PHOENIX — A family is seeking justice after their loved one was killed in a car crash in February of 2024.
20-year-old Joshua Villalobos was arrested on Oct. 11 and accused of driving more than twice the speed limit in the crash that killed 87-year-old Ivan Teklic.
According to court records, Villalobos was driving at a minimum of 88 miles per hour in a 45-mile-an-hour speed zone limit when he collided with a 2020 Toyota Prius belonging to Teklic.
Rosemary Kessler, Teklic's daughter, said her father was out garage sale and antique shopping just before the crash.
Kessler said there was no chance of her father surviving the crash.
"We were told by the trauma doctor that his ribs were broken and the pericardium or the sack that is around your heart burst," Kessler said. "She actually tried to massage my dad's heart with her hands to save him, but the injuries were just too brutal, too horrific, and he didn't make it."
Kessler said her father was a Croatian immigrant who loved his family, community, and life.
"He told us, 'I am going to live to be 100 years old. That's my goal,' "Kessler said. "[He said], 'If you keep moving, if you keep helping people and doing good things in your life, you will live. It's when you stop doing those things and just sit down. That's when you die."
Kessler said she wished no ill will against Villalobos but said she wanted him to show remorse for the situation.
"We wish that he understands and can acknowledge the pain and suffering that my father went through," Kessler said. "We wish that he can recognize and acknowledge the pain and suffering that my family is now going through."
Kessler said throughout all of this she wishes people would practice more patience behind the wheel.
"I wish for you when you get in your car, that you take a deep breath and that you count to 10 and that you think about the loved ones that you're trying to get home to safely," Kessler said. "Take a moment to think about the other people on the road with you, and think about how they're trying to get home to their loved ones so that you don't have to get go through what we're going through.
Villalobos posted bond and pleaded not guilty to reckless manslaughter charges.
An initial pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 12.
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