'He's so special': Man who died after falling off SR 408 overpass aspired to be a chef, mom says
Man who died after falling off SR 408 overpass aspired to be a chef, mom says
The mother of a man who died after his vehicle drove over a freeway overpass in Florida and fell to the interstate below said her heart is shattered by the loss. She remembered her son as a special and good kid who aspired to be a chef.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The mother of a man who died after his vehicle drove over a freeway overpass in Florida and fell to the interstate below said her heart is shattered by the loss. She remembered her son as a special and good kid who aspired to be a chef.
Frances De Jesus said her son, Arcadia Shakur De Jesus, 24, moved to Orlando a few months ago. He worked at a restaurant and aspired to open his own food truck, she said.
Authorities said De Jesus' went over the overpass barrier and fell over 100 feet onto Interstate 4 below. Portions of I-4 were blocked for a few hours Tuesday morning.
Credit: Family of Arcadio Shakur-Dejesus
Citing the preliminary investigation, Orlando police said it appeared that De Jesus may have been driving too fast, though it remains under investigation.
De Jesus' mom said he moved to Orlando to be with his sister and follow his love of cooking. He was the oldest of six brothers and sisters, she said.
"He's so special. He's always been a good kid," she said. "I remember cooking for the holidays. He would sit in the kitchen and watch me cook. I didn't know why. I thought he'd be a basketball player. When he grew up, he said he wanted to cook."
She said he was working at a local restaurant and had hoped to open a food truck one day.
"I just don't understand. I texted him ‘I love you’ on Sunday night. He texted me ‘I love you too,’" she said. "He was my first born and I still loved him like he was a baby."
She said the family is now working on raising funds for his funeral.