A 20-year-old driver has been sentenced for vehicular homicide after Apopka police said he was going 67 mph in a 35 mph zone when he struck and killed a pedestrian crossing the street last fall. Jeremy Gonzalez pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 14, closing out a case that began with a predawn 911 call more than a year earlier.
According to WFTV, Apopka police and fire crews responded to East Main Street and Midland Avenue during the early morning hours of Oct. 8, 2025, after reports that a vehicle had struck a pedestrian. Investigators determined Gonzalez had been driving in the center turn lane to pass stopped traffic when his car hit a pedestrian who was crossing the street. She later died from her injuries.
Speed and a Risky Pass Led to Charges
Police said Gonzalez was traveling 67 mph in a posted 35 mph zone at the time of the crash, nearly double the speed limit on that stretch of road. He was arrested at the scene and charged with vehicular homicide, the same outlet reported. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Gonzalez was 20 years old at the time of his arrest.
More than a year passed between the crash and the resolution of the criminal case. Gonzalez ultimately pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, and the station's report states he was sentenced on Oct. 14. The specific terms of that sentence, including whether it included jail time, probation, or other conditions, were not disclosed.
Police Call the Case Closed
The Apopka Police Department said the sentencing brought its investigation to a close, according to the same account. The Orlando Sentinel noted it had reached out to the department for additional information on the case.
The crash adds to a broader pattern flagged in state data: Florida's 2024 Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report, compiled by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department, identifies pedestrians among road users with the potential for a disproportionately high fatality rate on the state's roads. Under Florida law, as outlined by The Florida Senate, vehicular homicide is defined as the killing of a human being caused by operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another person.
