ENOCH, Utah — Josh Dupass was a good person and a great dad, his sister-in-law Star Esancy said.
“He was my sister’s soul mate,” she said. “He was funny. He worked hard for his family. He was the sole provider, and he did everything for the family.”
Josh's wife Jessica and their two sons, Jayzen and Jaxten, were all injured in a crash Monday afternoon. Josh died from his injuries. They were rear-ended on I-15 in a construction zone, according to Utah Highway Patrol. Esancy said the family was driving back to their home in Enoch.
“They went to a Teddy Wwims concert, and it was for Jaxten's birthday, whose birthday was Oct. 2, and so she got him tickets,” said Esancy. “They came up as a family.”
While they’re still mourning the loss of Josh, the whole family is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst outcome for Jayzen.
“My younger nephew, Jayzen, has a brain bleed,” she said. “They've got him heavily sedated. He's got a pump in his head, fractures all over his face. He had a fractured leg, and we're just praying that he's going to be okay.”
UDOT is repairing bridges on I-15 in Nephi and traffic is down to one lane. It’s one of their bigger projects, UDOT spokesman John Gleason said.
“Please slow down in the work zone, and if you see that you're approaching a work zone, make sure that you're obeying those reduced speed limits because they're there for a reason,” he said. “It doesn't make sense to drive at freeway speeds if you have construction that's happening there.”
Esancy feels anger that her sister lost the love of her life, and could lose her son, because of someone else’s mistake.
“So many people don't pay attention,” she said. “I'm always driving and see people on their phones or going too fast, and it makes me so angry. But now I'm just hurt. I just want people to pay attention.”
While the crash happened in a construction zone, the cause of the crash is under investigation.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Dupass family. It can be found here.
