Man who died in fiery wreck was a Florida Atlantic University instructor
Justin Waldron would often text his mom to see if she was around for a visit.
On Jan. 22, he sent her a message and then showed up around 3 p.m. Waldron sat in the backyard with his mom and stepfather for a couple hours, just talking. He was excited about meeting a Realtor to look at a house he was interested in.
“It was nice to have him live close by so I could see him all the time,” said his mom, Maryann Stokes.
That would be his last visit.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 23, Waldron, 38, an instructor in Florida Atlantic University’s English Department, was killed when the SUV he was driving was rear-ended at Northeast 49th Street and North Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point. His mom said that her son was heading home after spending time with his sister because it was the anniversary of their father’s 2003 death.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that detectives were still investigating the fiery crash that left Waldron and the driver of the other car, 34-year-old Dana Raymond, dead.
In the days after the accident, BSO said Raymond was heading south on North Federal Highway when she struck the back of Waldron’s 2011 Hyundai Tucson causing her Kia sedan to catch fire. It appeared that Waldron was stopped at a red light when Raymond’s car slammed into the SUV, BSO said. The fire spread to Waldron’s car.
Despite efforts from bystanders, Waldron died in the SUV. Raymond was taken to a nearby hospital where she died.
On Tuesday, Waldron’s mom and stepfather Stephen Stokes spoke to the media with their attorneys John Uustal and Michael Hersh. Uustal said they are still reviewing what happened.
Meanwhile, Stephen Stokes said they are struggling to cope with the loss. They described Waldron as an outdoors enthusiast who loved helping others, learning new things and spending time with his rescue dog named Jurni.
“We realize he’s not coming back,” he said. “We just find it hard to believe that we are not going to see him.”
Waldron’s family is asking that in lieu of flowers donations be made to The Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park (where Waldron spent a lot of time) or a local pet rescue organization.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 10:31 PM.
