Miami nurse killed, second-grade son seriously injured in Broward car crash, loved ones say
Loved ones are mourning a mother and ICU nurse killed in a Miramar car crash after picking up her son from elementary school just days before the holiday break was about to begin.
Her son, a second-grader, remains in the hospital, fighting for his life.
The tragedy happened around 4:38 p.m. Dec. 19 at Somerset Boulevard at Flamingo Road, shortly after she picked him up from dismissal at nearby Somerset Academy Miramar, 12601 Somerset Blvd. The teenage driver of the other car, whom police have not identified, had minor injuries.
While police haven’t disclosed the identity of the woman and the injured child, citing Marsy’s Law to protect crime victims, loved ones have identified them as Cristina Marie Hernandez, 30, an ICU nurse at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, and her son Jacob, who remains in an induced coma in the ICU at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood.
Hernandez, as a nurse, was the “complete package,” said Alix Zacharski, the nurse manager for the medical intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “She was very caring, compassionate, but at the same time, very eager to learn and grow with us.”
She also loved talking about Jacob, showing photos of her family whenever she could to her colleagues, Zacharski said.
Hernandez, a former nurse at Hialeah Hospital, began working at Jackson in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. And she quickly became part of the Jackson family.
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‘An amazing mother’
She “dedicated her life to making sure every patient under her care received the best treatment possible. ... She was also a wife, a sister, a daughter, a great friend, but most of all, Cristina was an amazing mother,” reads the GoFundMe created for Hernandez’s family on behalf of her Jackson coworkers.
Jacob, whom Hernandez loved “with every ounce of her being,” always had a contagious smile on his face and could make anyone laugh, reads another GoFundMe created by his Somerset Academy second-grade teacher Gabriela Prol.
Jacob’s best friend is his dad, she wrote, and he would always talk about their adventures, like when they would go fishing at the beach. As of Friday, Jacob remained hospitalized in critical condition.
“His injuries are severe, and he has a long journey ahead of him, but Jacob is battling every day to recover,” Prol wrote. “Those who know Jacob know how undeniably strong, brave and determined he is.”
“It goes without saying, that during this difficult time, he needs his best friend and father by his side,” Prol wrote. “For dad to be able to do so, he’ll need all the financial help we can give him.”
Both of the GoFundMe pages are raising money to help the family with funeral, medical and other financial expenses. The pages have also become a forum for loved ones to share condolences, prayers and messages of support for the family. Police said the crash remains under investigation.
“Cristina was the ultimate coworker. She always helped and always had a great attitude. It was such an honor to have known her and be considered among her MICU family. We all love her and forever will be better persons for having known her. Go be with the angels because now you are one of them,” wrote Elmar Seibel on one of the GoFundMe pages.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 2:22 PM.
