Joliet resident dies in crash Sunday morning

A 24-year-old Joliet man died Sunday morning as the result of a motor vehicle crash, according to a news release from the Will County Coroner’s Office.

Oscar Munguia, 24, of Joliet, was pronounced dead at 6 a.m. at the exit ramp to IllinoisRoute 126 from southbound Interstate 55, according to the release.

The Illinois State Police responded to the crash at 4:15 a.m. Sunday morning at the Interstate 55 southbound ramp to Illinois 126, according to a news release from the Illinois State Police.

“An SUV lost control for unknown reasons at the top of the ramp, left the roadway and rolled into a tree,” according to the release from the Illinois State Police. “The driver and sole occupant was pronounced deceased on scene.”

The ramp from I-55 south to IL-126 was shut down during the investigation, and all lanes were reopened at approximately 6:30 a.m., according to the release from the Illinois State Police.

An autopsy was performed Sunday morning, and final cause and manner of death will be determined following the autopsy, police and toxicological reports, according to the release from the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The Illinois State Police is investigating the crash, according to the release.

Oscar Munguia’s brother Oscar Munguia of Chicago reached out to The Herald-News after reading the story of his brother’s death online. Both men have the same name because they were named for their father but had different mothers, Oscar Munguia of Chicago said.

“He was the type of person that made everyone laugh,” Munguia said. “I’m the quiet one. He was the talkative one. He knew how to start a party and he knew how to keep people happy. He had a crazy laugh; he just made me laugh.”

Munguia said his brother left Chicago several years ago to escape the violence in that city and worked two jobs to support himself.

“He was doing so good, you know, trying to turn his life around,” Munguia said. “It’s just crazy how that works.”

Munguia said his family has eight siblings in all.

“It should have been nine,” he said. “But we lost a sister years ago.”

The family has started a GoFundMe at gofund.me/b3355a8e to pay for funeral expenses. The GoFundMe page said Oscar Munguia of Joliet leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter.