ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 91-year-old man was killed when an Orange County deputy crashed into his car just feet from his home early Tuesday morning. Deputy Malinda Miller, 28, was responding to a call, without lights and sirens, and t-boned 91-year-old Edward Soistman's Buick as he turned onto Magnolia Homes Road from Calloway Drive ( see map .
CRASH SCENE: Ground Pics | Aerial Images
Soistman was a lay pastor for St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, a fellow church member told WFTV. Soistman was on his way to Florida Hospital to help a parishioner who was going to have surgery.
According the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) report, Soistman pulled out of his driveway around 5:30am, stopped at a stop sign and made a left turn. Miller was traveling northbound on Magnolia Homes Road as Soistman attempted to make the left turn onto Magnolia Homes Road and directly into the path of the patrol car. The front of the patrol car struck the driver's side of Soistman's Buick sedan.
Neighbors say it's hard to see around that corner.
The 91-year-old died at Orlando Regional Medical Center Tuesday morning. WFTV was told he lived with his son.
Deputy Miller was also hospitalized, and treated for minor injuries.
At St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winter Park, where Soistman worked almost every day for the last 35 years, it was a very sad day.
"A word I would choose to describe Ed Soistman is ‘grace,'" acting Pastor Reverend Pete Zieg said.
Soistman, or "Fast Eddie" as they called him for his ability to get in and out of hospitals quickly to see as many people as possible, routinely started his day before sunrise. Early Tuesday morning, he headed to a hospital to see someone before their surgery.
"Ed would be among the first people there to look after the patient. He would go and visit them, have prayer, read scripture and then be on his way," Zieg said.
WFTV was told that Soistman was sitting at his desk at the church Monday and had written kind words to a church member. He loved Walt Disney World and he loved the Orlando Magic, but most of all he loved his family and his church family. Church members said they loved him.
His fellow worshipers are in awe that his life ended exactly 91 years to the day of his baptism. He just celebrated his 91st birthday two weeks ago.
"Ed's passing leaves a very large empty place, because he ministered to a lot of people all the time," Zieg said.
WFTV reporter Kathi Belich asked the Florida Highway Patrol whether Miller was speeding. The speed limit on Magnolia Homes Road is 40 miles per hour. But the Florida Highway Patrol says that may not matter, because she had no stop sign and had the right of way at the time of the deadly crash.
Another Orange County deputy was involved in a serious crash earlier this month. Deputy Eric Wheeler crashed into a mini van on Colonial Drive and Tanner Road. FHP said he didn't have his lights and sirens on when he ran a stop sign at the intersection. Five people went to the hospital. The deputy was ticketed, but plans to fight it in court.
The sheriff's office says Deputy Miller is home from the hospital recuperating, and will go back to work when she's well while it investigates the crash.
The highway patrol says Soistman's age might also have been a factor, if his depth perception was off or his reaction time slower.
WFTV
