West Haven woman killed in crash remembered for compassion, work ethic

WEST HAVEN — Jocelyn Hernandez was a loving woman who worked with children with intellectual disabilities and had a bright future, her family said. They are now mourning the 23-year-old West Haven resident after her death in a single-car crash on Woodward Avenue in New Haven Saturday afternoon with a female friend behind the wheel, police and her family said. The car struck a tree just before 1:30 p.m., New Haven police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart said. Hernandez was the front-seat passenger at the time of the crash, according to Bruckhart. The driver of the car, a 20-year-old Bridgeport resident, was seriously injured and remains in critical condition, he said. Another passenger, an 18-year-old from Bridgeport, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Bruckhart said. Bruckhart said the surviving passenger was found outside the car on the ground when crews got to the scene, while the driver and Hernandez still were inside. An investigation is underway by the Crash Reconstruction Unit to determine why the car crashed, Bruckhart said. Police have not named the other people injured in the crash. The family is waiting to find out from police what happened, Hernandez's stepfather, Jesus Morales, said. "We're looking for answers," he said. "So far we haven't really heard anything. A friend was driving and she lost control of the car." They are also hoping to raise enough money for her burial and service through a GoFundMe account. Hernandez was on her way to see her aunt before she had to work, Morales said. She was in a group chat with her cousins when the crash occurred, he said, and she suddenly stopped responding as they were calling her name. She was a great daughter, sister and granddaughter who was compassionate and hardworking, Morales and Hernandez's mother, Jacqueline Lopez, said. She was loved everywhere she went, whether it was the gas station or in a store, said her father, Ricardo Hernandez. Hernandez also had a lot of friends who loved her, the family said. "She was always willing to help," Lopez said. "She never said no. We were very close. I was hoping for a grandbaby but now that's never going to happen." Staff Writer Jessica Bravo contributed to this story.