Dead Bicyclist Was Saving Money To Bring Family To Florida

THONOTOSASSA, FL — A man killed while riding his bike on U.S. 301 Tuesday was on his way to work where he hoped to earn enough money to bring his fiancé, 2-week-old daughter and 17-month-old son to Florida.

Jacob Aaron Weinert, 28, was making the hour-long commute by bicycle to work as a forklift operator at 4:39 a.m. Tuesday when he was struck by a white pickup truck. Weinert was in the bike lane at the time of the crash.

He was transported to the hospital where he died.

The pickup truck driver fled the scene but turned himself in to the Florida Highway Patrol on Wednesday.

Steven Duane Baker, 61, of Palm Tree Drive in Thonotosassa, told the highway patrol that he "struck something" at the time and location of the hit-and-run crash reported by news outlets.

Baker said he was not aware of what he struck and admitted he drove on without stopping. Hours later, he said he purchased spray paint and repainted his truck.

Troopers met Baker at his home and found a 2003 white Dodge two-door pickup truck with damage to the front.

Baker was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal traffic crash and destruction of evidence.

Now Weinert's brother, Rob Pappalardo, is trying to raise funds to bring his brother back to Lockport to be buried.

Pappalardo said his brother was consumed with making enough money so he and his fiance could raise their children together in Florida.

"For several months, Jacob had been commuting by bicycle to his job as a forklift operator in Tampa," said Pappalardo. "Jacob was working really hard to save enough money to move his family to Florida so they could all be together. Suddenly and tragically, that dream was taken away from Izabel and their children, Jasper and Sapphire."

Pappalardo has started a Gofundme page to cover the cost of transporting Weinert's body back to his home town. Weinert grew up in Lockport and was part of the Lockport Township High School class of 2009.

"We want to bring Jacob back to his family in Illinois where he can be laid to rest," Pappalardo said. Any additional funds will go to his fiance and their two children.

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