A. Dewitt Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Services will hold Jorge Jimenez’s funeral on Thursday for free, a decision made out of respect to both Jimenez and Jim Boeheim’s family, owner Jan Maloff said in an interview Tuesday.

Jimenez, 51, died after being struck by head coach Boeheim along Interstate 690 on Wednesday night. Jimenez was later pronounced dead and transported to Upstate University Hospital.

“We just believe that we’re a caring community and this is such an unexpected event, that we just wanted to step up and show our kindness to the family and our respect to coach Boeheim,” Maloff said. “This could have happened to anybody in our community.”

Maloff made the decision to host the funeral in “about one second,” he said. He first heard of the crash from an AOL notification on his iPhone, and later saw the story on ABC News. He said he felt “horrible” that the crash made national news.

“I just felt bad,” Maloff said. “This is something (Boeheim) has to live with for the rest of his life, and if an ordinary person … were to be involved in such a tragedy, (the) name wouldn’t have been splashed around the country over it.”

Maloff got in contact with the Jimenez family through the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office and Police Chief Kenton Buckner, he said. Maloff said he has been in contact with the Jimenez family several times this week but hasn’t spoke with the Boeheim family.

The funeral will be held Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Maloff said the funeral is open to the public.

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MORE COVERAGE: 

• Jim Boeheim hits, kills man in I-690 crash
• Friends, family remember Jorge Jimenez, victim of I-690 crash involving Jim Boeheim

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Published on February 26, 2019 at 3:24 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326