Tate Grad Killed In Tampa Hit And Run Wreck

August 8, 2013

A Tate High School graduate now living in Tampa was struck and killed by a hit and run driver on Tuesday.

Michael Duriel Lee, 29, was riding his bicycle in a marked bike lane on the US 94 overpass over I-4 about 7:50 a.m. He was struck by a 1999 Ford Ranger that fled the scene.  Lee was ejected from his bike and thrown from the overpass, landing in a retention pond 80 feet below the roadway.

Wednesday, authorities arrested 23-year-old Christopher Jacob Kimmel and charged him with leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

Lee was a 2001 graduate of Tate High School in Cantonment and still has family in the area. He was believed to be riding his bicycle to work at Central Power Systems, Inc. in Tampa.

Pictured top: This  still image from a traffic camera shows the scene where at Tate HighSchool graduate’s bicycle was struck and thrown from an overpass in Tampa. Image courtesy FDOT for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: The truck that allegedly hit Lee. Pictured below: A paint chip from the  truck recovered at the scene of the traffic crash. Photos courtesy Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEcambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

3 Responses to “Tate Grad Killed In Tampa Hit And Run Wreck”

  1. Rich on August 14th, 2013 6:10 pm

    We bicyclists are need better lanes and *protected, dedicated* bike lanes like they have in other major world cities.

    Now if your immediate reaction is anti-bike, too bad. Riding is healthy, better for the environment (that is, the world you’re leaving to your great-grandchildren!), and should be encouraged whenever possible. Cars should not have any more “intrinsic” rights to the roadways than walking, biking, or rollerblading for that matter.

  2. friend of family on August 10th, 2013 4:51 pm

    I’m so glad they caught the driver.

  3. Lin on August 8th, 2013 6:48 am

    Another example of how people are brought up today, the 23 yr. old that hit him, we all know that if he had any up bringing he would not of left the scene.How could any person leave some one they just struck down. My heart goes out to the family of the victim.