ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A family is pleading for information in a hit-and-run crash that killed an army veteran.
John Sill served as a United States Army Ranger all over the world.
He was riding his bike home after his serving shift at Bahama Breeze on International Drive in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving when he was struck.
The driver stayed, but troopers said another driver also hit Sill and took off.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are not searching for a third driver.
Troopers said the driver may hold a clue that could help them solve the mystery.
The driver may have dragged or picked up key parts to the bicycle.
Sillwas in the bike lane when the three vehicles hit him on John Young Parkway.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if it was a holiday. It wouldn’t have mattered if it waa today. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was Monday, Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday,” said Leslie Varhol, the victim’s sister. “He was my baby brother. It wouldn’t have mattered what day it was.”
His sister was devastated by the loss.
Troopers said it’s important they find that third driver.
“It’s now classified as a hit-and-run because we do have a second vehicle that did not stop and maybe even a third vehicle that took bicycle parts from the scene,” said Sgt. Kim Montes of FHP.
Investigators found a bike chain, lights and a reflector on the road, but never found the tires, which may indicate the third driver picked them up and took off.
An FHP spokesperson said troopers searched ditches, dumpsters and bushes to try and find those missing bike parts came up empty handed.
“He wasn’t a dog. He wasn’t a raccoon. He wasn’t a possum crossing the road,” Varhol said. “He was a human being and he didn’t deserve to be killed like that.”
Varhol asks that anyone who may have witnessed what happened come forward.
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