ORLANDO, Fla. — If a motorcyclist survives his critical injuries, he will face criminal charges, says the Florida Highway Patrol after the man is accused of weaving in and out of traffic and fatally striking two pedestrians: a mother and daughter.
- Names of mother, daughter and motorcyclist released
- Witnesses say motorcyclist was speeding; he's now in critical condition
- If motorcyclist survives, he will face criminal charges, says FHP
- Get more Orange County headlines
The FHP stated on Friday morning in a report that the woman was Anelsy Aguero Alba, 33 of Orlando, while the 6-year-old child was her daughter Sheyla Ruiz.
The deadly crash happened around 7:10 p.m. Thursday. Lt. Kim Montes told Spectrum News 13 that a motorcyclist was riding at a “high rate of speed” on Semoran Boulevard at Old Cheney Road when he struck a woman and child who were crossing the street.
The motorcyclist, identified as 29-year-old Bryan Deaire Smith of Orlando, then lost control and struck a 2002 Honda minivan on the opposite lanes of traffic. The minivan driver was not hurt.
Sheyla Ruiz, 6, and her mother 33-year-old Anelsy Aguero Alba are seen during happier times. They were both killed after a motorcyclist struck them on Thursday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. (Photo courtesy of the Aguero family)
Smith was going at a high rate of speed on the 2015 Honda motorcycle, stated Montes. Reportedly, both Aguero Alba and Ruiz did not use a crosswalk.
Aguero Alba was taken to Orlando Health while Ruiz was taken to the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital; they both died.
Smith is in critical condition at Orlando Health. Troopers have not gotten a chance to talk to him, but Montes told Spectrum News 13 he could face criminal charges if he survives.
The FHP is trying to determine if he was under the influence of alcohol.
A nurse who pulled over to help to victims told Spectrum News 13, "I was horrified to walk up and see a child. I couldn’t even process it, so I’m heartbroken.”
Montes said troopers often see motorcyclists drive erratically on Thursday nights. She said it is something multiple law enforcement agencies are aware of, but that it is hard to police them. But ultimately, Montes said this should be a lesson on what that erratic driving can do.
A Family Grieves
Family members of the mother and daughter are calling for justice after the two were killed Thursday night.
Friday would have been a normal day for Ruiz at Bridge Prep Academy, and Alba would have turned 34 today.
“My little niece is gone, and my daughters won’t be ever to play with her again,” Anelsy’s sister-in-law Glorie Aguero said, who is now planning a funeral for the two.
“We want to be able to see her,” she said, holding back tears. “We want to give her flowers and be close to her.”
Ruiz was an honor roll student at the Bridge Prep Academy. Aguero Alba was a teacher and day care worker. She moved to Central Florida with her brother, who had a tough time finding words to say.
“When we first came, it was just me and her against the world,” said Anderson Aguedo.
The roadway where the crash occurred is open again and running like normal, but for this family, what they are going through isn’t.
“We just want to have to celebrate their lives, because they are our angels,” Glorie Aguero said. “We are going to keep on moving forward, celebrating their legacy.”
Pedestrian Safety in Central Florida
Spectrum News 13 spoke to Executive Director of Bike Walk Central Florida Amanda Day, who said on the stretch of Semoran Boulevard near the intersection of Old Cheney highway, between 2013 and 2018, eight pedestrians were seriously hurt or killed. Now with Anelsy Alba and Sheila Ruiz, that number is up to at least 10.
“Listen, it’s tough to be a pedestrian here in Central Florida,” Day said.
According to the Florida Highway Safety Administration, in 2019, 61 pedestrians were killed in crashes in Orange County alone. Day says that has a lot to do with the design of roads like Semoran in Central Florida.
“The design of the roads is such that it’s high speeds, it’s 45 miles and hour, people are going 55, possibly 65, speeding from light to light, then you have apartments and condos on one side on the other side everything, from a bus stop to a shopping center,’ Day said.
She added, "You’ll continue to see crashes like this unfortunately, until we really start changing things, the way that we design our roads.”
From 2013 to 2017, there have been 204 pedestrian fatal crashes in Orange County alone.
That is why the Operation Vision Zero is underway in four counties as law enforcement are set up in problems areas and issue warning and citations to drivers and pedestrians who are breaking traffic laws.
"This is really about people, everyone of that statistics is a person, so reducing numbers to zero fatalities for traffic crashes and pedestrians is our actual goal and through education and enforcement we believe we can reach that," said Deputy Chief James Young of the Orlando Police Department.
The Florida Department of Transportation released the following statement to Spectrum News 13:
“Safety is, and will continue to be, the top priority of the FDOT. Any incident that results in loss of life is a tragedy. The Department’s vision is to serve the people of Florida by providing a transportation network that is well planned, supports economic growth, and has the goal of being congestion and fatality free. Once the finalized crash report is available, the Department will review it to determine the contributing cause(s) and the need for associated changes.”