“It was him and I,” mother says after deadly I-95 collision

BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — What should have been a night of celebration turned into unimaginable tragedy for a Boca Raton family. Just hours after receiving his high school diploma, 18-year-old Hendry Aceituno Gudiño was killed in a single-vehicle crash while returning from his graduation dinner.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the fatal accident occurred late Saturday, May 17, along I-95 near the Martin Highway exit in Martin County. Hendry was a passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend’s 52-year-old father when the vehicle veered out of control and struck a guardrail, according to WPTV and CBS12.

Both the driver and Hendry were pronounced dead at the scene. The only other occupant, a 16-year-old girl—believed to be Hendry’s girlfriend—was taken to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

Hendry had graduated from Boca Raton Community High School earlier that day. He and his family had recently moved from Venezuela to Riviera Beach in 2023 in search of a better future.

“It’s a tragic death, and I think nobody deserves to die like that,” Hendry’s mother, Anielka Gudiño, told WPTV. “Very painful. Everything is painful. A teen full of life, 18 years old.”

Fighting through grief, Anielka added, “I’m going to miss him so much. It was him and I. This is all going to be so difficult for me.”

In the days following the crash, the Boca Raton High School community has rallied around Hendry’s family. In an email to families, Principal Dr. Suzanne King extended “heartfelt condolences” and emphasized that grief support would be available on campus for students and staff. “At Boca Raton High School, we are a community that supports one another,” King wrote, according to CBS12. “Together, we will navigate this difficult time.”

A GoFundMe campaign set up to assist Hendry’s family with funeral costs has raised over $5,400 as of Tuesday, May 20.

The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing its investigation into the cause of the crash. Boca Raton Community High School and FHP have not issued additional public statements as of press time.