A tragic twist of fate claimed the life of 23-year-old Yanaisa Pulido, an EMT, who was fatally struck while aiding crash victims on Interstate 95 in Broward County, officials said. Pulido, lauded for her selfless service and readiness to save lives, tragically lost her own when she stopped to assist at a multi-vehicle crash site early yesterday morning, according to Local 10 News.

The devastating chain-reaction collision began when a driver lost control and hit a concrete median, halting traffic and setting the stage for the series of impacts that followed, as NBC Miami reported. Pulido, returning from her shift, encountered the wreckage on southbound I-95 near State Road 84 and while attempting to render aid to the initial crash victims, a domino effect of collisions ensued, with two other cars striking vehicles from the initial crash and Pulido being hit, killed at the scene.

Pulido's dedication to her work and to helping others was without question, "She was also a hard worker and worked as an EMT at Miami Dade Ambulance while she was going to school. Everyone who met her was a better person for it," Dayami Apaulaza, a family friend, wrote on a GoFundMe page dedicated to Pulido's memory and funeral expenses. The aspiring first responder, who had completed the Hialeah Fire Cadet program in 2019, is remembered for her dream to become a full-time first responder and her contagious spirit that uplifted everyone around her.

A total of six vehicles got tangled in the calamity, resulting in three additional injuries including that of a 7-year-old boy, whose condition along with the others remains undisclosed, the Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the sequence of events that led to the catastrophe. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the scene and transported the injured to Broward Health Medical Center; the community now mourns the loss of a young hero who embodied the essence of service to her final moment.