PHOENIX — Family members held a fundraiser to help with funeral costs for Jose Perez, a man killed recently after being exposed to a chemical while working.
On Friday, family and friends of Jose Perez washed cars outside of the Purple Turtle Sports Bar and Grill at 51st Avenue and Indian School Road, raising money for Perez's funeral costs.
Perez, 32, died while working at Danny's Truck Wash in Avondale. On Sunday afternoon, Perez and a coworker were found unconscious in the vault of a semi-truck container holding an unknown residual chemical substance.
Firefighters now say Sodium Hydrosulfide was the chemical involved that caused both deaths.
"It’s been devastating," said Angel Perez, Jose's sister. "You never think your family’s gonna leave and not come back."
Perez's fiance says he was always the life of the party and had been working at Danny's Truck Wash since he was 15 years old.
"He was very loving. He had a big heart," said Marion Martinez, Perez's fiance. "I miss you, I need you. I know you say I’m strong but I’m gonna need you."
A GoFundMe has also been started to help raise money for funeral costs.
The family will be back at the Purple Turtle washing cars and raising money on Saturday morning through midday.
