He Died A Hero: Lake Area Man Killed While Saving Children From Alleged Drunk Driver In Florida

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — A Florida vacation took a tragic turn for a Lake of the Ozarks family last weekend when an alleged drunk driver killed a man as he pushed three children out of the way of the oncoming vehicle.

Thomas and Makenzie Lyon were vacationing in Panama City Beach with their family when the incident occurred. They were celebrating their first wedding anniversary; they had been married in the same area on July 31, 2023.

The Lyons had also recently learned Makenzie is pregnant.

A GoFundMe to support the family can be found here.

On Friday, Aug. 2, the family headed to the beach for crab hunting. Makenzie said they decided to walk the short distance to the public access beach after dinner at their vacation rental.

"There was a car over a 1/2 mile away, so we all headed across the crosswalk with our kids," Makenzie told LakeExpo. "I noticed the car was getting close quick, so I yelled for everyone to run."

A 2024 Nissan Altima traveling well above the posted speed limit struck and killed 29-year-old Thomas around 9 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. But even more people could have been killed were it not for Thomas' heroic actions in the moments before his death.

"He threw my niece out of the way and then pushed my nephew and daughter out of the way," Makenzie said about her husband. "Thomas had already made it across the white line and wasn't on the crosswalk anymore when he was hit."

The driver, 39-year-old Casey Rattan, was arrested on Friday. The FHP said preliminary investigation revealed he was under the influence. Rattan was taken into custody for DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide.

Rattan posted his $250,000 bond on Saturday and was released. However, the Bay County Sheriff's Office reported that Rattan was arrested again and booked on Monday, Aug. 5.

The family is determined to fight for justice.

"He was the best dad to our girls," Makenzie said. "He would help anyone out that he could. He had a lot of friends. He was just a funny goofy guy that everyone loved to be around."

Since the incident, Makenzie's sister has started a GoFundMe that has already raised over $30,000. Thomas was an employee at Midwest Roofing, and the company has helped promote the GoFundMe campaign.

Madison Barnfield wrote on the page, "They don't have much cushion to financially navigate this brutal season of life and that's why I'm here asking for help [...] The last thing a widow and her children need to worry about is how to bury their loved one and get the justice that Thomas deserves."