Fatal crash: Woman, fiance had plans to retire to Mexico

Neighbors say a Bolingbrook woman killed when an SUV slammed into her apartment while she and her boyfriend were sleeping early Saturday morning was a friendly person who worked hard to help her family.

Josefina Prospero, 48, was confirmed dead shortly after the accident, which occurred on the 300 block of Woodcreek Drive at 2:23 a.m., authorities said. Her boyfriend, Juan Nicholas, survived the crash with minor injuries.

Police suspect alcohol was a factor in the accident, Bolingbrook Police Lt. Mike Rompa said.

Luis Benito, a 17-year-old boy, who police say was driving the 2002 Chevy SUV is in custody in connection with the crash. ABC 7 reported that the teen has been charged with reckless homicide.

Benito and a 17-year-old passenger reportedly tried to flee after the crash, but were stopped by police, authorities said. The passenger has been released from custody.

The crash awoke neighbor Isabel Osornio, who lives in the apartment above Prospero's in a complex called Riverstone Apartments. Osornio said Prospero was a pleasant neighbor who was good with kids and senior citizens.

“She's a really nice person,” Osornio said. “She works so hard over here because she has kids in Mexico and she sends them money.”

Prospero worked as a housekeeper at the Comfort Inn in Romeoville for five years after immigrating here. She and her boyfriend, who also works at the hotel, were engaged to be married and had plans to retire to Mexico, said Hirsh Mohindra, the hotel's owner.

“She was extremely hardworking. She really never (took) any time off. It was just about working all the time,” Mohindra said.

The SUV crashed into the north side of the apartment building, which faces an open area with a gazebo. A road marked as a fire lane for emergency vehicles borders the building. Osornio said kids often play in the open area, and drivers almost always obey the signs and don't drive down the fire lane. Officials had boarded up the window that the SUV crashed into by Saturday afternoon. Skid marks were visible on the fire lane and sidewalks near the gazebo, and orange spray paint marked the vehicle's tire tracks across about 15 feet of grass between the fire lane and the building.

The manager of Riverstone Apartments did not immediately return a phone call for comment Saturday afternoon.