Volusia County husband, father killed in hit-and-run crash

The family of Thomas Reece are heartbroken over the loss of the husband and father, killed in a hit-and-run crash on Saturday.

“He took a good man from a good family that can never be replaced,” said Bill Ogle, the victim’s father-in-law.  “What you or I or anyone else would have done if we were in that situation, we would have stopped, simply to take care of the person we knocked of the road.”

Florida Highway Patrol troopers says Reece, 49, and his 9-year-old son, Austin, were driving eastbound on Interstate 4 in Volusia County on Saturday night, when another car sideswiped them, forcing their vehicle to overturn in a ditch. Reece was pronounced dead at the scene; his son was airlifted to the hospital, where the family allowed us talk to him.

“I just wanted to say that my dad was a very nice man, and this guy being reckless cost someone’s life, and I’m very sad,” Austin Reece said.

Family members say the elder Reece was a BMX coach for two local teams -- he and his son were on their way back from a BMX track in Orlando when the crash happened.  His father-in-law has a message for the driver who fled the scene.

“If you hear my voice here now, and you we were involved in this terrible accident, come forward please, let's get closure to this,” Ogle said.

Troopers describe the vehicle that fled as a white Chevrolet Malibu with that a headlight out, prior to the crash and may have a different color right front quarter panel. 

Anyone with information call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).