A Miramar driver has admitted guilt in the wrong-way Florida Turnpike crash that killed 23-year-old Ezequiel “Zeke” Urrutia, an aspiring firefighter whose death shook his family, classmates and fellow South Florida first responder hopefuls.
The collision happened on Jan. 9, 2025, when investigators say a vehicle going the wrong direction in the northbound lanes slammed into Urrutia’s car near the Red Road exit in Miramar. Urrutia, who trained at Miami Dade College’s Fire Academy, is now remembered through a scholarship that carries his name.
Court update
Prosecutors say 45-year-old Sunshine Perez entered a guilty plea in Broward County court on March 12, 2026, according to CBS News Miami. The outlet reported that a sentencing date had not yet been set, leaving Urrutia’s family waiting to learn what penalty Perez will face.
Charges and evidence
Before Thursday’s plea, Perez had been facing multiple felony counts tied to the wreck, including two counts of DUI manslaughter and one count of vehicular homicide, according to Local 10.
Prosecutors and state troopers said Perez’s blood-alcohol level tested at .112 about three hours after the crash. Toxicology results also showed amphetamines, methamphetamine and oxycodone in her system, WSVN reported.
Family and scholarship
Two weeks after the crash, Urrutia’s parents partnered with Miami Dade College to create the Zeke Urrutia Firefighter Scholarship to support students at the college’s Fire Academy, according to The MDC Reporter.
The outlet reported that the fund had raised more than $47,000 toward a $100,000 endowment. Once fully funded, the scholarship is set to cover tuition and fees for one cadet each year, turning the loss of an aspiring firefighter into a long-term push to help future first responders reach the finish line.
What comes next
With a guilty plea now on the record, the case moves into the sentencing phase and the court is expected to set a hearing date. Before the plea, Perez had been granted a $400,000 bond with GPS monitoring and tight limits on travel between Miami-Dade and Broward counties during pretrial proceedings, Local 10 reported.
Why it matters
Wrong-way crashes have repeatedly turned South Florida highways into deadly corridors, prompting regular calls for better prevention and public awareness from troopers and civic leaders. NBC 6 has reported on similar Turnpike wrecks that ended in fatalities.
Against that backdrop, the Urrutia family’s scholarship underscores a different kind of response. Even as they wait for sentencing in Zeke’s case, they are channeling their grief into support for the next generation of firefighters who will be the ones responding when South Florida’s roads turn deadly.
