His Mustang was involved in a deadly crash 9 months ago. Now, Florida teen allegedly led cops on a 130-mph chase

Denis Josue Maldonado-Reyes, a 19-year-old Florida teenager, is facing reckless-driving charges after allegedly leading Orange County sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed pursuit that reached between 120 and 130 mph in late August 2026.

According to Guessing Headlights, the chase came just nine months after a fatal November 2025 crash involving a Ford Mustang driven by Maldonado-Reyes that killed two elderly passengers in a transit van. Maldonado-Reyes was driving on a suspended license during the latest incident and has pleaded not guilty to the new reckless-driving charges.

The latest incident began on Kelly Park Road when an Orange County sheriff’s deputy reportedly saw a Ford Mustang run through a four-way stop. The driver then allegedly passed another vehicle over a double yellow line before turning off his headlights in an apparent attempt to avoid being detected. That was when the pursuit began.

He denied driving over the speed limit

The chase eventually reached speeds of between 120 and 130 mph, adding another serious incident to Maldonado-Reyes’ recent driving history.

In November 2025, Maldonado-Reyes was involved in a devastating crash at the intersection of Rock Springs Road and Alexandria Place Drive. An ACCESS LYNX transit van was making a left turn when his Ford Mustang struck the side of the vehicle.

The crash killed two passengers inside the transit van, Jerry Earl, 81, and Aida Maldonado, 94. Maldonado-Reyes and his 17-year-old passenger survived the crash with injuries.

Following the 2025 accident, the Florida Highway Patrol estimated that Maldonado-Reyes was traveling at roughly 90 mph in a 45 mph zone. However, during a January 2026 televised interview with WFTV, Maldonado-Reyes disputed the state’s estimate.

He claimed he was traveling at the posted speed limit when the transit van turned directly into his path. Maldonado-Reyes apologized to the victims’ families but said he had been knocked unconscious and did not have a full memory of what happened that night.

Despite the severity of the crash, formal charges related to the two deaths had not been filed before Maldonado-Reyes’ latest arrest. A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said the agency was still waiting on critical evidence from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Once those lab results were received, state troopers could work with the State Attorney’s Office to determine what charges, if any, should be filed over the fatal crash.

That delay, combined with news of Maldonado-Reyes’ latest 130 mph pursuit, has understandably frustrated the victims’ families.

Family members of the victims of his previous crash found the latest update frustrating

Edna McGrew, the granddaughter of Aida Maldonado, questioned why the teenager was still able to have access to a vehicle.

“Can he have his vehicle taken from him? I don’t know what else it takes,” McGrew told reporters.

Maldonado-Reyes remains legally presumed innocent of the reckless-driving charges unless proven guilty in court. However, his latest arrest for allegedly driving with a suspended license at extreme speeds adds another complication as prosecutors continue reviewing the evidence from the 2025 crash that claimed two lives.