Mother grieves loss of son killed in multivehicle crash on I-55 near Joliet

A northwest suburban mother is grieving after her son died in a car accident over the weekend.

The crash happened on Sunday around 5:12 a.m. on Interstate 55 near Joliet.

"It's a pain that I can't explain," said Alejandra Urostegui through a translator. 

Illinois State Police at the time didn't provide much information about the crash, other than one person was killed, but video at the scene showed one car in a ditch that had appeared to have caught fire, and another on the side of the road.

The one casualty in the crash was her son, 21-year-old Jose Perez, known to loved ones as JP.

"I feel like everything is a dream," she said.

Urostegui says he and his girlfriend just celebrated her birthday on Saturday, saying they were involved in an accident, they got out of the car, and were then hit by other cars. His girlfriend remains in the hospital.

Urostegui said she was really destroyed due to the car accident and the news. 

She says her son was passionate about playing soccer. Up until recently, Perez would spend his time at Chicago Soccer Fields in Melrose Park.

"He was in a soccer league in Melrose Park, and he was also in a soccer team at a young age," she said.

Urostegui says he had been playing soccer since the age of seven, sharing video of him scoring a goal and a photo of the family when they played together as a team.

"He wanted to be something bigger than just being a soccer player," she said.

He kept that reminder with him wherever he went — a handwritten letter outlining his accomplishments and goals.

"He was really respectful. He loved people. He would never judge. He was a great kid," she said.

Perez made a vow in his letter to be an example that anything is possible.