A Villager killed in a recent golf cart crash had been a first responder after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
Additional details are coming to light about 58-year-old Timothy Joseph Byrnes, who died June 12 after the crash in the Village of Citrus Grove.
Byrnes, who had only recently bought a home in The Villages, lost control of the golf cart when he struck a curb, according to the Wildwood Police Department. He was ejected from the golf cart and thrown onto the pavement. A man driving a truck towing a trailer told police he saw the golf cart strike the curb and immediately took evasive action, steering across the double-yellow center line in an attempt to avoid a collision. While the truck itself narrowly avoided striking Byrnes, the attached trailer subsequently ran over him. Fire rescue and EMS personnel responded to the scene, where Byrnes was pronounced dead.
An obituary is now providing details about Byrnes’ life.
He had been living in Lithia, Florida, prior to purchasing a home in The Villages.
He had retired as a lieutenant with the New York Police Department and was a first responder after terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center.
After retirement, he served as an assistant state attorney in Tampa and worked as an attorney for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.