The woman accused of killing an aspiring Miami-Dade firefighter in a wrong-way crash on the Florida Turnpike in Miramar earlier this year was granted bond during an emotional hearing on Thursday morning.
Sunshine Perez, 45, is facing a number of charges, including vehicular homicide and driving under the influence, in the January death of 23-year-old Zeke Urrutia.
Before the judge issued his decision, Urrutia’s parents implored him, via Zoom, to deny Perez bond.
“I’m highly interested in seeing if Sunshine can be held without bond. The choices she made were extremely harsh. She killed my son. The choice she made to take drugs and alcohol and drive the wrong way for three miles, she should not be on the streets possibly doing this again. Please hold her without bond,” Frank Urrutia said.
“I am his mother. My son Zeke was taken by Sunshine Perez, who chose to drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Zeke was my only son, my heart, my purpose, my everything. No words can describe the pain and emptiness I live with every day,” Tiffany Urrutia said. “I ask the court to deny bond. Allowing her back into the public, even temporarily, sends the message that the life of an innocent man holds no weight. My son doesn’t get a second chance. She should not be granted the privilege of freedom.”
In the end, the judge ruled that all of the charges are bondable offenses and set the amount at $400,000.
If she is released, the judge ordered that Perez be outfitted with a GPS monitor, she must submit to random drug and alcohol tests twice weekly, she must surrender her passport, she is not allowed to drive, no alcohol or drugs, and she must remain in either Miami-Dade or Broward.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Perez was driving an SUV in the wrong direction and collided with Urrutia’s vehicle, killing him. She was also injured in the crash.
Urrutia’s father said he will always remember his son Zeke, a paramedic who aspired to join the Miami-Dade Fire Department, as a young man dedicated to saving lives.
Deadly history of wrong-way wrecks
Wrong-way accidents continue to claim hundreds of lives annually, many in Florida.
Eleven years ago, Gary Catronio’s daughter Marisa and her best friend Kaitlyn Ferrante were killed in a wrong-way crash on the Sawgrass Expressway.
Since then, Catronio has advocated for measures to prevent wrong-way crashes. His efforts have led to the installation of flashing wrong-way signs across South Florida.
These signs alert wrong-way drivers, notify authorities, and trigger electronic message boards to warn other drivers.
“In 2023, we had a 95 percent success rate,” Catronio said. “It’s a success that we’ve been able to save as many lives as we have.”
Tragically, the system did not prevent Urrutia’s death.
