Florida troopers are still trying to determine why a 24-year-old Orlando woman was on the highway with her baby before dawn.
GENEVA, Fla. — A 24-year-old Orlando woman was killed early April 14 after she was struck by a pickup truck on State Road 46 near Jungle Road while carrying an infant in a car seat, and the baby survived, according to investigators.
Authorities say the case remains under investigation because one central question has not been answered: why Destiny Gonzalez was walking along a dark, high-speed stretch of road at about 3 a.m. Troopers said the driver stayed at the scene and was not hurt. The infant was taken to a hospital as a precaution and was later reported to be OK, leaving investigators and relatives searching for a fuller account of what led to the crash.
Florida Highway Patrol said Gonzalez was in the westbound lane of SR 46 just west of Jungle Road when a westbound 2008 Ford F-350 struck her from behind shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday. Troopers said she was holding an infant in a car seat at the time. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 58-year-old Winter Springs man, was not injured and remained with investigators after the collision. The roadway near Geneva is a largely rural corridor, and residents who live near the intersection said darkness and speed make the area especially unforgiving at night. Neighbor Jane Kruse said she was stunned to learn a woman had been walking there with a baby at that hour.
Investigators have released only limited details beyond the basic crash sequence. Troopers have not publicly said whether Gonzalez had been dropped off nearby, had been traveling with anyone else, or where she was trying to go when she entered the roadway. Family members and neighbors have focused on those missing pieces as the case has drawn attention across Central Florida. WFTV reported that Gonzalez was the mother of two girls, and a fundraiser created after her death described her as devoted to her children. Officials said next of kin had been notified. The infant who survived was transported for evaluation, but investigators said the child did not suffer injuries in the crash. For now, the unanswered timeline before impact remains the most important gap in the public record.
The location has also raised broader concerns about safety on State Road 46. Seminole County Commissioner Jay Zembower told WFTV that parts of the corridor are known for speeding, crashes and impatient driving, especially on the two-lane sections that run through Geneva and toward the Sanford area. Residents near Jungle Road described the stretch as dark at night, with fast-moving traffic and little room for error for anyone outside a vehicle. That context does not explain why Gonzalez was there, but it helps explain why the crash has unsettled neighbors who say they avoid walking or biking along that section even in daylight. The posted speed limit in the area is 55 mph, a factor that can sharply reduce reaction time for drivers and survival chances for pedestrians.
No charges had been announced as of April 21, and troopers have continued to characterize the case as an active investigation. That means crash reconstruction, witness interviews and review of any nearby evidence could still shape what happens next. Investigators may also try to build a clearer timeline of Gonzalez’s movements before she entered the roadway and determine whether any other people were with her earlier that night. For family members, the formal investigation now overlaps with private grief. Gonzalez’s death left two young children without their mother, while the infant who survived became a visible and painful reminder of how quickly the events on SR 46 unfolded. Any further public update is likely to center on what troopers learn about the hours before the collision and whether the case remains solely a traffic fatality investigation.
Neighbors say the crash still feels difficult to grasp because of the hour, the location and the fact that a baby lived through it. Joel Kruse, who lives nearby, said his immediate reaction was simple: “Hope the child’s alright.” That brief remark captured the split reality of the case. One life ended on the shoulder of a dark highway, while another was spared. In the days since, the surviving infant’s condition has offered at least one measure of relief in a case otherwise defined by shock, grief and unanswered questions.
The case remained open Tuesday, April 21, with troopers still working to determine why Gonzalez was on the highway and whether more details from the hours before the crash can be confirmed.
Author note: Last updated April 21, 2026.