Jesse Kozechen, a 29-year-old influencer from Brazil, passed away tragically in a car accident, alongside his beloved dog “Shurastey.” The duo was in the middle of a five-year trip from Brazil to Alaska. However, unfortunately, they lost their lives just a few days before arriving at their destination.
The tragic accident took place on Highway 199, Salem, Oregon on Monday at 10:30 a.m. Kozechen, who was driving a Volkswagen Beetle, was trying to pass a slow line of cars. This is when he got into the oncoming traffic and instantly passed away after colliding with a Ford Escape.
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Eileen Huss, the woman who drive Ford, survived the crash with injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. A 2-year-old too was inside the car but was fortunately unharmed.
Jesse Kozechen and Shurastey started their journey in 2017. Since then, Kozechen has driven through 52,000 miles and 17 countries with his beloved pet. Although their journey should’ve come to an end in Alaska, it got delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, cross-border restrictions prevented them from driving past the US-Mexico border.
The duo was touring the US for the last three months. Since the beginning of the extraordinary journey, Kozechen has continuously documented it on his Instagram, where he has over 359,000 followers.
The final Instagram update of Kozechen is from last weekend. On Shurastey’s Instagram account, he wrote that they were camping in Oregon before driving to Canada to reach Alaska.
Kozechen and Shurastey’s fans have been devastated by the news. One user wrote, “He passed away as a hero living his biggest dream.” Another fan stated how travelers have lost a massive inspiration with the passing of Kozechen.
Image credits: @jessekoz / Instagram
