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Milagros Ortiz

Age : 92

Gender : Female

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 01/06/2026

Location : Intersection of South Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue

City : Orlando

County : Orange

State : Florida

Agency : Orlando Police Department

Officer(s) :Andrew McKuhen

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police vehicle crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 01/06/2026, 92-year-old Milagros “Millie” Ortiz was fatally injured when an Orlando Police Department patrol vehicle driven by Officer Andrew McKuhen collided with the Jeep in which Ortiz was riding as a front-seat passenger at South Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue in Orlando. Ortiz later died from her injuries.
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Ortiz was returning home from playing bingo and was riding in a friend's Jeep when the collision occurred. She was not involved in the police activity that preceded the crash.
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McKuhen was stopped at a red traffic signal when he reportedly observed another motorist make an illegal U-turn. McKuhen then began moving his marked police vehicle into the intersection in an effort to respond to that traffic violation.
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Video evidence subsequently reviewed by WESH and other news organizations showed McKuhen activate the patrol vehicle's emergency lights as he entered the intersection. However, the lights appeared steady rather than flashing normally. Seconds later, the emergency lights went completely dark while McKuhen continued accelerating into the intersection.
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A witness reported not hearing a police siren before the collision. The patrol vehicle continued through the intersection and entered the path of the Jeep carrying Ortiz.
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The Orlando police vehicle struck the Jeep. Ortiz suffered severe injuries and was transported to a hospital, where she later died. Her death was directly attributable to injuries sustained in the collision with the police vehicle.
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The traffic crash investigation found McKuhen at fault for failing to yield the right of way at Hoffner Avenue and Semoran Boulevard.
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The subsequent investigation also uncovered problems involving the emergency-warning equipment on McKuhen's patrol vehicle. According to the wrongful-death lawsuit later filed by Ortiz's family, the police vehicle had a documented history of recurring problems with its emergency warning equipment before the fatal collision but remained available for police use.
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The State Attorney's Office reviewed the crash for possible criminal charges against McKuhen. Prosecutors ultimately declined to charge him with vehicular homicide, concluding that the available evidence did not establish the level of reckless driving required to support a criminal prosecution. Ortiz's family publicly expressed disappointment with that decision.
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On 08/12/2026, which would have been Ortiz's 93rd birthday, her family formally filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Orlando seeking $92 million in damages. Civil-rights attorney Benjamin Crump is representing the family.
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The lawsuit focuses both on McKuhen's driving and on the condition of the patrol vehicle. The family alleges that the city allowed the police vehicle to remain in service despite documented recurring problems with its emergency warning equipment.
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Ortiz's daughter, Judy Santiago, has publicly described the continuing emotional impact of losing her mother and joined the family in pursuing the wrongful-death action after prosecutors declined criminal charges against McKuhen.
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The civil lawsuit remains pending. Orlando police and City of Orlando officials declined to comment publicly on the allegations because of the ongoing litigation.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Officer Andrew McKuhen was identified as the Orlando Police Department officer driving the patrol vehicle that struck the Jeep carrying Ortiz. The official crash investigation found McKuhen at fault for failure to yield the right of way. The State Attorney's Office subsequently declined to prosecute him for vehicular homicide.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wesh.com/article/orlando-police-crash-wrongful-death-lawsuit/73416915
https://www.wesh.com/article/orlando-milagros-ortiz-family-disappointed-no-charges/71539741
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/12/family-set-to-announce-dollar92m-lawsuit-against-orlando-police/