Family mourns death of father killed in multiple hit-and-runs in Central Florida

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A family is still searching for answers six months after losing a loved one to a hit-and-run driver in Central Florida.

Levi Edwards won't be home for the holidays. Christmas Eve marked six months since he was killed in Lake County. The case remains unsolved.

"He loved 'dad jokes.' In fact, we had been known to send him t-shirts that say I say stupid dad jokes," said Levi's mother, Nona Keeler.

"They have unanswered questions. They can’t begin to have closure," said Lt. Tara Crescezni with the Florida Highway Patrol.

Keeler said Levi had a close bond with his 14-year-old daughter and still talks to her son when she visits his grave.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Levi Edwards, 35, was killed in multiple hit-and-run crashes as he was riding a bicycle along U.S. Highway 192 in Lake County in July 2022. [Credit: Nora Keeler]

The Florida Highway Patrol said Levi Edwards, 35, was killed in multiple hit-and-run crashes as he was riding a bicycle along U.S. Highway 192 in Lake County in July 2022. [Credit: Kati Kuhl]

"Tell him that we don’t forget, that we love him and that we are not going to stop looking for answers," she said.

FHP troopers believe the 35-year-old was riding a bicycle in the bike lane near U.S. Highway 192 when a semi-truck came down U.S. Highway 27 and struck and killed him. It happened on June 24 around 4:45 a.m. Troopers said two other cars hit Levi after that and none of the drivers stopped.

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"Leaving him to die on the side of the road by himself... just driving away makes it hard to think of it as just a simple accident," Keeler said.

"If you are scared, we understand that, but it’s going to be way scarier if you flee the scene, and now you’re looking at criminal charges," explained Lt. Crescezni.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Levi Edwards, 35, was killed in multiple hit-and-run crashes as he was riding a bicycle along U.S. Highway 192 in Lake County in July 2022. [Credit: Nona Keeler]

Investigators are hoping someone may have witnessed the incident or has information about the case.  As the FHP works on new leads, Keeler said she hopes a highway marker that now stands in the spot where her son died will encourage someone to step forward.

"The best Christmas gift we could get," she said, "is to have the answers. To be able to put the accident at rest in our minds."

If you have any information about this case, contact Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).