‘Do the right thing’
Loved ones want justice for UCF student killed by hit-and-run driver
For several days earlier this month, Joshua Sanchez’s loved ones thought he was missing.
The 23-year-old UCF student left the home he shared with his parents on the evening of March 18. Hours later, around 1:30 a.m., Sanchez was killed in a hit-and-run crash as he crossed East Colonial Drive, near Goldenrod Road.
But Sanchez didn’t have his wallet on him when he died, so authorities couldn’t immediately identify him.
His family and girlfriend drove around the Orlando-area to search for him. They posted pleas on social media, worried that he was without his medication for bipolar disorder.
Sanchez’s parents were informed of his death last Wednesday, five days after he was hit and killed.
“We thought he was missing the whole time — not even half a day after [he left], he was already not of the Earth anymore,” said his older brother, Jullian Sanchez, 26.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, a yellow Camaro struck Sanchez and the driver left the scene.
He died in the street, about six miles from his home.
A tip submitted to Crimeline led troopers to the car later that night, which was at an
apartment complex along Alafaya Trail, said FHP spokeswoman Lt. Kim Montes.
Pictures released by the agency show the crumpled front right end of the vehicle and pieces of the side mirror hanging off.
“The owner of the Camaro has retained a lawyer and has not provided any information about who was driving at the time of the crash,” Montes said.
Jullian Sanchez said his brother was known to occasionally go for a walk and clear his head. But he usually came back before it became too late.
“When my dad woke up and he wasn’t home, that sparked the worry,” he said.
Joshua Sanchez was one semester away from earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting at UCF. He wanted to develop a lucrative career as a tax accountant.
He dreamed of making enough money to buy his parents new
cars one day. He would text Jullian pictures of expensive guitars he wanted to purchase for his brother. He wanted to maintain a sharp wardrobe for himself, with a closet full of name-brand clothing.
Sanchez’s bipolar diagnosis made social interactions difficult for him, his family said.
So Jullian knew what it took for Joshua to stand up during his wedding reception last year and give a toast.
“He was super happy for us that day,” he said. “I didn’t expect him to talk because he doesn’t do public speaking like that. It definitely took guts for him to do it and it was much appreciated.”
Joshua Sanchez’s girlfriend, 24-year-old Samantha Plock, sobbed as she remembered the promise ring he gave her the day after Christmas. They had been dating since summer 2019 and talked about getting married after he finished graduate school.
She’ll miss his silly jokes and his smile.
“No matter how sad he was inside, he always made everyone laugh and he always put everyone first before himself,” Plock said. “That’s why I fell in love with him.”
Jullian Sanchez said he wants justice for his brother. He is hoping there is surveillance footage available from the area that will help investigators identify the driver.
FHP has not said whether it obtained video evidence.
It’s cruel, he said, that his brother was “left on the side of the road to die” and the driver did “not even have the human decency to check on him.”
Plock set up a GoFundMe campaign to help Sanchez’s family with expenses for a private funeral and potential legal fees related to his case. It had raised more than $6,000 as of Monday afternoon.
“I just want the person to know — whoever hit him — do the right thing. That’s all I ask,” Plock said. “Because we’ve already been through enough.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact FHP at 407-737-2213.