A Florida mother was killed after falling asleep while riding as a passenger on a motorcycle traveling along Interstate 95.
The incident occurred on Dec. 26 around 2 p.m. in Volusia County, Florida. Sara Vasquez, 34, was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by her fiancé, 45-year-old Ricardo Bernal, when she reportedly fell asleep and slipped off the moving vehicle, according to News 6 and Fox 35 Orlando.
Vasquez struck a guardrail after falling, WESH 2 News reported, citing an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol. Bernal pulled over following the crash and was not injured. Authorities said neither Vasquez nor Bernal was wearing a helmet at the time. Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Fox 35, Florida Highway Patrol identified Bernal as a “habitual traffic offender.” He was arrested on charges including driving with a revoked license resulting in death and operating a motorcycle without the required endorsement.
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An arrest report cited by News 6 on Dec. 31 stated that Bernal had six prior violations for driving with a suspended or revoked license and lacked a valid motorcycle endorsement.
Vasquez was from Sanford, Florida, where her mother and stepfather, Maria and Alan Keyser, also live, according to News 6.
Speaking with News 6 on Dec. 31, the couple said Vasquez and Bernal had gone for a ride to get some fresh air. Vasquez had been extremely fatigued after staying awake through the night caring for her three children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum, Maria wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“The night before her passing, she stayed awake tending to her children,” the family wrote. “The following morning, after a family member arrived to help watch them so she could rest, an exhausted Sara agreed to accompany her boyfriend on a motorcycle ride. Tragically, during that ride, Sara collapsed and fell, losing her life.”
The GoFundMe campaign was created to support Vasquez’s three children, ages 14, 12, and 4, and to help cover funeral and memorial expenses.
In the fundraiser, Maria described her daughter as a “deeply devoted” mother who dedicated herself entirely to her children. “She was the heart of their world, their constant, their safe place,” she wrote, adding that Vasquez “poured every ounce of her energy, patience, and love into caring for them.”
