SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — State troopers are trying to find out why a woman was walking along a highway in the middle of the night with her baby.
They say the mother died after walking into the path of a vehicle, but the baby was not injured.
FHP troopers say 24-year-old Destiny Gonzalez was killed on State Road 46 and Jungle Road at three o’clock Tuesday morning. She was hit by a pickup truck as she was holding an infant in a car seat.
According to a GoFundMe account, she was the mother of two girls. Investigators say the infant was taken to the hospital and is ok. But why Destiny was walking along the highway remains a mystery.
Neighbor Jane Kruse says, “What is a woman doing walking on 46? I wouldn’t ride my bike on 46.”
Jane and Joel Kruse have lived near the intersection for 50 years. They were stunned to find out what happened.
Jane says, “I was shocked because I didn’t expect to have a person walking on the road with a baby at 3 o’clock in the morning.” Joel agrees, “Hope the child’s alright.”
FHP says the infant’s ok and next of kin was notified. The GoFundMe states, “Destiny was full of love, strength, and light. Her greatest joy in life was being a mother, and her love for her girls will live on forever through them.
Seminole County Commissioner Jay Zembower says parts of State Road 46 are dangerous. “It’s that two- lane section, pretty much from I-95 all the way into Geneva and then almost all the Sanford Bridge area. And that’s where we have the most collisions and speeding and drivers that just don’t have patience.” Neighbor Joel Kruse says, “Pay attention to the speed limit.” The speed limit is 55 mph on the stretch.
Troopers say the driver in the crash was not injured and stayed on scene. Jane says, “It’s very dark here at night, the road is very dark.” Link to GoFundMe Fundraiser by Connie Torres: In Loving Memory of Destiny Gonzalez
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