PUNTA GORDA, FL - According to reports, an Army veteran from Michigan was killed while delivering free bikes to kids in Florida who were impacted by Hurricane Ian.
The man, 57-year-old Steven Pringle, was killed in a crash in Punta Gorda. He reportedly drove through an intersection that was missing a stop sign, due to the hurricane's destruction, with his trailer of bikes when he was hit by another vehicle. Pringle had a passion for fixing bikes and was a respected member of his Upper Peninsula community. His son, Jason Pringle, said of his father: "One lady said, 'We couldn't afford a bicycle and your father gave my son a bicycle.' I was really blown away at the impact he had."
The site of the fatal crash now has a painted white bicycle, which is a common memorial to victims of fatal collisions. An inscription on the bike reads: "May the legend live on." Earlier in 2022, Pringle told a local Michigan newspaper that he was not in the best shape mentally and that he was living out of a camper. He said that he prayed a Catholic rosary, which he believes led him to "Build a Bicycle - Bicycle Therapy" a shop that he opened in Kingsford where he started to fix bikes, sold new ones and gave many away. While speaking to the local paper, at the time, Pringle said: "I've had people in the beginning who told me, 'You donate too much,' but the more we donate, the more that comes back at the end of the day. I don't need money. What am I gonna do with it, collect it and save it?"
According to reports, Pringle was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan. In the 1980s, he enlisted in the Army and served in Lebanon. After returning home, he went through some tough times, losing his dealership business and eventually living in a camper. His 39-year-old daughter, Torri Pringle, said: "He went through a lot of things in his life and he had seen a lot of things, and I think at some point he really found God and really felt like God was with him in everything he did, and he really wanted to do as much good as he could." Pringle is survived by his six children, five grandchildren, his girlfriend Lindsey, his horse Andy, his dog Lacey and his many customers.
In New York City, a Yonkers police sergeant was killed on the job when an out-of-control BMW struck the 24-year veteran's police vehicle. The sergeant, identified as Frank Gualdino, was traveling westbound when the BMW sedan crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into the unmarked cop car that was on the overpass. Police said that the driver of the BMW also crashed into a Westchester County Bee-Line bus. The sergeant was rushed to an area trauma center and later died of his injuries.
The bus operated suffered non-life threatening injuries and some of the 30 bus riders were treated at the scene for minor injuries. An investigation into the tragic crash is ongoing. The city of Boynton Beach, Florida, is mourning the loss of Police Officer Dennis Castro, who suffered several severe injuries in a one-while crash. His injuries were so severe that he did not survive. Castro served on the Boynton Beach Police Department for 14 years and was a member of the department's S.W.A.T. team, DUI Task Force, and was a traffic homicide investigator. He also served in the United States Marine Corps. Castro was honored numerous times as Officer of the Month. In 2021, he was honored as Officer of the Year by the Palm Beach County Commission's Victim Services and Certified Rape Crisis Center.
Castro was 38-years-old at the time of his death.
He is survived by his wife and two children. Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Dugger expressed his sympathy as he worked alongside Castro: "As a former officer and detective at the Boynton Beach Police Department, I was honored to have served alongside Officer Castro for several years ... He was loved and respected by many, and his loss will be felt by the entire Boynton Beach community. We offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to his beloved family."
The man, 57-year-old Steven Pringle, was killed in a crash in Punta Gorda. He reportedly drove through an intersection that was missing a stop sign, due to the hurricane's destruction, with his trailer of bikes when he was hit by another vehicle. Pringle had a passion for fixing bikes and was a respected member of his Upper Peninsula community. His son, Jason Pringle, said of his father: "One lady said, 'We couldn't afford a bicycle and your father gave my son a bicycle.' I was really blown away at the impact he had."
The site of the fatal crash now has a painted white bicycle, which is a common memorial to victims of fatal collisions. An inscription on the bike reads: "May the legend live on." Earlier in 2022, Pringle told a local Michigan newspaper that he was not in the best shape mentally and that he was living out of a camper. He said that he prayed a Catholic rosary, which he believes led him to "Build a Bicycle - Bicycle Therapy" a shop that he opened in Kingsford where he started to fix bikes, sold new ones and gave many away. While speaking to the local paper, at the time, Pringle said: "I've had people in the beginning who told me, 'You donate too much,' but the more we donate, the more that comes back at the end of the day. I don't need money. What am I gonna do with it, collect it and save it?"
According to reports, Pringle was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan. In the 1980s, he enlisted in the Army and served in Lebanon. After returning home, he went through some tough times, losing his dealership business and eventually living in a camper. His 39-year-old daughter, Torri Pringle, said: "He went through a lot of things in his life and he had seen a lot of things, and I think at some point he really found God and really felt like God was with him in everything he did, and he really wanted to do as much good as he could." Pringle is survived by his six children, five grandchildren, his girlfriend Lindsey, his horse Andy, his dog Lacey and his many customers.
In New York City, a Yonkers police sergeant was killed on the job when an out-of-control BMW struck the 24-year veteran's police vehicle. The sergeant, identified as Frank Gualdino, was traveling westbound when the BMW sedan crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into the unmarked cop car that was on the overpass. Police said that the driver of the BMW also crashed into a Westchester County Bee-Line bus. The sergeant was rushed to an area trauma center and later died of his injuries.
The bus operated suffered non-life threatening injuries and some of the 30 bus riders were treated at the scene for minor injuries. An investigation into the tragic crash is ongoing. The city of Boynton Beach, Florida, is mourning the loss of Police Officer Dennis Castro, who suffered several severe injuries in a one-while crash. His injuries were so severe that he did not survive. Castro served on the Boynton Beach Police Department for 14 years and was a member of the department's S.W.A.T. team, DUI Task Force, and was a traffic homicide investigator. He also served in the United States Marine Corps. Castro was honored numerous times as Officer of the Month. In 2021, he was honored as Officer of the Year by the Palm Beach County Commission's Victim Services and Certified Rape Crisis Center.
Castro was 38-years-old at the time of his death.
He is survived by his wife and two children. Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Dugger expressed his sympathy as he worked alongside Castro: "As a former officer and detective at the Boynton Beach Police Department, I was honored to have served alongside Officer Castro for several years ... He was loved and respected by many, and his loss will be felt by the entire Boynton Beach community. We offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to his beloved family."
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