A tragic incident on Christmas Eve claimed the life of a pedestrian in Lakeland, Florida. A 69-year-old man, identified as William Crede, was hit and killed by a car while attempting to cross East Edgewood Drive. The accident happened just after 7:30 p.m., as confirmed by the Lakeland Police Department in reports obtained by WTSP.
According to officials, Crede was trying to cross the street in a southerly direction, and walked into the path of an eastbound 2015 BMW. The driver of the BMW, identified by police as 26-year-old Shakur Dexter, remained on the scene, and was present as emergency responders arrived, a narrative found across multiple local reports including WFLA. Witnesses corroborated the account, pointing to Crede's sudden movement onto the roadway as the cause of the collision, their statements appear to align with the evidence gathered.
Despite the immediate response and the life-saving efforts administered by medical professionals, Crede was pronounced dead after being transported to Lakeland Regional Health. The Lakeland Police Department's Traffic Homicide Unit took over the crash investigation which led to the road being closed for around two hours, for processing the scene, information reinforced by both WTSP and WFLA.
Currently, the investigation into the crash remains active, with officers encouraging anyone with further information to reach out. Officer Travis Payne is the point of contact for the investigation, as reported by Tampa Free Press.
