Jada Upshaw Obituary, Death – The mother of a Bloomfield woman who was killed in a crash on I-91 last week is urging law enforcement to impose more severe charges against the alleged impaired driver involved. Jada Upshaw, 26, who was pregnant with her second child, tragically lost her life in a three-car accident that occurred on Friday, October 4, just before 9 p.m.
Her mother, Kimberly Upshaw, spoke with NBC Connecticut, revealing that her daughter was three months pregnant with a boy and had a 2-year-old daughter named Kalani. “She was on the highway, returning from dinner, and then this awful, fatal accident happened,” Kimberly Upshaw recounted. She described how the driver, who is suspected of being intoxicated, caused the crash, which resulted in Jada’s car flipping over multiple times and colliding with another vehicle.
State police charged Jacob Daniel Texidor, 23, from Ellington, with operating a vehicle while under the influence. He was processed at Troop H and was subsequently released on a $50,000 bond. Upshaw expressed her disbelief that Texidor was able to leave the same night after the fatal accident. “He’s facing this drunk driving charge, and he got out the same night, which is something that I just can’t understand,” she said, adding, “How is it possible that after this fatal accident, which closed down the highway, with multiple cars involved and loss of life, you can get out the same night? That’s part of my heartache. How did that happen?”
Upshaw is calling for additional charges to be filed, particularly because her daughter was pregnant at the time of the accident. “My daughter lost her life, so there should be additional charges. My daughter was also pregnant with her second child, so there’s another life that was lost,” she stated. Upshaw also expressed frustration about the low bond that allowed Texidor to be released shortly after the incident, asking, “Why was this person let out on such a low bond the same night after killing my daughter?”
In response to the concerns raised by Upshaw, Connecticut State Police issued a statement indicating that the DUI charge filed at the time of the incident is not the final measure in the investigation. They confirmed that the investigation is still active and ongoing.
Upshaw, who is now helping to care for her daughter’s child, is devastated by the loss of her only child and her future grandson. Reflecting on Jada’s life, she lamented, “At 26 years old, she had plans for her life that she will never get to fulfill. I won’t get to see what she looks like at 40 years old. I won’t be present at her wedding. She was planning her gender reveal, and those are joyous occasions that we cannot enjoy now.”
Texidor is scheduled to appear in court in two weeks, and Upshaw has committed to attending every court hearing. “I just want justice served. Justice for Jada. It will be served. I will continue to make sure of that,” she declared, determined to advocate for her daughter’s memory and ensure accountability for the tragedy.