ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2026) – Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Milagros “Millie” Ortiz at a news conference Wednesday in Eatonville. They will announce the filing of a $92 million wrongful death lawsuit, $1 million dollars for each year of Ortiz’s life, naming the Orlando Police Department, the manufacturer of the cruiser’s emergency light bar, and the company responsible for maintaining the department’s fleet.
The news conference falls on what would have been Ortiz’s birthday.
Ortiz, a 92-year-old great-grandmother, was riding in the front passenger seat of a friend’s Jeep on her way home from bingo when a marked Orlando police cruiser struck the SUV shortly before 2 a.m. on Jan. 18, 2026. She died later at a hospital, and a preliminary crash report faulted the police vehicle for failing to yield the right of way.
City traffic camera video shows Officer Andrew McKuhen activate his emergency lights as he entered the intersection. The lights appeared steady rather than flashing, then went dark entirely as he accelerated into the SUV’s path. Maintenance records show the cruiser had a documented history of lights and siren failures, including a work order filed weeks before the crash. The state attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges in June.
WHO:
Members of the family of Milagros “Millie” Ortiz
Attorney Ben Crump
WHEN:
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026
11:30 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
412 E. Kennedy Blvd.
Eatonville, FL 32751
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MEDIA CONTACT:
[email protected]
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
