Florida Family Seeks Justice 25 Years After Woman Killed in Wrong-Way Crash with Illegal Immigrant

A Florida family has been waiting for justice for their daughter’s death for 25 years. In 2001, Dennielle Nicole “Nikki” Schermock, 25, was driving on a highway in Kissimmee with her two young children.

An illegal immigrant driving the wrong way suddenly rammed his pickup truck into their vehicle. Schermock died at the scene, while her children, Brieanna, 4, and Brandon, 1, survived the crash with injuries. Meanwhile, the illegal immigrant was taken to a hospital, but was never seen again.

According to Nikki’s family, the man was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs when he drove on the wrong side of the highway and crashed into Nikki. The victim’s mother, Vickie Schermock, said that the accused was taken to a hospital for treatment.

However, he vanished and never faced any charges for her daughter’s death. Vickie recently appeared for an interview with Newsmax, where she shared her plight. She said she reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies shortly after Nikki’s death, but received no help.

“It began in November of 2001. I started then, and unfortunately, the agencies in Florida didn't really want to pursue Nikki's case. I think probably because it was an illegal from Mexico, and back then, they didn't know what to do. I talked with many different agencies. I called the White House, DOJ, ICE, everybody, and no one would give me any information,” she said.

Vickie added that she continues to fight for justice for her daughter more than two decades later. “It's just been an ongoing nightmare for all of these years,” she said. Vickie has now sought help from the American Border Story, a nonprofit organization that amplifies the stories of families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

Citing Nikki’s tragic death, Vickie highlighted that illegal immigration is not a new issue in the country. “I would like to say this, and I would hope that people would understand that this is not a new issue. This has been going on probably longer than the 25 years that we've waited. It's not just a new issue like many people want to think,” Vickie said.

Despite the Schermock family’s struggle for justice, the suspect who crashed into Nikki remains at large. In an earlier interview with Fox News, Vickie revealed how the man was able to flee law enforcement. Vickie said the undocumented individual was shifted from a hospital to a rehabilitation center.

His family then allegedly arrived and took him away. “There was no cameras that I know of. They just said, ‘He’s coming with us.' And after that he just disappeared. There’s no way to document where he was, where he went. He’s just gone,” Vickie said in November 2025.

She added that Border Czar Tom Homan has now promised to support the family and find the culprit responsible for her daughter’s death.