ejected from the vehicle. The 8-month-old kid was apparently discovered beneath the car, and Joseph’s girlfriend was in severe condition.
The girlfriend was hospitalised for injuries but survived. The baby, who was also rushed to the hospital, was fortunately unharmed, according to family members.
Karen Perez, the brothers’ mother, recalls the joy her children provided to everyone they met.
“They would call Jacquelyn ‘Smiley’ because she was always smiling and my son, we would call him ‘Jojo,’” she told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “They were just full of life.”
Jacquelyn was a young mother who hoped to become a teacher. Joseph was expecting his second child with his partner. The siblings shared an apartment in West Covina.
“I wake up every morning and call to see maybe if she picks up the phone and maybe it’s just a bad dream,” Karen told me.
Jacquelyn’s vehicle was totalled, according to video footage from the crash scene. According to CHP officials, Jacquelyn may have been speeding at the time of the incident, but the cause is still being investigated.
Karen is urging drivers to stay safe while she mourns the loss of her children. A memorial was set up outside her Riverside home to honour her children’s lives.
Jacquelyn and Joseph are survived by their children, two siblings, and close friends and family.
