A Florida woman will spend two decades behind bars for killing a paramedic when she drove the wrong way down a highway and slammed her SUV into the victim's car, authorities said.
Background
Sunshine Perez, 46, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike in Miramar on January 9, 2025, when she traveled at least 2 miles the wrong direction before striking 23-year-old Ezekiel Urrutia's Honda Civic head-on shortly before 2 a.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Paramedics pronounced Urrutia dead on scene. The young man had been working as a paramedic and was set to be officially hired by the City of Miami at the time of his death, his family told the court.
Perez's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit when officers arrived at the crash scene. Authorities noted her eyes were bloodshot and she smelled of alcohol. Toxicology results also revealed THC, methamphetamine and oxycodone in her system, according to law enforcement reports.
The Investigation
Perez pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. A judge on Friday sentenced her to 20 years in prison for the incident that claimed Urrutia's life.
During court proceedings, Perez claimed the toxicology report was wrong. "I was working, and when I got off of work, I went to one of my friends' house, I had a drink, and I said my back was hurting, and I took what I thought was medication," she said, according to WTVJ. "Then I later found out in a toxicology report that there were things in my system that I do not do."
Sobbing during her statement to the court, Perez apologized to Urrutia's family while making light of her first name.
"Again, I struggle with knowing that my two hands caused so much trouble to a family. I mean, come on with a name like Sunshine, you expect that to be a happy, bubbly person which I typically am, but now it's like a rain cloud over this family and anyone who knew him," Perez said, per WFOR.
Key Takeaways
- Ezekiel Urrutia, 23, was a paramedic set to be hired by the City of Miami when he was killed in the January crash
- Sunshine Perez drove wrong way for at least 2 miles before striking his car head-on on Florida's Turnpike in Miramar
- Her blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit; toxicology also showed THC, methamphetamine and oxycodone
- She claimed the toxicology report was inaccurate and said she only drank and took medication she thought was legitimate
- Perez pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, receiving a 20-year sentence
What's Next
Perez will begin serving her 20-year prison sentence immediately. No further court dates have been scheduled as the case concluded with her guilty plea.