Woman Charged In Vehicle Accident That Left A 4-Year-Old Paralyzed

Deltona, FL – A more than four-month-long investigation by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office ends with the arrest of 27-year-old Ana Rosa Fajardo Espinoza on charges of DUI Causing Serious Bodily Injury to Another, Neglect of a Child, and Culpable Negligence While Inflicting Injury. On April 12, 2021, deputies responded to a traffic crash in Deltona at the intersection of Courtland Boulevard and Macon Street. They found Fajardo and two boys, ages three and four, with serious injuries.  Another driver was also injured. The investigation determined that Fajardo was traveling south on Courtland Boulevard at 49 mph in a 35 mph zone and swerving before veering into the northbound lane and hitting an oncoming SUV head-on. The children were airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando. The three-year-old child was later released from the hospital to the care of a family member while the four-year-old remained hospitalized with paralyzing injuries. Fajardo and the driver of the other vehicle were transported to Central Florida Regional Hospital. An analysis of the seat belts in Fajardo’s vehicle suggested hers was locked in the full unused position, indicating she wasn’t wearing it. The three-year-old’s seat belt had marks consistent with being fastened to a booster seat at the time of the crash, but the four-year-old’s seat belt did not have the same marks. The child restraint systems and seatbelts were removed from the vehicle to serve as evidence in the case. An FDLE lab analysis of blood taken upon Fajardo’s admission to the hospital indicated the presence of THC, MDMA, MDA, methamphetamine, and amphetamine in her system. An arrest warrant was issued yesterday (August 31) and Fajardo was arrested a few hours later. Her bond is set at $130,000. She remains in the Volusia County Jail.