(BAYONET POINT, Fla.) -- A retired police officer from Illinois was killed when a minivan driven by an elderly man who apparently was suffering from medical problems rear-ended his truck.
John T. Swisher, 62, of Port Richey, Fla., was not wearing a seat belt when his Mazda was hit by 80-year-old Wilbur Draheim, the St. Petersburg Times reported. The impact caused Swisher to slump forward, with a foot pressed on the accelerator, until his truck hit a building, the newspaper said.
Draheim had already sideswiped two vehicles, and other drivers had called 911 after seeing him swerving across U.S. 19 in Pasco County. A state trooper told the newspaper that rescue workers said Draheim was disoriented from low blood sugar.
A spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said that no deputies were near the area when the first cell phone calls were received about Draheim’s erratic driving. A deputy was heading for the scene when Swisher was hit.