ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — What began as a joyful family visit ended in unimaginable tragedy for the loved ones of 94-year-old Aida Maldonado.
After spending a warm, laughter-filled day at her daughter’s home, family members helped settle Maldonado into her wheelchair and onto an Access Lynx bus, promising to see her the next day. The ride back to her nursing home was supposed to take just 30 minutes, where relatives were already waiting to greet her. Her pajamas had even been laid out neatly on her bed in anticipation of her return.
But the wait grew longer — and more concerning. When Maldonado didn’t arrive at her scheduled time, the family checked the bus-tracking app. The bus appeared stopped in the middle of Rock Springs Road, not moving.
Moments earlier, around 6 p.m., a Ford Mustang traveling at a high rate of speed had slammed into the side of the Access Lynx bus with such force that it knocked the vehicle off its axles. Only faint skid marks lined the roadway, leaving investigators unsure whether the teenage driver ever attempted to brake.
Maldonado and another passenger — an 81-year-old man who neighbors said regularly relied on the service to get to dialysis appointments — were both killed in the crash. The 18-year-old Mustang driver and a 17-year-old passenger remained hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We still can’t believe it,” said Maldonado’s granddaughter, Edna McGrew. “We went to the nursing home yesterday to pick up some of her stuff… it’s really hard.”
To her family, Maldonado was the heart of their home — spirited, loving, and full of life even at 94. She adored music and lovingly joked that Puerto Rican singer Chayanne was her boyfriend. Just last month, the family surprised her with a trip to Miami to see him perform in celebration of her birthday.
She also adored her family — all the way down to her two-year-old great-great-grandson. “Every time you see her, she always say, ‘God bless everybody. I love everyone,’” recalled her great-grandson, Sergio Torres.
McGrew said she visited the crash site and saw the hearses leaving. As the family prepares funeral arrangements, she hopes the investigation brings accountability.
“Some people have
