Darcy Brunner Obituary, Death; – Authorities report that the mother of former WNBA player Sophie Brunner and a man residing illegally in the U.S. have died following a two-vehicle collision in rural Illinois.
Stephenson County Sheriff Steven Stovall stated that deputies were dispatched to the incident on Route 26 early Saturday afternoon.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Stovall mentioned that the initial investigation indicated that Darcy Brunner, aged 61, was operating a Ford Edge in a northbound direction when she was struck head-on by a Nissan Altima driven by Rolando Ico-Choc, aged 30, who hails from Guatemala. Law enforcement reported that the Altima veered into the northbound lane. Both drivers lost their lives in the accident, according to Stovall. Authorities are currently awaiting the results of toxicology tests, although Stovall suggested that Brunner is not believed to be at fault.
Sophie Brunner, Darcy’s daughter, is a graduate of Freeport Aquin, played in the NCAA for Arizona State, and was a member of the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA in 2017. Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) noted that Ico-Choc was in the country illegally. He was a repeat DUI offender known to the Department of Homeland Security and had a detainer issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as added by Chesney.
During the Tuesday press conference, Chesney remarked that Illinois’ TRUST Act hindered law enforcement from deporting Ico-Choc.
“I hold JB Pritzker personally accountable. I hold the Democrats personally accountable,” stated Representative John Cabello (R-Machesney Park). “A life was lost due to someone who should not have been present.” The TRUST Act, enacted by former Governor Bruce Rauner (R) in 2017, restricts state law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration authorities. It was modified by the Way Forward Act, which introduced further requirements and protections.
“If we discover that there was a warrant for this individual’s arrest, we must all unite and demand resignations from our elected officials,” Cabello further stated.
Chesney has introduced Senate Bill 1313, which would reverse the 2017 law and ensure “undocumented immigrants charged with or convicted of a felony are identified, reported, and deported,” according to a press release.
Gov. Pritzker has said that violent noncitizens “should be imprisoned and, or if they’re illegal, undocumented in this country and they are committing violent crimes, they should be deported and turned over to authorities in their countries.”
“We should be protecting residents of the state of Illinois, even if they’re undocumented residents, and providing a path to citizenship,” Pritzker added.
