Brazilian man on ‘dream’ US road trip killed with dog by his side
A Brazilian influencer who died alongside his beloved golden retriever was just days away from completing his “dream” vacation.
Jesse Koz, 29, died instantly when his 1978 Volkswagen Beetle collided with a Ford Escape on US Highway 199 near Selma, Oregon, Monday morning.
Koz’s pet pup, Shurastey, was also killed. The female driver of the Ford survived the smash and was taken to a hospital with injuries.
“He died as hero living his biggest dream,” one devastated fan wrote of Koz on Instagram. “The world of travelers has lost a great inspiration.”
Koz had spent the past three months driving across the US, sharing travel photos on Instagram, where he boasted more than 359,000 followers and millions of likes.
The wanderer was en-route to Alaska at the time of his fatal accident, and was set to arrive there later this week.
Koz had long dreamed of driving from Brazil to America’s Last Frontier, and initially set off on his journey several years ago. However, his earlier goal of reaching the US was thwarted by the COVID pandemic when the US closed its southern border to tourists in March 2020.
A determined Koz restarted his trip at the beginning of this year, and crossed into America in early February.
On Feb. 10, he shared a photo to Instagram that showed he and Shurastey watching a sunset.
“I just wanted to enjoy a sunset in the company of my friend, I know we still have many more to come and as far as it depends on me we will always be together until the sun sets one last time,” he poignantly wrote.
Koz and the canine traveled through California and across to Florida before driving up the East Coast.
The pair reached New York City last month, with social media snaps showing Koz’s beloved Beetle parked in Times Square.
From there, Koz journeyed to Chicago and then down Route 66, reaching the end of the famous highway in Los Angeles less than three weeks ago.
The influencer and his furry friend planned to travel up the West Coast, crossing over into Canada and driving north to their final destination of Alaska.
Just four days before his death, Koz shared a photo in front of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, and captioned, “There is no happiness without freedom … I came out of a prison that was my old life where others made the decisions for me so I could have the freedom to choose what I wanted!”
News of Koz’s car crash rocked Instagram Monday, with fans flooding his page to pay tribute to the intrepid influencer.
“You lived life beautifully!” one wrote. “You were an inspiration to millions of people. Thanks. God will welcome you both with open arms.”
Koz’s family are now in the process of extraditing his body back to Brazil, DailyMail has reported.
