The mother of former WNBA forward Sophie Brunner has been tragically killed in a head-on collision with a driver believed to be in the country illegally.
Both Darcy Connolly-Brunner, 61, and 30-year-old Guatemalan national Rolando Ico-Choc were killed in the crash Saturday afternoon, according to the Stephenson County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office.
A press release claims Ico-Choc was driving southbound in a Nissan Altima when the vehicle entered the northbound lane and collided head on with Connolly-Brunner’s Ford Edge in the rural village of Orangeville along the Wisconsin state lane.
The crash remains under investigation by Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit, who are still working to determine if alcohol impairment by Ico-Choc played a factor in the crash. There is no indication Connolly-Brunner was impaired, according to the department.
Toxicology testing will take place during the autopsy, but results can take several weeks before they’re publicized.
Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall told reporters Tuesday that Ico-Choc has a criminal history involving drunk-driving convictions.
Connolly-Brunner is survived by her husband Tom as well as children Ellen Brunner, Sophie (Marcus) Bruder, Gabrielle (Hewitt Dameier) Brunner, and Heath (Dana Geiser) Brunner
Conolly-Brunner is seen alongside Sophie, a former WNBA player and Arizona State star
In 2023, he was charged with aggravated DUI with a suspended or revoked license and ultimately did a short jail term in addition to receiving probation, according to WIFR.com.
Ico-Choc was also sentenced to court supervision and alcohol treatment following a 2022 DUI conviction and was previously arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in 2023.
Stovall told reporters he held off releasing the identities of crash victims for days to allow Stephenson County Coroner’s Office time to reach a next of kin for Ico-Choc.
The department could not find an address for Ico-Choc, who is believed to be a Guatemalan national. Illinois state senator Andrew Chesney of Freeport said Homeland Security officials confirmed to him that Ico-Choc was in the country illegally.
Brunner-Connolly (right) is seen with her daughter Sophie and husband Tom
A mother of four, Connolly-Brunner was a long-time resident of Stephenson County, who was well known to Stovall.
‘Darcy was more than just a member of the community, she was a friend,’ Stovall said. ‘She was a kind and giving person who cared deeply for her family and friends.’
The Iowa native and married Thomas Brunner nearly 40 years ago, according to her obituary with the Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home.
In her youth, she was involved in 4-H and training horses, as well as track and field and her family’s restaurant. The professional social worker spent her life advocating for ‘vulnerable populations’ and volunteering at her local church, according to the obituary.
She is survived by her husband Tom as well as children Ellen Brunner, Sophie (Marcus) Bruder, Gabrielle (Hewitt Dameier) Brunner, and Heath (Dana Geiser) Brunner.
Sophie, now 29, had a successful college career at Arizona State where she was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection before going undrafted in 2017.
Nonetheless, she still managed to catch on with the Phoenix Mercury and San Antonio Stars in 2017 before moving on to play professionally in Italy.
These days Brunner is coaching and teaching at the high school level.
Sophie Brunner went undrafted in 2017, but still managed to catch on with the Mercury
Stovall was joined Tuesday by Illinois Republicans, including House GOP leader Tony McCombie, Chesney and Representative John Cabello, all of whom blamed amnesty laws and Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for Saturday’s tragedy.
‘We are calling for a full repeal of the Safety Act and end to sanctuary policies in the state and for the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal law enforcement to get criminals that are illegal in this country off of our streets,’ Chesney told assembled media.
‘To be crystal clear, this person was in this country illegally,’ Chesney said. ‘He was a multiple criminal offender with domestics and felony DUIs. And our local law enforcement is unable to communicate with federal authorities to remove people like this from our state and our country. It’s a direct result of the policy we have passed in Springfield.’
Cabello called out Pritzker by name.
‘I hold JB Pritzker personally responsible,’ he said. ‘I hold the Democrats personally responsible. This should not have happened, period.
‘We have a life that was taken by somebody who shouldn’t have been here. There are millions of people that come to this great nation legally. That’s what we want. That’s what we as tax-paying citizens deserve.’
