Mom of 3 Dies on Her Way to Work After Being Hit by Car: ‘An Angel Was Taken Away from Me,’ Says Son

Stefania Rodriguez was riding a scooter to work when she was involved in a car crash and died from her injuries soon after

A Fort Lauderdale, Fla. man is mourning the loss of his mother, two weeks after she was killed riding her scooter to work.

On Feb. 17, grocery store employee Stefania Rodriguez, 47, was riding a scooter to work early in the morning when she got into a crash with an oncoming car. According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Rodriguez was injured and taken to the nearby Broward Health Medical Center, where she died.

“An angel was taken from me,” Rodriguez’s son, Tyler McGowan, told local NBC station NBC6 South Florida. “She was the light in my darkness. She was my number one fan.”

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The driver stayed at the scene of the 1:30 a.m. crash and was given several traffic citations, police said. The investigation is still ongoing, police added.

“She had life-threatening injuries, and she went to the hospital in and out of surgery,” McGowan told NBC6. “She succumbed to her injuries.”

“This whole tragedy has completely disrupted our family,” he continued. “I’m in disbelief. I feel as if I hit my head, and I’m daydreaming all of this. This doesn’t seem like reality to me.”

McGowan also organized a GoFundMe for the rest of Rodriguez’s family, including her two other young sons. Over $13,000 has been raised as of Wednesday evening.

"Your mom was a [special] lady,” one GoFundMe donor wrote Friday. “We certainly will miss her bright light.”

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“I’m so sorry for the loss of your mom. I still remember vividly meeting her for the first time when we were younger,” another wrote on Saturday. “... You have my deepest condolences, sympathies, and prayers.”

“Whenever she walked into a room, she completely captured the spirit of the room,” McGowan told NBC6 of his late mother. “It was all eyes on her.”

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McGowan hopes that his mother’s death will give others the chance to reflect on the importance of driving safely.

“Slow down,” he told NBC6. “Think of your loved ones. Life is fragile. Your life is precious. Your actions affect others more than you think.”

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