A Florida high school student died in a car accident hours after graduation.
Hendry Aceituno Gudiño, 18, of Riviera Beach, died in a crash in Martin County on Saturday, May 17, as reported by NBC affiliate WPTV and FOX affiliate WFLX. He was with his girlfriend and her father.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the car collided with a guardrail near the Martin Highway exit after the 52-year-old driver lost control of it, according to CBS affiliate WPEC.
Both the driver and Hendry were pronounced dead at the scene, according to WPTV. The 16-year-old girl who was also in the vehicle was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hendry reportedly graduated from Boca Raton Community High School just hours before the crash. He was returning home from a celebratory dinner when the accident occurred.
According to WPTV, the teen and his mother, Anielka Gudiño, moved to Florida from Venezuela in 2023. Anielka informed the station that her son “had a whole life ahead of him.”
“It is a tragic death, and I think nobody deserves to die like that,” Anielka told reporters. “It is very painful. Everything is painful. A vibrant teen, 18 years old.”
She later said, “I am going to miss him so much. It was just him and me. This is all going to be very difficult for me.”
As of Tuesday, May 20, more than $5,400 had been raised through a GoFundMe campaign started to help Hendry’s family after the crash.
In an email to families on Monday, May 19, high school principal Dr. Suzanne King expressed “heartfelt condolences” to Hendry’s family and stated that the school would “offer support” to them, according to WPEC.
“Grief support, including school counselors and school psychologists, will be available on campus today for our students and staff to ensure they have the emotional support they may need to help them through this difficult time,” according to King. “If you believe your child would benefit from speaking with someone, please encourage them to do so.”
She later added, “At Boca Raton High School, we are a community that helps one another. Together, we will get through this difficult time.
FHP and Boca Raton Community High School did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.