A tragic collision in Dallas, Texas, stemming from a high-speed police chase has claimed the life of a Chicago Air Force veteran. Joel Jusino-Bergollo, aged 36, was pronounced dead at the scene on December 28 when his vehicle was struck head-on by a car driven in the wrong direction by 35-year-old Devonte Webber, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Texas Department of Public Safety officials briefed that the stolen vehicle Webber was operating had been taken from Chicago and, during the pursuit, was recorded traveling at speeds up to 120 mph - a detail that adds a grueling layer to the already profound grief endured by Jusino-Bergollo's family and the local community.
The aftermath of the accident has been a trial by ordeal for Jusino-Bergollo's family with his aunt Zoraida Rios expressing that although it's hard to find a silver lining in such a catastrophe, the family's unity in this time has been the blessing, "this has truly brought all of us together for his sake, because he was just that special to each of us," Zoraida Rios told the Chicago Sun-Times. The family resorted to crowdfunding to manage the expenses for the burial and transport of Jusino-Bergollo's remains to Chicago, raising more than $16,800 as of the latest report. According to a brief piece from FOX 32 Chicago, the impact of the crash was such that witnesses recall debris from the fatal encounter scattering while a quick prayer was said for the victims.
Webber, the suspect in the pursuit who is also from Chicago, now faces multiple charges including murder after he was apprehended following the incident; he remained in custody with a bond set at $321,000. Jusino-Bergollo moved to Texas in 2017 to be closer to his then-4-year-old son and worked as a licensing manager for an insurance company while driving for Uber to supplement his income. Jusino-Bergollo maintained strong ties to Chicago, often returning to visit his family and always making time for his son who, according to his uncle Juan Rios, "lit up his life."
"The fact that somebody like this is not on the street to be able to hurt or commit a crime is the justice we want," Juan Rios confided to the Chicago Sun-Times, articulating the family's yearning for justice in the aftermath of this harrowing event.
