ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Monday would have marked another birthday for Trenton Stewart.
But instead of celebrating with him, his family is honoring his memory and continuing a fight they began after his death, asking the community to take 83 seconds to remember the 18-year-old they lost and think about the lives that can still be saved.
Trenton was a Creekside High School graduate, a Stetson University freshman and a football player.
His mother, Mandi, says he was hardworking and determined to succeed no matter the path he chose.
“When he set his mind to something, it was already done. It was just a matter of time before it happened. He also was a fitness buff, so he wanted to be a fitness influencer and was well on his way to doing that as well,” Mandi said.
Trenton was home from college for a break in May of 2023 when, authorities say, a repeat drunk driver slammed into his vehicle in St. Johns County.
Investigators say Ariel Monteagudo was driving the wrong way at 113 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone on the wrong lane.
Trenton survived for 83 minutes after the crash. His family has carried that number with them ever since.
“They were spent fighting, fighting as he would for anything else in his life. But we have the choice to continue to take a pause, recenter, refocus, and continue to show up the way that I think that he would want us to show up, which is not easy,” Mandi said.
Mandi later learned that Monteagudo had a previous fatal crash conviction in Broward County and had served 10 years in prison before the crash that killed her son.
Monteagudo was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison, ordered to pay more than $25,000 in restitution and had his driver’s license permanently suspended.
“For me as a mom, I felt like it was a slap in the face to learn that with the repeat offender of vehicular homicide or DUI manslaughter within the state at that point in time, the maximum sentencing didn’t have an enhancement for a repeat offense,” Mandi said.
After her son was killed, Mandi Stewart and her husband Robert began advocating for tougher penalties for impaired drivers.
That effort eventually helped lead to Trenton’s Law, which took effect in October 2025.
The law increases the maximum prison sentence for repeat offenders convicted of vehicular homicide or DUI manslaughter from 15 years to 30.
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It also makes refusing a breathalyzer or urine test a criminal offense.
This past week, Trenton’s family joined St. Johns County deputies for a ride-along, watching traffic stops and seeing firsthand the work being done to keep dangerous drivers off the road.
The operation counted 203 traffic stops, 7 arrests, 4 DUI arrests and 4 super speeders.
“From my perspective, I was really surprised at how many people are speeding and driving under the influence in just a short window of time,” said Robert Stewart, Trenton’s father.
The Stewart family says the best statistic is one they will never know. The crash that never happened, the life that was never lost and the family that made it home safely.
And Monday, on Trenton’s birthday, they are asking the community for just 83 seconds.
83 seconds to remember a young man whose life ended too soon and to think about the lives that Trenton’s Law may still save.
To learn more about the Trenton Steward Foundation, click here.
