Ex-WNBA player’s mom dies in car crash involving illegal immigrant, officials say

The mother of former WNBA player Sophie Brunner was identified as the victim of a head-on collision involving an illegal immigrant, Illinois officials said on Tuesday.

Darcy Connolly-Brunner, 61, and Rolando Ico-Choc, 30, both died when Ico-Choc drove his Nissan Altima crossed the center line on Illinois Route 26 in Stephenson County into Connolly-Brunner’s Ford Edge on Aug. 9, Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said at a press conference. 

Both were killed in the crash.

Stovall said it was believed that Ico-Choc was a Guatemalan national who had lived in Freeport once before and that alcohol may have played a role in the crash, according to WIFR-TV.

“One of the lives was someone I knew well, Darcy Connolly-Brunner,” Stovall added. “Darcy was more than just a member of the community, she was a friend. She was a kind and giving person who cared deeply for her family and friends.”

Stovall also revealed that Ico-Choc had a criminal past. Records show that he was charged with aggravated DUI with a license suspended or revoked in 2023. Officials said there was no indication that Connolly-Brunner was under the influence.

Illinois state Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said Homeland Security officials confirmed with him that Ico-Choc was in the country illegally. He called for the repeal of the TRUST Act and the SAFE-T Act, which he said contributed to Ico-Choc being in the country in the first place.

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“A woman who dedicated her life to her family and her community was killed in broad daylight by a man who never should have been in this country or on the road,” he said in a statement. “His criminal record includes prior charges of DUI, aggravated (felony) DUI, and battery. 

“Additionally, it was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that he was in this country illegally, having crossed the border a few years ago during the Biden administration. Yet, thanks to Illinois’ TRUST Act and the SAFE-T Act, he remained in this country and was free to get back behind the wheel of a car and kill an innocent woman. It’s unacceptable, and I am sickened by it.”

Sophie Brunner was a local basketball star in Freeport and attended Arizona State to play college basketball. She joined the WNBA in 2017, playing for the Phoenix Mercury and San Antonio Silver Stars.

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