A mother in Arcadia is channeling her grief into action after a tragic head-on crash claimed the life of her son early Sunday morning along State Road 31.
WINK News had an exclusive conversation with Gilvonda Judgechatman, whose son, 22-year-old Jerren Robinson, died in the collision. The crash also took the life of a 63-year-old woman.
Judgechatman shared her memories of Robinson, saying, "him coming over after all day of work and talking to me about his day. Missing the um, good morning, Queen. I love your mom," she said.
Robinson and the woman were killed near Farabee Road when their vehicles collided head-on.
"I love you. He was like, I love you too, ma. And we gave each other a hug. Yeah, that was the last thing I said to him," said Judgechatman.
She wants her son to be remembered for his energy and kindness. Upon learning from the crash report that Robinson's car crossed the center line, Judgechatman immediately thought of the woman's family.
"Get in touch with her daughters or sons or whoever I need to, to see what I can do to reach out to them to send them my condolences as well, because again, I'm truly sorry for their loss as well," Judgechatman said.
She is determined to bring change to State Road 31 to prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
Judgechatman described the area as "Death Valley," emphasizing, "There's no lights. There are no lights."
She plans to petition the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for more streetlights.
"I feel like every light post that goes on that road should be dedicated to every member that lost a life on 31," she said.
Judgechatman is focused on transforming her pain into purpose, one streetlight at a time.
The Florida Highway Patrol stated that traffic homicide investigations can take 60 to 90 days to complete.
WINK News reached out to FDOT to inquire about any plans to add lighting along State Road 31.