LAKELAND, Fla. — A family is in mourning and remembering the life of a 36-year-old woman who was just turning her life around.
Lena Bouboudis was headed home Monday evening when Lakeland police say she was hit and killed Monday night after entering the crosswalk on North Lake Parker Avenue.
Investigators say she entered the crosswalk in front of a semi-truck pulling a trailer that was traveling southbound on North Lake Parker Avenue approaching the East Rose Street intersection on a green traffic light. The semi-truck entered into the left turn lane to turn east onto East Rose Street and then hit her.
"There are a lot of broken hearts out there right now because of this," Jason Smith, Lena's boyfriend of 15 years, said.
Speaking only to 10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo, Smith says he was on the phone with her just before the crash. He says the call dropped and when he tried calling her back, she didn't answer.
"I pinged her phone and her GPS was in the middle of the street. I called Jane, her mom, and I said, 'Man, there's something wrong. There's something wrong, this is not right,'" Smith said.
He wasn't wrong. Paramedics tried to save Lena's life, but couldn't. Right now, police say the driver of the semi-truck is Gregory Pinkney Hope of Lakeland, but no charges have been filed.
"How could something like this, something so tragic happen? Why can't she finish with dreams? She just turned 36," Jane Bouboudis, Lena's mother, said.
She's been by her daughter's side throughout her life's journey. Lena was a loving mother of two. She struggled with addiction to heroin for 18 years. Fourteen months ago, she made the decision to fight to better herself and was sober since.
"She threw herself into it 100%. She's amazing. She made me proud after all these years. She did it," Jane said.
The family says she got sober, was just about to get off probation early and headed to court Monday afternoon to file paperwork.
"I Ubered her over there and then she said she was taking a walk to come back. She texted me and said she felt like she was going to pass out. I asked why and that was it. I heard nothing," Jane said.
"I hopped on my scooter and I rode there. I saw her and I just knew it was her. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. It was the worst feeling I've ever felt in my life," Smith said.
Now they're left with inconsolable pain and questions unanswered. After going through so much, Lena's loss leaves her family hanging in the balance.
"I love you very much, Lena. I miss you more than ever, and I don't know how to go along without you," Jane said.
But Lena's bright light leaves a ray of hope. An inspiration to many, her impact wasn't cut short.
"She wanted to be a counselor for substance abuse. She wanted to work in a detox program to help other people that are going through the things that she went through. It was her dream and I definitely plan on living that dream for her," Smith said.